 Bellona in 1890 | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Barham class |
| Builders | |
| Operators |  Royal Navy |
| Preceded by | Barracouta class |
| Succeeded by | none |
| Built | 1888–1891 |
| In commission | 1890–1914 |
| Completed | 2 |
| Retired | 2 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Torpedo cruiser |
| Displacement | 1,800long tons (1,830 t) |
| Length | 280 ft 0 in (85.34 m)lbp |
| Beam | 35 ft 0 in (10.67 m) |
| Draught | 4.04 m (13 ft 3 in) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | |
| Complement | 170 |
| Armament |
|
| Armour |
|
TheBarham-class cruiser was a series of twothird-class cruisers operated by theRoyal Navy between 1890 and 1914. Designed as a high-speed variant of theBarracouta-class cruiser for service in theMediterranean and British waters, flaws in theirboiler design led to frequent breakdowns and the abandonment of their original purpose. Instead, the two ships were reclassified asdispatch vessels and were eventuallybroken up after two decades of service.
During the early 1880s, the Royal Navy worked to develop a new type of warship, known as thetorpedo cruiser. Later designated as third-class cruisers, these vessels had the speed, size, and maneuverability to serve as avanguard for ocean-going fleets ofironclads. In combat,doctrine called for the cruisers to sail ahead and engage enemy vessels, primarilytorpedo boats, with their guns and underwaterTorpedo tubes. After several iterations of designs, the Navy was concerned that the cruisers were too slow to serve their purpose in an engagement. One attempt to solve this issue was with the launching of the fourBarracouta-class cruisers in 1888, themselves enlarged and faster versions of the torpedo gunboatHMS Curlew. Powered by two coal-fed three-cylindervertical triple-expansion engines producing 3,000indicated horsepower (2,200 kW), theBarracoutas reached a maximum speed of 16.5knots (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph).[1][2]
While theBarracoutas were intended for service aboard, the Navy wanted even faster ships to serve in theHome Fleet or in the Mediterranean. The design's power was doubled to 6,000 ihp (4,500 kW) and was the hull was lengthened by 60 feet (18 m) to make room for more powerful locomotive boilers that produced a top speed of 19.5 knots (36.1 km/h; 22.4 mph). Known as theBarham class, the ships closely resembled theBarracouta design and were laid down mere months after them. TheBarhams' main armament consisted of six4.7-inch (120 mm) and four3-pounder (1.4 kg) guns along with twomachine guns and two 14-inch (360 mm) torpedo tubes fitted under thewaterline. Their armour consisted of an armoured deck which was 0.98–2.01 inches (2.5–5.1 cm) thick and 2 in (5.1 cm) thick gunshields. To reach the top speed of 19.5 knots, six locomotive boilers fed by 140 tons of coal supplied two three-cylinder vertical triple expansion engines that turned twopropellers. Each shipdisplaced 1,800 long tons (1,830 t) and was 280 feet 0 inches (85.34 m)long between perpendiculars, had abeam of 35 feet 0 inches (10.67 m), adraught of 13 feet 3 inches (4.04 m), and had a crew of 170.[2]
Two ships were built to the design: HMSBarham andBellona, completed in 1890 and 1891, respectively. However, both encountered severe problems immediately. The boilers were placed under extreme strain when attempting to reach high speeds, leading to frequent breakdowns. Additionally, the rest of the machinery wore out quickly, making it nearly impossible to achieve their intended top speeds. Unable to fulfill their original purpose, the ships were reassigned asdispatch vessels, operating at a more manageable speed of 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph) and functioned as the British counterbalance to the FrenchForbin class. Between 1898 and 1899, both ships had their boilers replaced in an effort to address the speed issues. Equipped withThornycroft 4,700 ihp (3,500 kW) boilers, the ships were able to regularly reach a speed of 18.5 knots (34.3 km/h; 21.3 mph). Despite the changes,Bellona was sold in 1906, andBarham in 1914.[2]
In 1887, the Royal Navy realized the need for cheap and long-range ships to protect Australia. TheBarham design was enlarged and given a new battery to form thePearl-class cruiser, which was envisioned as a cheap alternative to larger second-class cruisers. In 1893, the design was again revisited. Fitted with better boilers, new weapons, and a new hull, the new design became thePelorus-class cruiser.[1]
| Name | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Completed | Fate | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barham | Portsmouth Drydock | 22 October 1888 | 11 September 1889 | 1890 | Broken up, 1914 | [2] |
| Bellona | Hawthorn | 1889 | 29 August 1890 | 1891 | Broken up, 1906 | [2] |
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