Princesa de Asturias-class cruiser

The Princesa de Asturias class was a class of armoured cruisers of the Spanish Navy during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The class comprised three ships, Princesa de Asturias, Cataluña and Cardenal Cisneros. With construction beginning on the lead ship of the class in 1890, it was considered to be essentially a repeat of the three Infanta Maria Teresa-class cruisers but with more modern and balanced armament. Cardenal Cisneros was wrecked in 1905 but the fate of the other two ships of the Princesa de Asturias class is unknown.

Cataluña in 1914
Class overview
Name: Princesa de Asturias class
Builders:
Operators:  Spanish Navy
Built: 1890–1904
In commission: 1902–1929
Completed: 3
Lost: 1
Retired: 2
General characteristics
Type: Armoured cruiser
Displacement: 6,888 tons
Length: 110.97 m (364 ft 1 in)
Beam: 18.59 m (61 ft 0 in)
Draught: 6.61 m (21 ft 8 in)
Propulsion: 14,800 hp (11,000 kW), two shafts
Speed: 20 knots (37 km/h)
Complement: 542
Armament:
Armour:
  • 11.88 in (30.2 cm) belt
  • 7.88 in (20.0 cm) barbette
  • 7.88 in (20.0 cm) conning tower
  • 3.88 in (9.9 cm) turret
  • 2.25 in (5.7 cm) deck

Design

Dimensions and machinery

The ships of the class were 110.97 metres (364 ft 1 in) long, had a beam of 18.59 metres (61 ft 0 in), a draught of 6.61 metres (21 ft 8 in), and had a displacement of 6,888 ton. The ships were equipped with 2 shaft reciprocating engines, which were rated at 14,800 ihp (11,000 kW) and produced a top speed of 20 knots (37 km/h).[1]

Armour

The ships had belt armour of 11.88 in (30.2 cm), conning tower and barbette armour of 7.88 in (20.0 cm), 3.88 in (9.9 cm) turret armour and 2.25 in (5.7 cm) deck armour. However, as these ships were fundamentally modernized Infanta Maria Teresa-class cruisers, the armour coverage was not comprehensive, and thus the ships were poorly armoured by standards of the day.[1]

Armament

The main armament of the ships were two 9.4 in (24 cm) single turret guns. Secondary armament included eight single 5.5 in (14 cm) guns.[1]

Ships
  • Princesa de Asturias was ordered September 1889 and laid down at the La Carraca shipyard in San Fernando, Cadiz in 1890. She was launched on 17 October 1896, after an unsuccessful launch attempt on 9 October, and commissioned in 1902.[1][2] She was discarded in 1927.[3]
  • Cataluña was laid down at Cartagena Navy Yard in 1890 and launched on 24 September 1900. She was commissioned in 1903.[1] Cataluña was discarded in 1929.[3]
  • Cardenal Cisneros was laid down at the Ferrol Dockyard in 1890. She was launched on 19 March 1897 and commissioned in 1902.[1] She was lost when she ran aground on 28 October 1905.[3][4]

Notes
  1. Chesneau and Kolesnik (1979), p. 382
  2. Journal ASNE (1896). "Ships". Journal of the American Society of Naval Engineers. American Society of Naval Engineers. 8 (1): 855. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
  3. PRINCESA DE ASTURIAS armoured cruisers (1903-1904). Navypedia. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  4. Fitzsimmons (1977), p. 524

Sources
  • Chesneau, Roger, and Eugene M. Kolesnik, Eds. Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905. New York, New York: Mayflower Books Inc., 1979. ISBN 0-8317-0302-4.
  • Fitzsimmons, Bernard. "Carnenal Cisneros". Purnell's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Modern Weapons and Warfare. 2.
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