Sold for Scrap 1920
An armoured cruiser with fourteen 6-inch guns, HMS Lancaster entered service in April 1904. She served with the Mediterranean Fleet continuously for eight years before transferring to the Home Fleet in 1912. In 1913 the ship formed part of the 4th Cruiser Squadron which, although part of the Home Fleet, spent much of its time on the America and West Indies Station. As war was announced in 1914 she was at Bermuda and for the rest of the year, whilst Admiral Von Spee's cruiser squadron was at large, she escorted troop convoys across the Atlantic. Following the German defeat off the Falkland Islands in December, she joined the Grand Fleet at Scapa Flow. However in July 1915 she proceeded to Chatham for a prolonged refit and then joined the Pacific Station, whose bailiwick also included the Falkland Islands. There she landed two of her 6 inch guns, one of which still remained at the time of the Argentine invasion some sixty five years later. The cruiser paid off on June 1919 and was broken up the following year.
Built Armstrong, Elswick, laid down March 1901, completed April 1904.
Size:
Length 440 feet pp 463 feet 6 inches overall, beam 66 feet, draught 25 feet, displacement 9,800 tons load.
Propulsion:
2 shaft triple expansion engines, 22,000 ihp, 23 knots
Trials:
Lancaster 22,881 ihp = 24.0 knots
Armour:
4-2in belt, 5in barbettes, 5in turret faces, 2-0.5in decks
Armament:
14 x 6in Mk VII (2 x 2, 10 x 1), 10 x 12pounder (10 x 1), 3 x 3pounder (3 x 1), 2 x 18in TT
Owing to increased cruiser production by foreign powers, especially France, this class was designed as a cheaper design that could be produced in greater numbers for trade protection. Crew 678.
4th Cruiser Squadron Atlantic.
1915 7th Cruiser Squadron The Grand Fleet.
April 1916 Pacific.
1920 Sold for scrap.
