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Lion Class (1912) BC |
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Lion Class of battlecruisers were considerably longer and heavier than the
previous battlecruisers, the Orion
Class (1912). This was caused by the requirement for a main armament of
8 x 13.5in guns and 27kt.
Some say that the deign was unnecessarily complicated by having a midships turret rather than having the four turrets as A, B and X, Y. But a change to that configuration would not have shortened the hull length which was still required to house the very powerful machinery required to drive them through the water at 27kt. Their shaft horsepower was about 70,000, against the 27,000 of the Orion's. Even although lighter armour was accepted for battlecruisers, the armour required for the extreme length of the ship took her displacement to over 26,000 tons. As built the foremast was mounted behind the fore funnel so when steaming hard the heat made the control top unbearable. So the mast was later moved forward of the funnel. The ships enjoyed a good reputation in the Fleet, and although their normal maximum speed was 27kt, they achieved 28˝kt on occasion. They never achieved the often quoted figure over 30kt.
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This page last edited -
28 January, 2013.
Copyright © Ian M King, except where otherwise indicated. |
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