- Sentinel class cruiser
The "Sentinel" class was a two ship class of
scout cruiser serving with theRoyal Navy , and consisting of the ships HMS "Sentinel" and HMS "Skirmisher". "Sentinel" was originally planned to be named "Inchkeith", which would have subsequently led to the class being known as the "Inchkeith" class, but "Sentinel" was renamed before the start of construction.They were part of a larger order for eight scout cruisers, split between four dockyards, each of which designed their own ships to match the
Admiralty ’s specification, which was for a cruiser capable of reaching 25kts, carrying ten 12 pounders, eight 3 pounders and twotorpedo tubes. The "Sentinel" class cruisers were built byVickers Limited atBarrow . All eight ships were sometimes known as the "Sentinel" class, as HMS "Sentinel" was the first to be laid down, first to be launched and first to be completed. They were both laid down in 1903 and completed in 1905.The class was designed to lead destroyer
flotilla s, to act as scouts, lead attacks and take on enemy destroyers. But new turbine engineddestroyer s left them too slow to fulfill the role. The initial armament was quickly upgraded. Two extra 12 pounder quick firing guns were added, and the 3 pounders were upgraded to 6 pounders. Finally, in 1911/12 the 12 pounders were replaced by nine 4 inch guns. Both ships served during theFirst World War but were scrapped after the cessation of hostilities.hips
*HMS "Sentinel" - launched on
19 April 1904 , scrapped in 1923.
*HMS "Skirmisher" - launched on7 February 1905 , scrapped in 1920.References
*Colledge
*Jane's Fighting Ships of World War One (1919), Jane's Publishing Company
* [http://www.worldwar1.co.uk/light-cruiser/hms-Sentinel.html Sentinel class in World War I]
* [http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_sentinel_class_cruisers.html History of the Sentinel class]
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