British Light Cruisers

HMS Royalist and her sisters had a mixed armament of 6in and 4in guns. This did not prove a success as the 4in guns were prone to jamming and in battle it was hard to tell the difference in shell splashes apart, important for range finding for the guns. In 1918 Royalist and some of her sisters had their aft pair of 4in replaced with a 6in gun.

Apollo class second class protected cruisers
HMS Apollo, Aeolus, Andromache, Brilliant, Indefatigable, Intrepid, Iphigenia, Latona, Melampus, Naiad, Pique, Rainbow, Retribution, Sappho, Scylla, Sirius, Spartan, Sybille, Terpsichore, Thetis, Tribune Laid down 1889-1890, completed 1891-1894.

Astraea class second class protected cruisers
HMS Astraea, Bonaventure, Cambrian, Charybdis, Flora, Forte, Fox, Hermione Laid down 1890-1891, completed 1894-1896.

Eclipse class second class protected cruisers
HMS Eclipse, Diana, Dido, Doris, Isis, Juno, Minerva, Talbot, Venus Laid down 1893-1895, completed 1896-1898.

Arrogant class second class protected cruisers
HMS Arrogant, Furious, Gladiator, Vindictive Laid down 1895-1896, completed 1898-1900.

Highflyer class second class protected cruisers
HMS Highflyer, Hermes, Hyacinth Laid down 1897, completed 1899-1900.

Pelorous class second class protected cruisers
HMS Pelorous, Pandora, Pegasus, Perseus, Pactolus, Pioneer, Pomone, Prometheus, Proserpine, Psyche, Pyramus Laid down 1896-1897, completed 1897-1901.

Challenger class third class protected cruisers
HMS Challenger, Encounter Laid down 1900-1901, completed 1904-1905.

Topaze class third class cruisers
HMS Topaze, Amethyst, Diamond, Sapphire Laid down 1902-1903, completed 1904-1905.

Sentinel class scout cruisers
HMS Sentinel, Skirmisher Laid down 1903, completed 1905.

Forward class scout cruisers
HMS Forward, Foresight Laid down 1903, completed 1905.

Pathfinder class scout cruisers
HMS Pathfinder, Patrol Laid down 1903, completed 1905.

Adventure class scout cruisers
HMS Adventure, Attentive Laid down 1904, completed 1905.

Boadicea class scout cruisers
HMS Boadicea, Bellona Laid down 1907-1908, completed 1909-1910.

Blonde class scout cruisers
HMS Blonde, Blanche Laid down 1909, completed 1910-1911.

Bristol class second class protected cruisers
HMS Bristol, Glasgow, Gloucester, Liverpool, Newcastle Laid down 1909, completed 1910-1911.

Weymouth class second class protected cruisers
HMS Weymouth, Dartmouth, Falmouth, Yarmouth Laid down 1909-1910, completed 1911-1912.

Active class scout cruisers
HMS Active, Amphion, Fearless Laid down 1910-1911, completed 1911-1913.

Chatham class second class protected cruisers
HMS Chatham, Dublin, Southampton, HMAS Sydney (RAN), Melbourne (RAN), Brisbane (RAN) Laid down 1911, completed 1912-1916.

Birmingham class second class protected cruisers
HMS Birmingham, Lowestoft, Nottingham, HMAS Adelaide (RAN) Laid down 1912-1915, completed 1914-1922.

Arethusa class light cruisers
HMS Arethusa, Aurora, Galatea, Inconstant, Penelope, Phaeton, Royalist, Undaunted Laid down 1912-1913, completed 1914-1915.

Caroline class light cruisers
HMS Caroline, Carysfort, Cleopatra, Comus, Conquest, Cordelia Laid down 1913-1914, completed 1914-1915.

Calliope class light cruisers
HMS Calliope, Champion Laid down 1914, completed 1915-1916.

Birkenhead class light cruisers
HMS Birkenhead, Chester Laid down 1914, completed 1915-1916.

Cambrian class light cruisers
HMS Cambrian, Canterbury, Castor, Constance Laid down 1914-1915, completed 1915-1916.

Centaur class light cruisers
HMS Centaur, Concord Laid down 1915, completed 1916.

Caledon class light cruisers
HMS Caledon, Calypso, Caradoc, Cassandra Laid down 1916, completed 1917.

Ceres class light cruisers
HMS Ceres, Cardiff, Coventry, Curacoa, Curlew Laid down 1916, completed 1917-1918.

Capetown class light cruisers
HMS Capetown, Cairo, Calcutta, Carlisle, Colombo Laid down 1917-1918, completed 1918-1922.

Danae class light cruisers
HMS Danae, Dauntless, Dragon, Delhi, Despatch, Diomede, Dunedin, Durban Laid down 1916-1918, completed 1918-1921.

Courageous class large light cruisers
HMS Courageous, Glorious Laid down 1915, completed 1917.

Furious class large light cruisers
HMS Furious Laid down 1915, completed 1917.

HMS Chester was one of two light cruisers ordered for Greece but taken over by the British in 1915.  They very similar to British light cruisers but instead of the usual 6 inch guns of British ships they carried 5.5 inch weapons.  Although the shell was lighter it was easier for the gun crews to handle and so had a higher rate of fire as well as a being lighter mount, the gun also being used as the secondary armament of the large light cruiser Furious and the famous Hood.