 Suffolk at anchor | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | Suffolk |
| Namesake | Suffolk |
| Builder | Portsmouth Royal Dockyard |
| Laid down | 25 March 1901 |
| Launched | 15 January 1903 |
| Completed | 21 May 1904 |
| Fate | Sold forscrap, 1 July 1920 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Monmouth-classarmoured cruiser |
| Displacement | 9,800long tons (10,000 t) (normal) |
| Length | 463 ft 6 in (141.3 m) (o/a) |
| Beam | 66 ft (20.1 m) |
| Draught | 25 ft (7.6 m) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion | 2 × shafts; 2 ×triple-expansion steam engines |
| Speed | 23knots (43 km/h; 26 mph) |
| Complement | 678 |
| Armament |
|
| Armour |
|
HMSSuffolk was one of 10Monmouth-classarmoured cruisers built for theRoyal Navy in the first decade of the 20th century. Upon completion she was assigned to the3rd Cruiser Squadron of theMediterranean Fleet and was then assigned to the5th Cruiser Squadron in the Mediterranean in 1909 after a lengthy refit. She returned home for another refit in 1912 and became theflagship of the4th Cruiser Squadron on theNorth America and West Indies Station in 1913.
After the beginning of World War I in August 1914,Suffolk became aprivate ship and searched for Germancommerce raiders while protecting British shipping. She captured a German merchantman shortly after the war began. She remained in the Atlantic until she became flagship of theChina Station in 1917 In late 1918 the ship was deployed toVladivostok to support theSiberian Intervention during theRussian Civil War. She returned home in 1919 and briefly became atraining ship before she was sold forscrap in 1920.
TheMonmouths were intended to protect British merchant shipping from fastcruisers like the FrenchGuichen,Châteaurenault or theDupleix class. The ships were designed todisplace 9,800long tons (10,000 t). They had anoverall length of 463 feet 6 inches (141.3 m), abeam of 66 feet (20.1 m) and a deepdraught of 25 feet (7.6 m). They were powered by two 4-cylindertriple-expansion steam engines, each driving one shaft using steam provided by 31Belleville boilers. The engines produced a total of 22,000indicated horsepower (16,000 kW) which was designed to give the ships a maximum speed of 23knots (43 km/h; 26 mph).Suffolk, however, reached 24.7 knots (45.7 km/h; 28.4 mph) during hersea trials.[1] She carried a maximum of 1,600 long tons (1,600 t) of coal and her complement consisted of 678 officers andratings.[2]
TheMonmouth-class ships' main armament consisted of fourteenbreech-loading (BL)6-inch (152 mm) Mk VII guns.[3] Four of these guns were mounted in two twin-gun turrets, one each fore and aft of thesuperstructure, and the others were positioned incasematesamidships. Six of these were mounted on themain deck and were only usable in calm weather.[4] Tenquick-firing (QF)12-pounder (3-inch (76 mm)) 12-cwt guns[Note 1] were fitted for defence againsttorpedo boats.[2]Suffolk also carried three3-pounder 1.9 in (47 mm)Hotchkiss guns and two submerged18-inch (450 mm)torpedo tubes.[1]
Beginning in 1915, the main deck six-inch guns of theMonmouth-class ships were moved to the upper deck and givengun shields. Their casemates were plated over to improveseakeeping. The twelve-pounder guns displaced by the transfer were repositioned elsewhere. At some point in the war, a pair of three-pounderanti-aircraft guns were installed on the upper deck.[5]
The ship'swaterlinearmour belt was four inches (102 mm) thickamidships and two-inch (51 mm) forward. The armour of the gun turrets, theirbarbettes and the casemates was four inches thick. The protectivedeck armour ranged in thickness from 0.75–2 inches (19–51 mm) and theconning tower was protected by ten inches (254 mm) of armour.[6]
Suffolk, named to commemorate theEnglish county,[7] waslaid down atPortsmouth Royal Dockyard on 25 March 1901 andlaunched on 15 January 1903, when she was named by Lady Stradbroke, wife ofGeorge Rous, 3rd Earl of Stradbroke, who wasVice-Admiral of Suffolk (an honorary appointment in the county for which the vessel was named).[8] She was completed on 21 May 1904[1] and was assigned to the 3rd Cruiser Squadron of the Mediterranean Fleet.[9] In October 1904Captain (laterFirst Sea Lord)David Beatty assumed command until he returned home in late 1905.[10] The ship returned home in 1907 for a lengthy refit. She returned to the Mediterranean in 1909 and was assigned to the 5th Cruiser Squadron. She began another refit at Devonport Royal Dockyard in October 1912. When it was completed in February 1913, she became the flagship ofRear Admiral SirChristopher Craddock's 4th Cruiser Squadron on the North America and West Indies Station.[11]
After the start of the war, Cradock transferred his flag to the faster and more heavily armedGood Hope whileSuffolk remained in the Atlantic hunting for German raiders. She captured a German merchant ship on 8 August and remained in the Atlantic, as aprivate ship until August 1917 when she became flagship of the China Station. She again became a private ship in November 1918 and deployed to Vladivostok to support the Siberian Intervention against theBolsheviks.Suffolk returned home in 1919 and became acadet training ship before she was listed for sale in April 1920.[11] The ship was sold for scrap on 1 July and broken up in 1922 in Germany.[7]
