The Devonshire class was a class

Ship class

A ship class is a group of ships of a similar design. This is distinct from a ship-type, which might reflect a similarity of tonnage or intended use. For example, the is a nuclear aircraft carrier of the Nimitz class....

 of six armoured cruisers of the British Royal Navy

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

, launched in 1903–1904 at a cost of around £850,000 each.

The ships were designed for commerce protection, and the design was similar to the Monmouth class

Monmouth class cruiser

The Monmouth-class was a ten-ship class of 10,000 ton armoured cruisers built around 1901 to 1903 for the Royal Navy and designed specifically for commerce protection...

 except that the twin 6 inch (153 mm) turrets and the forward double casemates were replaced by four 7.5 inch (190 mm) single turrets in a diamond arrangement. The 7.5 inch gun was introduced because the all - 6 inch gun armament of the Monmouth class was no longer adequate to deal with the latest likely commerce raiding threats.

All ships of the class served in World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

. Argyll was wrecked, and Hampshire was sunk by a naval mine

Naval mine

A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...

. The four survivors were disposed of soon after the end of the war.

Ships

• Antrim
  HMS Antrim (1903)
  HMS Antrim was a 10,850 ton Devonshire-class armoured cruiser of the British Royal Navy, built by John Brown & Company and launched on 8 October 1903. Like her sisters, she served in the First World War and survived. After the war she became the first ship to be fitted with an experimental sonar...
  
  , launched on 8 October 1903, sold for breaking up on 19 December 1922.
• Argyll
  HMS Argyll (1904)
  HMS Argyll was a Devonshire-class armoured cruiser of the Royal Navy launched in 1904. She was the second HMS Argyll after an interval of over 160 years.-History:...
  
  , launched on 3 March 1904, wrecked on 28 October 1915.
• Carnarvon, launched on 7 October 1903, sold for breaking up on 8 November 1921.
• Devonshire
  HMS Devonshire (1904)
  HMS Devonshire was a 10,850 ton Devonshire-class armoured cruiser of the Royal Navy built at Chatham Dockyard and launched on 30 April 1904...
  
  , launched on 30 April 1904, sold for breaking up on 9 May 1921.
• Hampshire
  HMS Hampshire (1903)
  HMS Hampshire was a Devonshire-class armoured cruiser of the Royal Navy. She was built by Armstrong Whitworth, Elswick, Tyne and Wear and commissioned in 1905 at a cost of £833,817....
  
  , launched on 4 September 1903, sunk by a naval mine
  Naval mine
  A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
  
   on 5 June 1916.
• Roxburgh
  HMS Roxburgh (1904)
  HMS Roxburgh was a 10,850 ton Devonshire-class armoured cruiser of the Royal Navy, and so far, the only ship to bear the name. She was built by London and Glasgow Co., and launched on 19 January 1904. She was assigned to the Channel Fleet early in her career...
  
  , launched on 19 January 1904, sold on 8 November 1921.

Building Programme

The following table gives the build details and purchase cost of the members of the Devonshire class. Standard British practice at that time was for these costs to exclude armament and stores. The 1905 edition costs were compiled before the ships were complete.

Ship	Builder	Engine Maker	Date of			Cost according to
			Laid Down	Launch	Completion	(BNA Brassey's Naval Annual The Naval Annual was a book that sought to bring together a large amount of information on naval subjects, which had hitherto been obtainable only by consulting numerous publications and chiefly from foreign sources...  1905)	(BNA Brassey's Naval Annual The Naval Annual was a book that sought to bring together a large amount of information on naval subjects, which had hitherto been obtainable only by consulting numerous publications and chiefly from foreign sources...  1906)
Devonshire HMS Devonshire (1904) HMS Devonshire was a 10,850 ton Devonshire-class armoured cruiser of the Royal Navy built at Chatham Dockyard and launched on 30 April 1904...	Chatham Dockyard	Thames Ironworks Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company The Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company, Limited was a shipyard and iron works straddling the mouth of Bow Creek at its confluence with the River Thames, at Leamouth Wharf on the west side and at Canning Town on the east side...	25 Mar 1902	30 Apr 1904	24 Aug 1905	£900,792 ***	£818,167
Antrim HMS Antrim (1903) HMS Antrim was a 10,850 ton Devonshire-class armoured cruiser of the British Royal Navy, built by John Brown & Company and launched on 8 October 1903. Like her sisters, she served in the First World War and survived. After the war she became the first ship to be fitted with an experimental sonar...	John Brown, Clydebank Clydebank Clydebank is a town in West Dunbartonshire, in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. Situated on the north bank of the River Clyde, Clydebank borders Dumbarton, the town with which it was combined to form West Dunbartonshire, as well as the town of Milngavie in East Dunbartonshire, and the Yoker and...	John Brown	27 Aug 1902	8 Oct 1903	23 Jun 1905	£899,050 ***	£873,625
Argyll HMS Argyll (1904) HMS Argyll was a Devonshire-class armoured cruiser of the Royal Navy launched in 1904. She was the second HMS Argyll after an interval of over 160 years.-History:...	Scott, Greenock	Greenock Foundry	1 Sep 1902	3 Mar 1904	December 1905	£912,588 ***	£873,598
Carnarvon	Beardmore	Humphrys	1 Oct 1902	17 Oct 1903	29 May 1905	£899,465 ***	£858,130
Hampshire HMS Hampshire (1903) HMS Hampshire was a Devonshire-class armoured cruiser of the Royal Navy. She was built by Armstrong Whitworth, Elswick, Tyne and Wear and commissioned in 1905 at a cost of £833,817....	Armstrong, Elswick	Hawthorn	1 Sep 1901	24 Sep 1903	15 Jul 1905	£872,327 ***	£833,817
Roxburgh HMS Roxburgh (1904) HMS Roxburgh was a 10,850 ton Devonshire-class armoured cruiser of the Royal Navy, and so far, the only ship to bear the name. She was built by London and Glasgow Co., and launched on 19 January 1904. She was assigned to the Channel Fleet early in her career...	London & Glasgow Shipping Company	London & Glasgow Shipping Company	13 Jun 1902	9 Jan 1904	5 Sep 1905	£866,199 ***	£829,327

*** = cost published by Brassey before the ship was complete. i.e. The total cost may have been more than this.

External Links

• The Dreadnought Project Technical details of the ships.