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Canopus-class battleship
The Canopus class was a group of six pre-dreadnought battleships of the British Royal Navy built in the late 1890s. The ships were designed by the Director of Naval Construction, William White, for use on the China Station. The class comprised Canopus, the lead ship, and Glory, Albion, Ocean, Goliath, and Vengeance. The class was armed with a main battery of four BL 12 inch Mk VIII naval guns and a secondary battery of twelve QF 6-inch guns. Compared to the preceding Majestic-class battleships, the Canopus class was smaller, faster, and less heavily armoured, though they adopted new, stronger Krupp armour, which was more effective than the Harvey steel used in the Majestics. In addition to the Krupp steel, the ships also adopted several other changes, including water-tube boilers, in-line funnels, and a full-length armoured belt.
The six ships of the Canopus class served abroad for much of their early careers, with all six of them seeing service on the China Station in the early 1900s. In addition, Canopus also served with the Mediterranean Fleet during this period. In 1905, with the signing of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance, the Royal Navy withdrew most of its heavy units from the Far East, and the six Canopus-class ships returned to British waters, seeing further service with the Home, Channel, and the Atlantic Fleets through 1908. From then to 1910, most of the ships saw service with the Mediterranean Fleet, before being reduced to reserve status or other secondary duties thereafter.
With Britain's entry into the First World War in August 1914, the ships were mobilised as the 8th Battle Squadron, but they were quickly dispersed to other stations, serving as guard ships and convoy escorts. Canopus participated in the hunt for the German East Asia Squadron, which culminated in the Battle of the Falkland Islands in December 1914. In early 1915, most of the ships were sent to the eastern Mediterranean Sea to take part in the Dardanelles Campaign against the Ottoman Empire. During these operations, Ocean and Goliath were sunk, in March and May 1915, respectively. Canopus and Albion were withdrawn from active service in 1916, thereafter being used as barracks ships. Glory served as the flagship of the British North Russia Squadron, while Vengeance took part in operations off German East Africa in 1916. After the war, all four survivors were quickly broken up in the early 1920s.
Design work began on what became the Canopus class in March 1895, when William Henry White, the Director of Naval Construction, presented the design for the Japanese Fuji-class battleships then being built in Britain to the Board of Admiralty. These ships, which were based on the British Royal Sovereign class, represented a marked increase in Japanese naval power in East Asia, and White argued that more powerful battleships would be required on the China Station to counter them. He also suggested that the new design be capable of transiting the Suez Canal to reduce transit time between Europe and Asia. The Board concurred, and on 13 May again met White to provide their requirements for the new ships. Two days later, White relayed the parameters for the ships to his staff, along with instructions to prepare a suitable design as quickly as possible. The new ships were to have a freeboard equal to that of the battleship HMS Centurion, the same main battery as the preceding Majestic-class battleships, a secondary battery of ten 6-inch (152 mm) guns, the speed and fuel capacity as the second-class battleship Renown, and an armoured belt that was 6 inches thick.
White and his staff prepared a preliminary design sketch on 23 May, which they submitted to the Admiralty. This vessel was to carry the specified battery of four 12-inch (305 mm) guns and ten 6-inch guns on a displacement of 13,250 long tons (13,460 t). Speed was to be 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph) from 12,500 indicated horsepower (9,300 kW). Further work to refine the design continued, and three variants were created: "A", "B", and "C". "A" reduced displacement slightly to 13,000 long tons (13,000 t), but kept the same armament and speed. "B" was broadly similar to the original design, but added two 6-inch guns, and "C" was slightly smaller, along the lines of "A", but its secondary battery consisted of eight 6-inch guns and eight 4-inch (102 mm) guns. The three variants were submitted to the Admiralty in early October; on the 9th, the Board sent its reply to White, instructing him to prepare a new design that combined the armour layout of "A" and "B" with the secondary battery of "B".
Design work continued for almost a year before the final version was approved on 2 September 1896. By this time, the Board had decided to adopt new water-tube boilers after they had been successfully tested aboard the torpedo gunboat Sharpshooter. The armour layout was further revised, with the final version discarding the thinner side armour above the belt, along with the aft strake of armour; the main and secondary guns also had their armour protection reduced. These reductions were used to increase the thickness of the forward strake and the main deck and to place four of the secondary guns in armoured casemates. Though the thickness of the armour layout was much reduced compared to the preceding Majestic class, the adoption of new Krupp steel in place of the Harvey steel allowed for only a modest decrease in protection.
Six vessels, rated as first-class battleships, were authorized to be built to the new design in the 1896 and 1897 estimates. Though the armour scheme was not as weak as it appeared on paper, the Royal Navy was not pleased with the reduction in defensive power. White's department regarded them as second-class battleships, and they were indeed classified as "improved Renowns" in the 1896 estimates. Nevertheless, they matched the Fujis they were intended to counter, and they represented the maximum offensive and defensive capabilities possible on the displacement and draught restrictions imposed by the Admiralty. They proved more than capable of performing the task for which they had been built on the China Station.
The ships of the Canopus class were 390 feet 3.5 inches (118.961 m) long between perpendiculars and 421 ft 6 in (128.47 m) long overall, with a beam of 74 ft (23 m). They had a draft of 26 ft 2 in (7.98 m) normally and up to 30 feet (9.1 m) fully loaded. They displaced 13,150 long tons (13,360 t) normally and up to 14,300 long tons (14,500 t) at full load. The ships were fitted with two masts, each with one fighting top carrying several of the light guns and one searchlight. Four other searchlights were mounted on the bridges.
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Canopus-class battleship
The Canopus class was a group of six pre-dreadnought battleships of the British Royal Navy built in the late 1890s. The ships were designed by the Director of Naval Construction, William White, for use on the China Station. The class comprised Canopus, the lead ship, and Glory, Albion, Ocean, Goliath, and Vengeance. The class was armed with a main battery of four BL 12 inch Mk VIII naval guns and a secondary battery of twelve QF 6-inch guns. Compared to the preceding Majestic-class battleships, the Canopus class was smaller, faster, and less heavily armoured, though they adopted new, stronger Krupp armour, which was more effective than the Harvey steel used in the Majestics. In addition to the Krupp steel, the ships also adopted several other changes, including water-tube boilers, in-line funnels, and a full-length armoured belt.
The six ships of the Canopus class served abroad for much of their early careers, with all six of them seeing service on the China Station in the early 1900s. In addition, Canopus also served with the Mediterranean Fleet during this period. In 1905, with the signing of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance, the Royal Navy withdrew most of its heavy units from the Far East, and the six Canopus-class ships returned to British waters, seeing further service with the Home, Channel, and the Atlantic Fleets through 1908. From then to 1910, most of the ships saw service with the Mediterranean Fleet, before being reduced to reserve status or other secondary duties thereafter.
With Britain's entry into the First World War in August 1914, the ships were mobilised as the 8th Battle Squadron, but they were quickly dispersed to other stations, serving as guard ships and convoy escorts. Canopus participated in the hunt for the German East Asia Squadron, which culminated in the Battle of the Falkland Islands in December 1914. In early 1915, most of the ships were sent to the eastern Mediterranean Sea to take part in the Dardanelles Campaign against the Ottoman Empire. During these operations, Ocean and Goliath were sunk, in March and May 1915, respectively. Canopus and Albion were withdrawn from active service in 1916, thereafter being used as barracks ships. Glory served as the flagship of the British North Russia Squadron, while Vengeance took part in operations off German East Africa in 1916. After the war, all four survivors were quickly broken up in the early 1920s.
Design work began on what became the Canopus class in March 1895, when William Henry White, the Director of Naval Construction, presented the design for the Japanese Fuji-class battleships then being built in Britain to the Board of Admiralty. These ships, which were based on the British Royal Sovereign class, represented a marked increase in Japanese naval power in East Asia, and White argued that more powerful battleships would be required on the China Station to counter them. He also suggested that the new design be capable of transiting the Suez Canal to reduce transit time between Europe and Asia. The Board concurred, and on 13 May again met White to provide their requirements for the new ships. Two days later, White relayed the parameters for the ships to his staff, along with instructions to prepare a suitable design as quickly as possible. The new ships were to have a freeboard equal to that of the battleship HMS Centurion, the same main battery as the preceding Majestic-class battleships, a secondary battery of ten 6-inch (152 mm) guns, the speed and fuel capacity as the second-class battleship Renown, and an armoured belt that was 6 inches thick.
White and his staff prepared a preliminary design sketch on 23 May, which they submitted to the Admiralty. This vessel was to carry the specified battery of four 12-inch (305 mm) guns and ten 6-inch guns on a displacement of 13,250 long tons (13,460 t). Speed was to be 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph) from 12,500 indicated horsepower (9,300 kW). Further work to refine the design continued, and three variants were created: "A", "B", and "C". "A" reduced displacement slightly to 13,000 long tons (13,000 t), but kept the same armament and speed. "B" was broadly similar to the original design, but added two 6-inch guns, and "C" was slightly smaller, along the lines of "A", but its secondary battery consisted of eight 6-inch guns and eight 4-inch (102 mm) guns. The three variants were submitted to the Admiralty in early October; on the 9th, the Board sent its reply to White, instructing him to prepare a new design that combined the armour layout of "A" and "B" with the secondary battery of "B".
Design work continued for almost a year before the final version was approved on 2 September 1896. By this time, the Board had decided to adopt new water-tube boilers after they had been successfully tested aboard the torpedo gunboat Sharpshooter. The armour layout was further revised, with the final version discarding the thinner side armour above the belt, along with the aft strake of armour; the main and secondary guns also had their armour protection reduced. These reductions were used to increase the thickness of the forward strake and the main deck and to place four of the secondary guns in armoured casemates. Though the thickness of the armour layout was much reduced compared to the preceding Majestic class, the adoption of new Krupp steel in place of the Harvey steel allowed for only a modest decrease in protection.
Six vessels, rated as first-class battleships, were authorized to be built to the new design in the 1896 and 1897 estimates. Though the armour scheme was not as weak as it appeared on paper, the Royal Navy was not pleased with the reduction in defensive power. White's department regarded them as second-class battleships, and they were indeed classified as "improved Renowns" in the 1896 estimates. Nevertheless, they matched the Fujis they were intended to counter, and they represented the maximum offensive and defensive capabilities possible on the displacement and draught restrictions imposed by the Admiralty. They proved more than capable of performing the task for which they had been built on the China Station.
The ships of the Canopus class were 390 feet 3.5 inches (118.961 m) long between perpendiculars and 421 ft 6 in (128.47 m) long overall, with a beam of 74 ft (23 m). They had a draft of 26 ft 2 in (7.98 m) normally and up to 30 feet (9.1 m) fully loaded. They displaced 13,150 long tons (13,360 t) normally and up to 14,300 long tons (14,500 t) at full load. The ships were fitted with two masts, each with one fighting top carrying several of the light guns and one searchlight. Four other searchlights were mounted on the bridges.