Active class cruiser

The "Active" class was a class of three scout cruisers of the Royal Navy, built prior to the First World War, and later seeing service in that conflict. The three ships that made up the class were HMS "Active", HMS "Amphion" and HMS "Fearless".

They were the last class of scout cruiser built for the Royal Navy, as their role was increasingly being taken over by the light cruisers, the first of which, the Town class, were beginning to enter service. The "Active" class was a follow on from the design of the previous "Blonde" class scouts, with the main visible difference being the 'plough' bow shape. They also retained the limited protection with plating only covering the machinery spaces. They were ordered under the 1911 Naval estimates and built throughout 1910 and 1911, at Pembroke Dockyard, entering service just before the outbreak of the First World War. The last ship to be built, HMS "Fearless", underwent modifications before launching, which included the removal of two 4 inch guns and the addition of a 3 inch anti-aircraft guns as well as additional search lights.

All three ships started the war with the Harwich Force, and saw action in a number of engagements, with HMS "Amphion" becoming the first ship of the Royal Navy lost in the war, when she was sunk by a mine on 6 August 1914. "Fearless" later became leader of a squadron of the notoriously accident prone K class steam submarines, accidentally ramming and sinking HMS K17 in January 1918.

Already considered obsolete as the war was drawing to a close, the two survivors were sold for scrapping in the early 1920s.

References

*Colledge
*Jane's Fighting Ships of World War One (1919), Jane's Publishing Company
* [http://www.worldwar1.co.uk/light-cruiser/hms-Active.html Active class in World War I]