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The ''Monmouth'' class was a ten-ship class of 10,000-ton
Expected only to fight light cruisers and armed merchant ships, the class was armed with fourteen 6-inch guns at a time when most British armoured cruisers also carried at least a pair of 9.2-inch guns: Four of the guns were mounted in two twin turrets at a good height, the remaining ten were installed in hull-mounted
Upon completion, the ships served briefly in home waters before being assigned to various oversea stations (the China Station and the North America and West Indies Station). During this time HMS ''Bedford'' was wrecked in the East China Sea and scrapped.
Following the outbreak of WW1, the ships were primarily tasked with combating German commerce raiders, patrolling in both the North and South Atlantic. HMS ''Monmouth'' was assigned to Rear Admiral Sir Christopher Cradock's squadron, and was sunk at the Battle of Coronel. HMS ''Kent'' was also assigned to Cradock's squadron, but failed to join in time; she remained at the Falklands and joined Admiral Sturdee's squadron, which also included HMS ''Cornwall''. In the ensuing Battle of the Falklands, HMS ''Kent'' pursued and sank , while HMS ''Cornwall'' pursued and sank . HMS ''Kent'' continued the pursuit of , eventually locating her and forcing her to be scuttled at the Battle of Más a Tierra. Later HMS ''Cornwall'' participated in the blockade of in the Rufiji river.
After the war, several of the ships served briefly as training ships. All were withdrawn from service and scrapped in 1920–21.
The Dreadnought Project
Technical details of the ships. {{DEFAULTSORT:Monmouth Class Cruiser Cruiser classes Ship classes of the Royal Navy de:HMS Monmouth (1901)#Die Schiffe der Monmouth- oder County-Klasse
armoured cruiser
The armored cruiser was a type of warship of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was designed like other types of cruisers to operate as a long-range, independent warship, capable of defeating any ship apart from a battleship and fast eno ...
s built around 1901 to 1903 for the Royal Navy and designed specifically for commerce protection. The ships were also referred to as County class cruisers as they carried the names of British counties.
Design
Expected only to fight light cruisers and armed merchant ships, the class was armed with fourteen 6-inch guns at a time when most British armoured cruisers also carried at least a pair of 9.2-inch guns: Four of the guns were mounted in two twin turrets at a good height, the remaining ten were installed in hull-mounted casemate
A casemate is a fortified gun emplacement or armored structure from which artillery, guns are fired, in a fortification, warship, or armoured fighting vehicle.Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary
When referring to Ancient history, antiquity, th ...
s, five on each side. The lower casemate guns were just a few feet above water, making them impossible to use in heavy seas. Sir John Fisher commented that "Sir William White
Sir William Henry White, (2 February 1845 – 27 February 1913) was a prolific British warship designer and Chief Constructor at the Admiralty.
Biography
White was born in Devonport, the son of Robert White, a currier, and his wife, Jane M ...
designed the County class but forgot the guns." On the other hand, they were relatively fast ships for their time.
Ships
The following table gives the build details and purchase cost of the members of the ''Monmouth'' class. Standard British practice at that time was for these costs to exclude armament and stores. The compilers ofThe Naval Annual
''The Naval Annual'' was a periodical that provided considerable text and graphic information (largely concerning the British Royal Navy) which had previously been obtainable only by consulting a wide range of often foreign language publications ...
revised costs quoted for British ships between the 1905 and 1906 editions. The reasons for the differences are unclear.The 1906 figure for ''Monmouth'' is particularly high. but is as quoted in the original. The 1914 edition also quotes £979,591 as the cost of ''Monmouth''.
Service
Upon completion, the ships served briefly in home waters before being assigned to various oversea stations (the China Station and the North America and West Indies Station). During this time HMS ''Bedford'' was wrecked in the East China Sea and scrapped.
Following the outbreak of WW1, the ships were primarily tasked with combating German commerce raiders, patrolling in both the North and South Atlantic. HMS ''Monmouth'' was assigned to Rear Admiral Sir Christopher Cradock's squadron, and was sunk at the Battle of Coronel. HMS ''Kent'' was also assigned to Cradock's squadron, but failed to join in time; she remained at the Falklands and joined Admiral Sturdee's squadron, which also included HMS ''Cornwall''. In the ensuing Battle of the Falklands, HMS ''Kent'' pursued and sank , while HMS ''Cornwall'' pursued and sank . HMS ''Kent'' continued the pursuit of , eventually locating her and forcing her to be scuttled at the Battle of Más a Tierra. Later HMS ''Cornwall'' participated in the blockade of in the Rufiji river.
After the war, several of the ships served briefly as training ships. All were withdrawn from service and scrapped in 1920–21.
Notes
Footnotes
Bibliography
* Brassey, T.A. (ed) The Naval Annual 1905 * * * * Leyland, J. and Brassey, T.A. (ed) The Naval Annual 1906 * * * *External links
The Dreadnought Project
Technical details of the ships. {{DEFAULTSORT:Monmouth Class Cruiser Cruiser classes Ship classes of the Royal Navy de:HMS Monmouth (1901)#Die Schiffe der Monmouth- oder County-Klasse