For the 1867 class of sloop (later corvette) see:Eclipse class sloop

Eclipse class sloop

The Eclipse class was a class of seven 6-gun wooden screw sloops built for the Royal Navy between 1867 and 1870. They were re-armed and re-classified as 12-gun corvettes in 1876. Two further vessel were proposed but never ordered.-Design:...

The Eclipse-class cruisers of the 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...

 were protected

Protected cruiser

The protected cruiser is a type of naval cruiser of the late 19th century, so known because its armoured deck offered protection for vital machine spaces from shrapnel caused by exploding shells above...

 cruiser

Cruiser

A cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...

s constructed in the mid-1890s.

Design and history

They were enlarged versions of the preceding Astraea class

Astraea class cruiser

The Astraea class was an eight ship class of protected cruisers built for the Royal Navy during the 1890s. The ships served on a number of foreign stations during their careers, particularly in the waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, and around the Cape of Good Hope...

. Between 1903 and 1905, all of the ships in the class except for Eclipse had their mixed 6 inches (152.4 mm) and 4.7 inches (119.4 mm) guns removed and replaced with a uniform armament of 11 modern 6 inches (152.4 mm) guns.