Boadicea class scout cruisers (1909)

Boadicea, Bellona (1910-22)

The Boadicea-class cruisers were two scout cruisers built for the Royal Navy, most importantly, the first fitted with steam turbines. They were a departure from the Adventure style VTE-powered scouts and inaugurated a short run of turbine-powered scout cruisers. Completed in 1909–10, they served as flotilla leaders for the First Fleet until 1913 and assigned to individual battleship squadrons. As the war broke out in August 1914, they joined the Grand Fleet, but later changed squadrons, taking part in the Battle of Jutland in mid-1916, firing no shot. They were converted into minelayers in 1917 and laid minefields in early 1918 among other tasks, until placed into reserve in 1919, sold for BU in 1921-1926.

HMS Boadicea in 1909 (IA colored)

Design of the class

Like the later Active and Blonde class scout Cruiser, they powered by triple expansion engines, the Boadicea class were supposed to be flotillas leaders for destroyers, command ships scouting ahead to locate targets for the destroyer to attack and providing cover with her powerful artillery in case the situation became tense. The Flotillas were of course first and foremost vanguards for battleship squadrons, locating the enemy, or used for screening, to prevent against flank attacks.

They were enlarged and more powerfully armed cmpared to earlier ships, but most of all, they were fitted with steam turbines, which was the first time done for something of that class aside HMS Dreadnought and destroyers. They were not much faster than the Active class however by relatively unsuccessful in their intended role since they were just left behind by destroyers. They still could be used as command ships, but dragging the speed of their destroyers down, which made the proposition less attactive overall. Later, the scout cruiser type was dropped entirely for flotilla leader destroyers.

Hull and general design

The Boadicea class were still close to the Active, and Blonde class design, Displacing 3,350 long tons (3,400 t), for an overall length of 405 feet (123.4 m), a beam of 41 feet 6 inches (12.6 m) and deep draught of 14 feet (4.3 m). The overall external design was the same, with four heavenly spaced funnels, a forecastle with a ram bow about 1/3 of the total lenght, a pointy stern and well refined lines in general, and two unequal size masts, one tall foremast and a small aft mast, with the wireless radio cables in between.

Powerplant

The Boadicea class were powered by two sets of Parsons steam turbines driving their own shafts for 3-bladed propellers. The turbines produced a total of 18,000 indicated horsepower ot 13,000 kW. Steam came from by 12 Yarrow boilers burning coal, with sprinkler type injectors of fuel oil to boost combustion. The Boadicea class, despite of Parsons type turbines only reached a top speed of 25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph) the same as the Sentinel class of 1904. They carried 780 long tons (790 t) of coal, 189 long tons (192 t) of fuel oil for a range of 4,260 nautical miles (7,890 km; 4,900 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). The crew amounted to 317 officers and enlisted men and they had eight service boats under davits amidship.

Protection

As prevous scouts protection was an afterthought, as they were limited the traditional curved protective deck over the waterline to cover the machinery and ammunition holds, just 1 inch (25 mm) thick on the slopes down to 0.5 inches (13 mm) on the flat so they could deflect if not stop completely incoming 3 and 4-in shells from TBs and destroyers. Their conning tower was protected by 4 inches of armour and located forward and below the bridge.

hms boadicea 1909

HMS Boadicea 1908 IWM, IA colorized

Armament

The Boadicea class cruiser had six single BL 4-inch (102 mm) guns, four single QF 3-pounder 47 mm (1.9 in) guns and two single 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes. To compare, this was more than the late VTE-powered, 3 funneled Sentinel class, with their ten 3-in/50 12pdr 18cwt QF Mk I, eight 3-pdr/40 Hotchkiss Mk I, and two 450mm TT on the beam above water. This was less arrtillery overall, but more powerful, as the torpedo tubes.

Six 4-inch Mk VIII

The forward pair of guns were mounted side by side on a platform on the forecastle, six were amidships, three on each broadside, and the two remaining guns were on the centreline of the quarterdeck, one ahead of the other. The guns fired their 31-pound (14 kg) shells to a range of about 11,400 yards (10,400 m).

Four single 3-pdr Vickers Mk I

These 47-millimetre (1.9 in) Vickers Mk I were located on the aft structure and bridge’s wings. They were derived from the Hotchkiss 47mm.

Two Torpedo Tubes

The two submerged 21-inches TTs were fixed and located below the sloped armoured deck.

Wartime Modifications

In 1916, both sisters received four additional 4-in/50 BL Mk VII, and a supplementary 3-in/45 20cwt QF Mk I with great elevation mount for AA work. In June for Bellona and december 1917 for her sister Boadicea, conversion started as minelayers. Both had mine rails mounted on their aft deck for a max stowage of 70-80 mines. In 1918, Bellona saw the remopal and replacement of her 3-in/45 for a supplementary 5-in/50 BL Mk VII main gun, for a grand total of a 5-in and ten 4-in now.

HMS Boadicea in Portugal.

Boadicea class specifications
Dimensions	405 x 41 ft x 14 ft 6 in (123.4 x 12.6 x 4.3 m)
Displacement	3,350 long tons (3,400 t) normal
Propulsion	4 shafts Parsons Steam Turbines, 12 Yarrow boilers, 18,000 shp (13,000 kW)
Speed	25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph)
Range	4,260 nautical miles (7,890 km; 4,900 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Armament	6× BL 4-inch (102 mm), 4× QF 3-pdr 47 mm, 2× 18-in (450 mm) TTs
Armor	Deck 0.5–1 in (13–25 mm), CT 4 in (102 mm)
Crew	217

Evaluation of the class

The Boadicea were a brave new leap into turbine cruisers, a new propulsion that was deemed approriate for greater top speed, but in the end, the powerplans were not able to bring them above 25 knots like VTE-powered scouts prior, making these a failure essentially as they were out-run by their own destroyers. Thus they acted as tandalone for screening battleships and in 1917 were recoverted as minelayers. Succession: The next Blonde class were improved versions of the Boadicea class, built at the same dockyard in Pembroke, slightly larger (6 inches wider, 50 tonnes heavier) but they lost half a knot. Armament was the same with ten 4-in guns, in the same layout for the Boadicea class.

The Boadicea class in Action

HMS Boadicea (1908)

HMS Boadicea was laid down at Pembroke Dockyard on 1 June 1907, launched on 14 May 1908 and completed on June 1909. Named after the Iceni Queen Boudicca that revolted against the Romans, she was also the 4th of the name in the RN. When commissioned she was under temporary command of Commander Francis Leake, the Edward Charlton from 27 July as she became flotilla leader of the 1st Destroyer Flotilla. Vernon Haggard arrived on 27 October 1911, then Ernest Carey, then in the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla from 31 July 1912. On 3 April 1913 her was replaced by Captain Cecil Fox and the cruiser joined the the 2nd Battle Squadron on 5 July, under Captain Louis Woollcombe. On 31 July 1914, she hosted Vice-Admiral John Jellicoe from Wick to Scapa Flow to take command of the Grand Fleet. In the 2d Battle Squadron, Grand Fleet, Scapa Flow in 1914, on 15 December a massive wave took off her bridge, with officers and men lost overboard in the Pentland Firth while making a sortie to intercept German shelling of ports in Yorkshire.

She was back home for repairs but saw action at the Battle of Jutland on 31 May and utnil 1 June 1916, but at the rear so she never fired once, but spotted the German fleet the night after the battle, a report not passed to Jellicoe for fear of giving away the Grand Fleet’s position. Woollcombe was relieved by Captain Algernon Candy on 8 September and she was replaced by Bellona in October 1917, detached in preparation for her conversion as a minelayer from December, then assigned to the 4th Battle Squadron from January 1918.

She laid mines at the entrance to the Kattegat on 18/19 and 24/25 February (184 mines in three missions) but remained with the 4th Battle Squadron until V-Day. She was relieved of her assignment with the 4th Battle Squadron and assigned to the Nore from February 1919, in reserve in March, paid off on 18 February 1920 at Chatham, harbour service at Dartmouth until sold for scrap on 13 July 1926.

HMS Bellona (1909)

HMS Bellona 1909
Bellona, sixth ship of the name, was ordered for the 1907 Naval Programme, laid down at No. 5 Slipway, Pembroke Royal Dockyard on 15 June 1908, launched on 20 March 1909 and completed in February 1910 under command of Captain Edwyn Alexander-Sinclair, 2nd Destroyer Flotilla. He was replaced by Hubert Brand on 7 February 1911, Reginald Tyrwhitt (future admiral) on 10 August 1912. She was transferred to the 1st Battle Squadron on 18 June 1913, with Capt. Percy Royds in command on 5 July. On 17 December 1914, she collided with the destroyer leader Broke and seriously damaged, but without fatalities. Captain Arthur Dutton took command on 24 April 1916. She was present at the Battle of Jutland but like her sister at the rear of the squadron, not firing once.

bellona in exercises Capt. Dutton was relieved by Claud Sinclair on 28 August, Ernest Denison on 1 February 1917. On detached duty by May for her conversion to a minelayer she was assigned to the 4th Battle Squadron as completed by July, and 1st Battle Squadron in August, and retransferred to the 2nd Battle Squadron in October. Bellona laid mines at the entrance to the Kattegat with her sister on 18/19 and 24/25 February 1918 (total 306 mines) in four missions. Captain Theodore Bigg took comand on 15 November and she left the 2nd Battle Squadron for Devonport Dockyard in February 1919, in reserve by March, sold for BU from 18 December, acted on 9 May 1921 to Thos. W. Ward.