Arrogant-class cruiser

The 1895–96 programme of naval construction for the Royal Navy included provision for four Second-class cruisers of the Arrogant class.{{#tag:ref|Earlier plans allowed for up to six Arrogant-class cruisers.Brown 2003, p. 156.|group=nb}} While most contemporary Royal Navy cruisers were intended for trade protection, the Arrogant class was designed to operate with the main battle fleet, finishing off crippled enemy ships by ramming. They were originally described as "Fleet Rams".Brown 2003, pp. 162–163.

To suit the class for its proposed role, the ram bow was larger and stronger than normal. It was supported by the ship's protective deck and by {{convert|2|in|mm}} of side armour plating covering the forward part of the ship. While the protective deck had a similar thickness {{convert|1.5|-|3|in|mm}} compared to that of the preceding {{sclass|Eclipse|cruiser|4}}, the ship's conning tower had much thicker protection than normal, with {{convert|9|in|mm}} of armour to resist close-range enemy shells. The design had a shorter hull with greater beam and an auxiliary rudder ahead of the main rudder to improve manoeuvrability (with a turning circle of {{convert|380|yd|m}} compared with {{convert|650|yd|m}} for the same-length {{sclass|Astraea|cruiser|1}}s).

The Arrogants were the first British second-class cruisers to use water-tube boilers, with 18 Belleville boilers feeding triple-expansion steam engines which drove two shafts, giving a speed of {{convert|18|kn}}. The ships' main gun armament was a mixture of four {{convert|6|in|mm|0|abbr=on}} guns and six {{convert|4.7|in|mm|abbr=on}} guns, and a secondary armament of eight 12-pounder (76 mm) and three 3 pounder (47 mm) guns, supplemented by 5 machine guns and three {{convert|18|in|mm|0|abbr=on}} torpedo tubes. The Arrogants, like many of the armoured cruisers built for the Royal Navy, were often criticised by the contemporary press,Brown 2003, p. 162. with the 1896 Brassey's Naval Annual considering that the class’s armament and speed were "hardly satisfactory", with unfavourable comparisons made to armoured cruisers being built for export, and ships in service with France and Germany.Brassey 1896, p. 155. The ships’ armament was strengthened in 1903–04, when the existing main gun armament was replaced by a homogeneous battery of ten 6 inch guns.

The four ships were laid down at Devonport and Portsmouth naval dockyards in 1895–96, launching in 1896–97 and were completed between 1898 and 1900.

{{HMS|Gladiator|1896|6}} collided with the American liner {{SS|Saint Paul}} in a heavy snowstorm off the Isle of Wight on 25 April 1908, sinking with the loss of 27 men. Although she was raised in October 1908, Gladiator proved too expensive to repair and was sold for scrap.Gardiner and Gray 1985, p. 16.{{cite web|last=Patterson|first=Brian|title=HMS Gladiator in Collision|url=http://www.btinternet.com/~philipr/glad.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091026162235/http://www.btinternet.com/~philipr/glad.htm|work=Navies in Transition|access-date=23 June 2012|archive-date=26 October 2009|url-status=dead|date=12 September 1999}}{{cite news|title=H.M.S. Gladiator for Sale|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article71965364|access-date=23 June 2012|newspaper=The Capricornian|date=13 February 1909|location=Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia|page=19}}

{{HMS|Arrogant|1896|6}} became a submarine depot ship in 1911, while {{HMS|Furious|1896|6}} was paid off in 1912, being renamed HMS Forte in 1915, serving as a hulk attached to the stone frigate (or shore establishment) HMS Vernon. {{HMS|Vindictive|1897|6}} served as a tender attached to HMS Vernon from 1912 until the outbreak of the First World War, when she returned to active service. In 1918, Vindictive was converted to an assault ship for the Zeebrugge Raid on 23 April, and following that was scuttled as a blockship during the Second Ostend Raid on 10 May 1918.

{{reflist|group=nb}}

{{reflist|2}}

• {{cite book|last=Brassey|first=T. A.|title=The Naval Annual 1896|year=1896|publisher=J Griffin and Co|location=Portsmouth, UK|url=https://archive.org/details/brasseysannuala00brasgoog}}
• {{cite book|last=Brassey|first=T. A.|title=The Naval Annual 1902|year=1902|publisher=J Griffin and Co|location=Portsmouth, UK}}
• {{cite book|last=Brown|first=D. K.|title=Warrior to Dreadnought: Warship Development 1860–1905|year=2003|publisher=Caxton Editions|location=London|isbn=1-84067-5292}}
• {{cite book|title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905|editor=Gardiner, Robert|publisher=Conway Maritime Press|location=Greenwich|year=1979|isbn=0-8317-0302-4|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/conwaysallworlds0000unse_l2e2}}
• {{cite book|last1=Gardiner|first1=Robert|last2=Gray|first2=Randal|title=Conways's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921|year=1985|publisher=Conway Maritime Press|location=London|isbn=0-85177-245-5}}

{{Commons category|Arrogant class cruiser}}

• [http://www.worldwar1.co.uk/light-cruiser/hms-Arrogant.html Arrogant Class Cruiser]

{{Arrogant class cruisers}}

{{WWI British ships}}

Category:Cruiser classes

Category:Ship classes of the Royal Navy