Blonde Class Scout Cruisers

Blonde Class.  Improved Boadicea class with more 4 inch guns and mounting the more powerful 21 inch torpedo, the first British cruisers to do so.  There was also a slight thickness in the protective deck although this was still limited to the machinery spaces only.

HMS Blonde
Built Pembroke Dockyard, laid down December 1909, completed May 1911.

HMS Blanche
Built Pembroke Dockyard, laid down , April 1909 completed November 1910.

Size:
Length 385 feet pp 405 feet overall, beam 41 feet 6 inches, draught 15 feet 6 inches, displacement 3,350 tons normal 3,850 tons deep load..

Propulsion:
4 shaft Parsons turbines, 18,000 shp, 24.5 knots

Trials:
Blanche 18,542 shp = 25.67 knots

Armour:
1.5in decks

Armament:
10 x 4in 50cal Mk VIII (10 x 1), 4 x 3 pounder (4 x 1), 2 x 21in TT

Comments:
Crew 314.

World War 1 Service:
Blonde
Attached to Grand Fleet Battle Squadrons.
September 1917 converted to lay mines but never used as a minelayer.
1920 sold for scrap.

Blanche
Attached to Grand Fleet Battle Squadrons.
31 May-1 June 1916 took part in the Battle of Jutland.
March 1917 converted to lay mines.
1921 sold for scrap.

HMS Blanche.  Converted to a minelayer carrying 66 mines in August 1917 she made 16 mine laying trips and laid 1238 mines.  Her sister, HMS Blonde, was also converted a month later but never served in the role.