Unprotected cruiser
Encyclopedia
An unprotected cruiser was a type of naval warship in use during the late Victorian or pre-dreadnought
era (about 1880 to 1905). The name was meant to distinguish these ships from “protected cruisers
” which had become accepted in the 1880s. A protected cruiser did not have side armor on its hull like a battleship or “armored cruiser
” but had only a curved armored deck built inside the ship, like an internal turtle shell, which prevented enemy fire from penetrating through the ship down into the most critical areas such as machinery, boilers, or ammunition storage. An unprotected cruiser of course lacked even this level of internal protection. The definitions had some gray areas because individual ships could be built with a protective deck that did not cover more than a small area of the ship, or was so thin as to be of little value (the same was true of the side armor on some armored cruisers). An unprotected cruiser was generally cheaper and less effective than a protected cruiser, while a protected cruiser was generally cheaper and less effective than an armored cruiser (with some exceptions in each case).
and Chinese Kai Che down to smaller ships of about 1000 tons. A small unprotected cruiser was little different from a large gunboat (for instance, at the Battle of Manila in 1898 the American Concord
was larger than the Spanish unprotected cruisers of the Velasco
class, and was equivalent to a small British protected cruiser, however the US navy classified the Concord as only a gunboat.) Such ships could be known by alternate names depending on the preference of each navy, for instance the British navy tended to refer to larger gunboats/small cruisers as “sloops”.
Although the designation “unprotected” only made sense after the development of protected cruisers in the 1880s, many ships designed earlier had essentially the same features and size range, for instance the Spanish Castilla
, French Laperouse
and Dutch Atjeh
class ships were also to be called unprotected cruisers. Steel-hulled cruisers had been preceded by iron-hulled (but not armored) ships and composite (iron and wood) -hulled ships, which were originally termed cruisers, frigates, or corvettes. Most of these ships retained sailing rig and were useful for colonial duties, where dockyards and coal supplies were often inadequate. Some of these older ships were fairly large, for instance the HMS Shah
.
The cruisers meant for colonial duty, like gunboats, were not built for high speed. The French unprotected cruiser Milan (1885) was distinct in appearance and role, with the recognition that cruisers were more useful as scouts and commerce raiders if they were faster than ironclad battleships. In the 1880s and 1890s fast, small unarmored cruisers could also be listed as “avisos
”, “dispatch boats
” (if the ship was fast enough to be useful for carrying messages, in the era before wireless), or “torpedo cruisers” (a term derived from “torpedo gunboats
”, again the distinction being mainly of larger size). Different contemporary reference works may use more than one of these terms for the same ship.
, there was no need to produce unprotected cruisers since fast “light” cruisers
could be given not only protective decks but side armor (over the pre-dreadnought era, effective armor could be made thinner with less weight due to advances in steelworking technology). The speed and firepower difference between even a small light cruiser and a gunboat had made these categories permanently distinct. Wireless technology had eliminated message-carrying roles, and specialized torpedo craft were made much lighter and faster (destroyers
). When discarded terms such as “sloop”, “frigate” and “corvette” were used again, it was for small anti-submarine convoy escort craft.
Pre-dreadnought
Pre-dreadnought battleship is the general term for all of the types of sea-going battleships built between the mid-1890s and 1905. Pre-dreadnoughts replaced the ironclad warships of the 1870s and 1880s...
era (about 1880 to 1905). The name was meant to distinguish these ships from “protected cruisers
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...
” which had become accepted in the 1880s. A protected cruiser did not have side armor on its hull like a battleship or “armored cruiser
Armored cruiser
The armored cruiser was a type of warship of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Like other types of cruiser, the armored cruiser was a long-range, independent warship, capable of defeating any ship apart from a battleship, and fast enough to outrun any battleships it encountered.The first...
” but had only a curved armored deck built inside the ship, like an internal turtle shell, which prevented enemy fire from penetrating through the ship down into the most critical areas such as machinery, boilers, or ammunition storage. An unprotected cruiser of course lacked even this level of internal protection. The definitions had some gray areas because individual ships could be built with a protective deck that did not cover more than a small area of the ship, or was so thin as to be of little value (the same was true of the side armor on some armored cruisers). An unprotected cruiser was generally cheaper and less effective than a protected cruiser, while a protected cruiser was generally cheaper and less effective than an armored cruiser (with some exceptions in each case).
Examples
Unprotected cruisers included medium-sized ships such as the Spanish Reina CristinaSpanish cruiser Reina Cristina
Reina Cristina was an Alfonso XII-class unprotected cruiser of the Spanish Navy which fought in the Battle of Manila Bay.-Technical Characteristics:...
and Chinese Kai Che down to smaller ships of about 1000 tons. A small unprotected cruiser was little different from a large gunboat (for instance, at the Battle of Manila in 1898 the American Concord
USS Concord (PG-3)
USS Concord was a member of the of steel-hulled, twin-screw gunboats in the United States Navy in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. She was the second U.S. Navy ship named in honor of the town of Concord, Massachusetts, site of the Battle of Concord in the American Revolutionary War.The...
was larger than the Spanish unprotected cruisers of the Velasco
Velasco class cruiser
The Velasco class of unprotected cruisers was a series of eight cruisers built during the 1880s for service with the Spanish Navy. They were named for famous Spaniards of the past.- Description :...
class, and was equivalent to a small British protected cruiser, however the US navy classified the Concord as only a gunboat.) Such ships could be known by alternate names depending on the preference of each navy, for instance the British navy tended to refer to larger gunboats/small cruisers as “sloops”.
Although the designation “unprotected” only made sense after the development of protected cruisers in the 1880s, many ships designed earlier had essentially the same features and size range, for instance the Spanish Castilla
Spanish cruiser Castilla
Castilla was an Aragon-class unprotected cruiser of the Spanish Navy that fought in the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War.-Technical characteristics:Castilla was built at Cadiz, Spain...
, French Laperouse
French cruiser Lapérouse
The Lapérouse was a barbette cruiser of the French Navy, lead ship of her class, named after Jean-François de Galaup, comte de Lapérouse....
and Dutch Atjeh
Atjeh class
The Atjeh class was a class of unprotected cruisers of the Royal Netherlands Navy. The class comprised Atjeh, Tromp, Koningin Emma der Nederlanden, De Ruyter, Van Speyk and Johan Willem Friso.-Dimensions and machinery:...
class ships were also to be called unprotected cruisers. Steel-hulled cruisers had been preceded by iron-hulled (but not armored) ships and composite (iron and wood) -hulled ships, which were originally termed cruisers, frigates, or corvettes. Most of these ships retained sailing rig and were useful for colonial duties, where dockyards and coal supplies were often inadequate. Some of these older ships were fairly large, for instance the HMS Shah
HMS Shah
Two vessels of the British Royal Navy have been named HMS Shah.* The first Shah was an iron hulled, wooden sheathed frigate launched in 1873. She was originally to be named HMS Blonde but was renamed following the visit of the Shah of Persia. On 28 May 1877 she fired the first torpedo to be used...
.
The cruisers meant for colonial duty, like gunboats, were not built for high speed. The French unprotected cruiser Milan (1885) was distinct in appearance and role, with the recognition that cruisers were more useful as scouts and commerce raiders if they were faster than ironclad battleships. In the 1880s and 1890s fast, small unarmored cruisers could also be listed as “avisos
Aviso
An aviso , a kind of dispatch boat or advice boat, survives particularly in the French navy, they are considered equivalent to the modern sloop....
”, “dispatch boats
Dispatch boat
Dispatch boats were small boats, and sometimes large ships, tasked to carry military dispatches from ship to ship or from ship to shore or, in some cases from shore to shore...
” (if the ship was fast enough to be useful for carrying messages, in the era before wireless), or “torpedo cruisers” (a term derived from “torpedo gunboats
Torpedo gunboat
In late 19th-century naval terminology, torpedo gunboats or, in north European usage, torpedo cruisers, were a form of gunboat armed with torpedoes and designed for hunting and destroying smaller torpedo boats...
”, again the distinction being mainly of larger size). Different contemporary reference works may use more than one of these terms for the same ship.
Decline
All of these terms faded from use because the design of these ships became obsolete. By World War IWorld 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...
, there was no need to produce unprotected cruisers since fast “light” cruisers
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
could be given not only protective decks but side armor (over the pre-dreadnought era, effective armor could be made thinner with less weight due to advances in steelworking technology). The speed and firepower difference between even a small light cruiser and a gunboat had made these categories permanently distinct. Wireless technology had eliminated message-carrying roles, and specialized torpedo craft were made much lighter and faster (destroyers
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
). When discarded terms such as “sloop”, “frigate” and “corvette” were used again, it was for small anti-submarine convoy escort craft.