Preceded by Blake class In commission 1893-1921 | Succeeded by Powerful class Completed 9 | |
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The Edgar class was a nine-ship class of protected cruiser built around 1891 for the Royal Navy. Nine ships were completed, all of which participated in the First World War. One, HMS Hawke, was lost during the war, with the other eight being scrapped in the 1920s.
Contents
Design
Crescent and Royal Arthur were built to a slightly modified design with a raised forecastle and a pair of 6 inch guns replacing the forward 9.2 inch gun, and are sometimes considered a separate class. The Edgar class are noted for being the first ships fitted with anti torpedo bulges, when four ships of the class had a refit in 1914.
Building programme
The following table gives the build details and purchase cost of the members of the Edgar class. Standard British practice at that time was for these costs to exclude armament and stores. (There are unexplained discrepancies between the costs quoted in different issues of Brassey's Naval Annual; this is illustrated by the table in the notes.)