List of cruiser classes of the Royal Navy

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This is a list of cruisers of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom from 1877 (when the category was created by amalgamating the two previous categories of frigate and corvette) until the last cruiser was decommissioned more than a century later. There are no longer any cruisers in the Royal Navy.

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    First class cruisers[]

    Armoured cruisers were protected by a belt of side armour and an armoured deck. In the Royal Navy this classification was not actually used, the term first class cruiser being used instead for both armoured cruisers and large protected cruisers. Thus, the first class cruisers built between the Orlando class (1886) and the Cressy class (1897) were, strictly speaking, protected cruisers as they lacked an armoured belt. The first class cruiser was succeeded by the Battlecruiser in the Royal Navy.

    • Shannon first class armoured cruiser, (1875) 5,670 tons, 2×10in, 7×9inch
    • Nelson class first class armoured cruiser, 7,473 tons, 4×10-inch, 6×9-inch
      • Nelson (1876) – Sold 1910
      • Northampton (1876) – Sold 1905
    • Imperieuse class first class armoured cruiser, 8,500 tons, 4×9.2inch, 10×6inch
      • Imperieuse (1883) – Sold 1913
      • Warspite (1884) – Sold 1905
    • Orlando class first class armoured cruiser, 5,600 tons, 2×9.2-inch, 10×6-inch
      • Orlando (1886) – Sold 1905
      • Australia (1886) – Sold 1905
      • Undaunted (1886) – Sold 1907
      • Narcissus (1886) – Sold 1906
      • Galatea (1887) – Sold 1905
      • Immortalite (1887) – Sold 1907
      • Aurora (1887) – Sold 1907
    • Blake class first class protected cruiser, 9,150 tons, 2 × 9.2-inch, 10 × 6-inch
      • Blake (1889) – Sold 1922
      • Blenheim (1890) – Sold 1926
    • Edgar class first class protected cruiser, 7,700 tons, 2× 9.2-inch, 10×6-inch
      • Edgar (1890) – Sold 1921
      • Hawke (1891) – Torpedoed 1914
      • Endymion (1891) – Sold 1920
      • Royal Arthur (1891) – Sold 1921
      • Gibraltar (1892) – Sold 1923
      • Grafton (1892) – Sold 1920
      • St George (1892) – Sold 1920
      • Theseus (1892) – Sold 1921
      • Crescent (1892) – Sold 1921
    • Powerful class first class protected cruiser, 14,200 tons, 2×9.2-inch, 12× 6-inch
      • Powerful (1895) – Sold 1929
      • Terrible (1895) – Sold 1932
    • Diadem class first class protected cruiser, 11,000 tons, 16× 6-inch
      • Diadem (1896) – Sold 1921
      • Niobe (1897) – To Canada as HMCS Niobe, BU 1922
      • Europa (1897) – Sold 1920
      • Andromeda (1897) – Sold 1956
      • Amphitrite (1898) – Sold 1920
      • Argonaut (1898) – Sold 1920
      • Ariadne (1898) – Torpedoed 1917
      • Spartiate (1898) – Sold 1932
    • Cressy class first class armoured cruiser, 12,000 tons, 2×9.2-inch, 12×6-in
      • Cressy (1899) – Torpedoed 1914
      • Sutlej (1899) – Sold 1924
      • Aboukir (1900) – Torpedoed 1914
      • Hogue (1900) – Torpedoed 1914
      • Bacchante (1901) – Sold 1920
      • Euryalus (1901) – Sold 1920
    • Drake class first class armoured cruiser, 14,150 tons, 2× 9.2-inch, 16×-6-inch
      • Drake (1901) – Torpedoed 1917
      • Good Hope (ex-Africa) (1901) – Sunk during the Battle of Coronel, 1914
      • King Alfred (1901) – Sold 1920
      • Leviathan (1901) – Sold 1920
    • Monmouth class first class armoured cruiser, 9,800 tons, 14× 6-inch
      • Monmouth (1901) – Sunk during the Battle of Coronel, 1914
      • Bedford (1901) – Wrecked on 21 August 1910 off Quelport Island in the China Sea
      • Essex (1901) – Sold 1921
      • Kent (1901) – Sold 1920
      • Berwick (1902) – Sold 1920
      • Cornwall (1902) – Sold 1920
      • Cumberland (1902) – Sold 1921
      • Donegal (1902) – Sold 1920
      • Lancaster (1902) – Sold 1920
      • Suffolk (1903) – Sold 1920
    • Devonshire class first class armoured cruiser, 10,850 tons, 4× 7.5-inch, 6× 6-inch
      • Devonshire (1904) – Sold 1921
      • Hampshire (1903) – Mined 1916
      • Carnarvon (1903) – Sold 1921
      • Antrim (1903) – Sold 1922
      • Roxburgh (1904) – Sold 1921
      • Argyll (1904) – Wrecked 1915
    • Duke of Edinburgh group first class armoured cruiser
      • Duke of Edinburgh class 13,550 tons, 6× 9.2-inch, 10× 6-inch
        • Duke of Edinburgh (1904) – Sold 1920
        • Black Prince (1904) – Sunk at the Battle of Jutland, 1916
      • Warrior class 13,550 tons, 6x 9.2-in, 4x 7.5-in
        • Warrior (1905) – Sunk at the Battle of Jutland, 1916
        • Cochrane (1905) – Wrecked 1918
        • Achilles (1905) – Sold 1921
        • Natal (1905) – Explosion 1915
    • Minotaur class first class armoured cruiser, 14,600 tons, 4× 9.2-inch, 10× 7.5-inch
      • Minotaur (1906) – Sold 1920
      • Shannon (1906) – Sold 1922
      • Defence (1907) – Sunk at the Battle of Jutland, 1916

    Protected cruisers[]

    Protected cruisers were so-called because their vital machinery spaces were protected by an armoured deck and the arrangement of coal bunkers. The ships below are all protected cruisers, but were rated as second and third class cruisers by the Royal Navy. The third class cruiser was not expected to operate with the fleet, was substantially smaller than the second class and lacked the watertight double-bottom of the latter. With the advent of turbine machinery, oil firing and better armour plate the protected cruiser became obsolete and was succeeded by the light cruiser.

    • Iris class second class cruiser, 3,730 tons, 10-64pdr
    • Comus class third class cruiser, 2,380 tons (Constance 2,590 tons), 2-7in + 12-64pdr (except Comus 4-6in + 8-64pdr; Canada & Cordelia 10-6in)
      • Comus (1878) – Sold 1904
      • Curacoa (1878) – Sold 1904
      • Champion (1878) – Sold 1919
      • Cleopatra (1878) – Sold 1931
      • (1878) – Sold 1899
      • (1878) – Sold 1899
      • Constance (1880) – Sold 1899
      • Canada (1881) – Sold 1897
      • Cordelia (1881) – Sold 1904
    • Leander class second class cruiser, 4,300 tons, 10-6in
      • Leander (1882) – Sold 1920
      • Arethusa (1882) – Sold 1905
      • Phaeton (1883) – Sold 1947
      • Amphion (1883) – Sold 1906
    • Calypso class third class cruiser, 2,770 tons, 4-6in + 12-5in
      • Calypso (1883) – Sold 1922
      • Calliope (1884) – Sold 1951 (drill ship from 1907)
    • Surprise class third class cruiser, 1,700 tons, 4-5in
      • (1885)
      • (1885)
    • Mersey class second class cruiser, 4,050 tons, 2-8in, 10-6in
      • Mersey (1885) – Sold 1905
      • (1885) – Sold 1905
      • Thames (1885) – Renamed General Botha, scuttled 1947
      • (1886) – Sold 1921
    • third class torpedo cruiser, 1,580 tons, 4-5in
      • (1885)
      • (1886)
    • Archer class third class torpedo cruiser, 1,770 tons, 6-6in
    • Marathon class second class cruiser, 2,850 tons, 6-6in
      • (1888)
      • (1888) – Sold 1914
      • (1888) – Sold 1920
      • (1888)
      • (1888)
    • third class cruiser, 1,580 tons, 6-4.7in
      • (1889)
      • (1889)
      • (1889)
      • (1889)
    • third class cruiser, 1,830 tons, 6-4.7in
      • (1889)
      • (1890)
    • Pearl class third class cruiser, 2,575 tons, 8-4.7in
      • Pandora (1889)
      • Psyche (1889)
      • Phoenix (1889)
      • Pelorus (1889)
      • Persian (1890)
      • Pallas (1890)
      • Phoebe (1890)
      • (1890)
      • Philomel (1890)
    • Apollo class second class cruiser, 3,400 tons, 2-6in, 6-4.7in
      • Latona (1890) – Sold 1920
      • Melampus (1890) – Sold 1910
      • Andromache (1890)
      • Sirius (1890) – Scuttled 1918
      • (1890) – Sold 1914
      • Naiad (1890) – Sold 1922
      • (1890) – Sold 1911
      • Thetis (1890) – Scuttled 1918
      • (1890) – Wrecked 1901
      • Apollo (1891)
      • Tribune (1891) – Sold 1911
      • Spartan (1891) – Renamed Defiance 1921, sold 1931
      • Indefatigable (1891)
      • Rainbow (1891) – To Canada as HMCS Rainbow 1910
      • Sappho (1891) – Sold 1921
      • Intrepid (1891) – Scuttled 1918
      • Brilliant (1891)
      • (1891) – Sold 1911
      • (1891) – Sold 1914
      • (1891)
      • Iphigenia (1891) – Scuttled 1918
    • Astraea class second class cruiser, 4,360 tons, 2-6in, 8-4.7in
      • Bonaventure (1892) – Sold 1920
      • Cambrian (1893) – Sold 1923
      • Astraea (1893) – Sold 1920
      • Charybdis (1893) – Sold 1922
      • Fox (1893) – Sold 1920
      • Hermione (1893) – Renamed Warspite, sold 1940
      • Flora (1893) – Renamed Indus II, sold 1922
      • Forte (1893) – Sold 1914
    • Eclipse class second class cruiser, 5,600 tons, 5-6in, 6-4.7in
    • Arrogant class second class cruiser, 5,750 tons, 4-6in, 6-4.7in
      • (1896) – Sold 1923
      • (1896) – Renamed Forte 1915, sold 1923
      • Gladiator (1896) – Collision 1908, refloated, sold 1909
      • Vindictive (1897) – Scuttled 1918
    • Pelorus class third class cruiser, 2,135 tons, 8-4in
    • Highflyer class second class cruiser, 5,650 tons, 11-6in
      • Hermes (1898) – Torpedoed 1914
      • Highflyer (1898) – Sold 1921
      • Hyacinth (1898) – Sold 1923
    • Challenger class second class cruiser, 5,880 tons, 11-6in
      • Challenger (1902) – Sold 1920
      • Encounter (1902) – To Australia 1912 as HMAS Encounter, renamed Penguin 1923, scuttled 1932
    • Topaze class third class cruiser, 3,000 tons, 12-4in
      • Topaze (1903) – Sold 1921
      • Amethyst (1903) – Sold 1920
      • (1904) – Sold 1921
      • Sapphire (1904) – Sold 1921

    Scout cruisers[]

    The scout cruiser was a smaller, faster, more lightly armed and armoured cruiser than the protected cruiser, intended for fleet scouting duties and acting as a flotilla leader. Essentially there were two distinct groups – the eight vessels all ordered under the 1903 Programme, and the seven later vessels ordered under the 1907-1910 Programmes. The advent of better machinery and larger, faster destroyers and light cruisers effectively made them obsolete.

    Light cruisers[]

    The light armoured cruiser – light cruiser – succeeded the protected cruiser; improvements in machinery and armour rendering the latter obsolete. The Town class of 1910 were rated as second-class protected cruisers, but were effectively light armoured cruisers with mixed coal and oil firing. The Arethusa class of 1913 were the first oil-only fired class. This meant that the arrangement of coal bunkers in the hull could no longer be relied upon as protection and the adoption of destroyer-type machinery resulted in a higher speed. This makes the Arethusas the first "true example" of the warship that came to be recognised as the light cruiser. In the London Naval Treaty of 1930, light cruisers were officially defined as cruisers having guns of 6.1 inches (155 mm) calibre or less, with a displacement not exceeding 10,000 tons.

    • Town class
      • Bristol group 4,800 tons, two 6-in & ten 4-in guns
      • Weymouth group 5,250 tons, eight 6-in guns
      • Chatham group 5,400 tons, eight 6-in guns
      • Birmingham group 5,440 tons, nine 6-in guns
      • Birkenhead group 5,185 tons, ten 5.5-in guns
    • Arethusa class, 3,750 tons, two 6-in & six 4-in guns
    • C class
      • Caroline group 4,219 tons, two 6-in & eight 4-in guns
        • Caroline (1914)
        • Carysfort (1914)
        • Cleopatra (1915)
        • Comus (1914)
        • Conquest (1915)
        • Cordelia (1914)
      • Calliope group 4,228 tons, two 6-in & eight 4-in guns
      • Cambrian group 4,320 tons, two 6-in & eight 4-in guns
      • Centaur group 4,165 tons, five 6-in guns
      • Caledon group 4,180 tons, five 6-in guns
        • Caledon (1916)
        • Calypso (1917) – torpedoed 1940
        • Cassandra (1916) – struck a mine 1918
        • Caradoc (1916)
      • Ceres group 4,190 tons, five 6-in guns
        • Cardiff (1917)
        • Ceres (1917)
        • Coventry (1917) – sunk 1942
        • Curacoa (1917) – sunk in collision 1942
        • Curlew (1917) – bombed 1940
      • Carlisle group 4,290 tons, five 6-in guns
        • Cairo (1918) – torpedoed 1942
        • Calcutta (1919) – bombed in 1941
        • Capetown (1919)
        • Carlisle (1918)
        • Colombo (1918)
    • Danae class 4,850 tons, six 6-in guns
      • Danae (1918)
      • Dauntless (1918)
      • Dragon (1918) – scuttled 1944
      • Delhi (1919)
      • Dunedin (1919) – torpedoed 1941
      • Durban (1921) – scuttled 1944
      • Despatch (1922)
      • Diomede (1922)
    • Emerald class 7,580 tons, seven 6-in guns
      • Emerald (1926)
      • Enterprise (1926)
    • Leander class
      • Leander group 7,200 tons, eight 6-in guns
        • HMNZS Achilles (1933) – to the Indian Navy 1948 as the INS Delhi
        • Ajax (1935)
        • HMNZS Leander (1933)
        • Neptune (1934) – struck a mine 1941
        • Orion (1934)
      • Amphion group 6,900 tons, eight 6-in guns
        • Amphion (1936) – to Royal Australian Navy 1939 as HMAS Perth – torpedoed 1942
        • Apollo (1936) – to RAN 1938 as HMAS Hobart
        • Phaeton (1935) – to RAN 1935 as HMAS Sydney – sunk 1941
    • Arethusa class 5,220 tons, six 6-in guns
      • Arethusa (1935)
      • Aurora (1937) – Sold on 19 May 1948 to the Republic of China Navy
      • Galatea (1935) – torpedoed 1941
      • Penelope (1936) – torpedoed 1944
    • Town class
      • Southampton group 9,100 tons, 12 6-in guns
        • Southampton (1937) – sunk 1941
        • Birmingham (1937)
        • Glasgow (1937)
        • Newcastle (1937)
        • Sheffield (1937)
      • Gloucester group 9,400 tons, 12 6-in guns
        • Gloucester (1939) – bombed 1941
        • Liverpool (1938)
        • Manchester (1938) – sunk 1942
      • Edinburgh group 10,565 tons, 12 6-in guns
        • Edinburgh (1939) – sunk 1942
        • Belfast (1939) – Currently a museum ship in London
    • Dido class
      • Dido group 5,600 tons, ten 5.25-in guns
        • Bonaventure (1940) – torpedoed 1941
        • Dido (1940)
        • Hermione (1941) – torpedoed 1942
        • Naiad (1940) – torpedoed 1942
        • Phoebe (1940)
        • Euryalus (1941)
        • Sirius (1942)
        • Charybdis (1941) – torpedoed 1943
        • Cleopatra (1941)
        • Scylla (1942)
        • Argonaut (1942)
      • Bellona group 5,770 tons, eight 5.25-in guns
        • Bellona (1943) – to Royal New Zealand Navy 1956
        • Black Prince (1943) – to RNZN 1948
        • Diadem (1943) – to Pakistani Navy 1956 as PNS Babur
        • Royalist (1943) – to RNZN 1956
        • Spartan (1943) – bombed 1944
    • Fiji class
      • Fiji group 8,525 tons, 12 6-in guns
        • Bermuda (1942)
        • Fiji (1940) – bombed 1941
        • Gambia (1942)
        • Jamaica (1942)
        • Kenya (1940)
        • Mauritius (1941)
        • Nigeria (1940) – to Indian Navy as INS Mysore
        • Trinidad (1941) – bombed 1942
      • Ceylon group 8,875 tons, nine 6-in guns
    • Minotaur class 8,800 tons, nine 6-in guns
      • Swiftsure (1944)
      • Minotaur (1945) – to Royal Canadian Navy 1945 as Ontario
      • Superb (1945)
    • Tiger class 11,700 tons, four 6-in & six 3-in guns. Laid down during WWII as Minotaur class ships
      • Tiger (1959)
      • Lion (1960)
      • Blake (1961)

    Heavy cruisers[]

    The heavy cruiser was defined in the London Naval Treaty of 1930 as a cruiser with a main gun calibre more than 6 inches but not exceeding 8 inches. The earlier Hawkins class were therefore retrospectively classified as such, although they had been initially built as "improved light cruisers". The County were built as light cruisers with most of them in service at the time of the Treaty of London, after which they were also redesignated as heavy cruisers. A further three Countys were cancelled. The York class was a reduced version of the County to build more ships within tonnage limits.

    • Hawkins class (also known as Cavendish) or 9,860 tons, 7x 7.5-inch
      • Cavendish (1918) – completed as aircraft carrier Vindictive, converted to cruiser in 1925, to training ship 1937
      • Hawkins (1919) – scrapped 1947
      • Raleigh (1920) – wrecked 1922
      • Frobisher (1924) – scrapped 1949
      • Effingham (1925) – wrecked 1940
    • County class, 8x 8-inch
      • Kent group 10,570 tons
        • Cumberland (1928) – scrapped 1959
        • Berwick (1928) – scrapped 1948
        • Cornwall (1928) – bombed 1942
        • Suffolk (1928) – scrapped 1948
        • Kent (1928) – scrapped 1948
        • Australia (1928) – Royal Australian Navy, scrapped 1955
        • Canberra (1928) – Royal Australian Navy, torpedoed 1942
      • London group 9,830 tons
        • London (1929) – scrapped 1950
        • Devonshire (1929) – scrapped 1954
        • Shropshire (1929) – to Royal Australian Navy 1943, scrapped 1955
        • Sussex (1929) – scrapped 1950
      • Norfolk group 10,300 tons
        • Norfolk (1930) – scrapped 1950
        • Dorsetshire (1930) – sunk by dive bombers in Far East 1942
    • York class modified County design 8,250 tons, 6x 8-inch
      • York (1930) – damaged by explosive motor boats, salvage abandoned and wrecked 1941, scrapped 1952
      • Exeter (1931) – sunk 1942, Far East

    Large light cruisers[]

    The "large light cruisers" were a pet project of Admiral Fisher to operate in shallow Baltic Sea waters and they are often classed as a form of battlecruiser.

    • Courageous or Glorious class
      • Glorious group 19,320 tons, 4-15in, 18-4in
        • Glorious (77) (1916) – converted to aircraft carrier 1924-1930
        • Courageous (50) (1916) – converted to aircraft carrier 1924-1928
      • Furious 19,513 tons, 2-18in, 11-5.5in
        • Furious (47) (1917) – completed as aircraft carrier

    Minelaying cruisers[]

    These "minelaying cruisers" were the only purpose-built oceangoing minelayers of the Royal Navy. The Abdiel class could reach 38 knots and in practice were used as fast transports to supply isolated garrisons (eg Malta and Tobruk)

    • Adventure 6,740 tons, 4-4.7in
      • Adventure (M23) (1926) – converted to repair ship 1944, scrapped 1947
    • Abdiel class
      • 1938 group 2,650 tons, 6-4in
        • Abdiel (M39) (1941) – sunk in Taranto Bay 1943
        • Latona (M76) (1941) – sunk off Libya 1941
        • Manxman (M70) (1941) – scrapped 1972
        • Welshman (M84) (1941) – sunk off Crete 1943
      • Wartime Emergency Programme group 2,650 tons, 4-4in
        • Ariadne (M65) (1944) – scrapped 1965
        • Apollo (M01) (1944) – scrapped 1962

    Helicopter cruisers[]

    Two ships of the Tiger-class were rebuilt to each operate four helicopters. Tiger (C20) and Blake (C99) served for part of the 1970s before they were withdrawn from service.

    Through deck cruisers[]

    Although at times called "through deck cruisers", the Invincible class of the 1980s were small aircraft carriers.

    See also[]

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