For years Lord Fisher had planned to win
a war with Germany in one fell swoop. His
plan called for a landing on the Pomeranian
shore only 82 miles from Berlin, by either
UK or Russian forces. A fleet of submarines
and extensive mining would keep the area
clear of German ships. To support this plan,
he contracted for the construction of 612
special vessels, including landing craft,
minesweepers, destroyers, light cruisers,
monitors, and three of the most half-baked
battlecruisers ever designed. Once Fisher
left the Admiralty, nothing more was heard
of the plan.
The Treasury refused to pay for the construction
of more capital ships, but funding for light
cruisers to reinforce the Grand Fleet had
already been appropriated. So Fisher designated
these three vessels as "large light
cruisers", and built them under ridiculously
high security. This was not to prevent the
Germans from learning of the ship's specifications,
but rather to hide them from his own government.
The large light cruiser designation has stuck
with them, but on the official lists they
were carried as battlecruisers. The ships
that he ordered were used to reinforce the
Grand Fleet, and in the Dardanelles Campaign.
Requirements included a speed of not less
than 32 knots, light cruiser protection,
a shallow draft of less than 22 feet for
navigation in waters denied to capital ships,
and a few guns of the highest caliber available.
Fisher later declared that these three were
intended as fast shore bombardment ships,
to terrorize German soldiers into fleeing
from the landing zones, but earlier comments
indicate that the ships were intended to
sweep away German light craft and protect
the beachhead from the German Navy.
The first two vessels were the Courageous and Glorious. It was planned to build then in only 12
months, but they were not accepted into service
for nearly another year, four months after
being commissioned. Main armament was the
excellent 15" weapon, in two twin turrets
similar to Renown, with the same unsuccessful 4" triple
mounts as a secondary battery. Two underwater
torpedo tubes were fitted, but could not
be operated over 23 knots. Six twin above-water
tubes were later added so the ships could
operate as light cruisers. Other noteworthy
features include the first instillation of
small-tube boilers and geared turbines in
a large British ship. The turbine set up
was simply two sets of machinery from the
Champion Class cruisers.
Protection was almost nonexistent, and it
proved nearly impossible to hit a target
at 32 knots with only four main guns. On
the one occasion that they faced enemy light
craft, they certainly came out on the loosing
side, receiving more damage than they inflicted.
The Royal navy tried several different roles
in an effort to get some use out of these
vessels. They served for a time as light
cruisers, Courageous was fitted with four mine rails for use as
a minelayer, and both were tried as destroyer
leaders and light cruiser flotilla leader.
But their size made then unwieldy, and in
anything but calm seas the light craft could
not keep up with them. Both were fitted with
flying off platforms in 1918, and in 1924
they were both taken in hand for conversion
to carriers. In this capacity, their long,
fast, lightly-protected hulls were finally
put to a good use.
Both served with the Royal Navy until being
sunk in the early part of WWII, with Courageous being torpedoed by a sub and Glorious being destroyed by gunfire from the German
Scharnhorst and Gneisenau.
| Laid down Courageous Mar 1915 Glorious May 1915 |
Launched Courageous 5 Feb 1915 Glorious 20 Apr 1915 |
Completed Courageous Jan 1917 Glorious Jan 1917 |
Commissioned Courageous Oct 1916 Glorious Oct 1916 |
| Fate Courageous: Sunk by 2 torpedoes from U-20 17 Sep 1939 Glorious: Sunk by gunfire from Scharnhorst and Gneisenau 18 June 1940 |
Builders Courageous: Elswick Glorious: Harland and Wolff |
Complement 840 |
|
| Specs as completed, not as carriers | |||
| Displacement 18,600 tons standard, 22,690 full load |
Dimensions 735' x 81' |
Draught 23' 4" full load |
|
| Main guns 4 x 15" 42 cal (2 x 2) |
Secondary guns 18 x 4" (6 x 3) |
Light guns 2 x 3" AA (2 x 1) |
Torpedo tubes 2 x 21" submerged later 2 x 21" submerged 12 x 21" above deck |
| Armour Belt: 3" Turrets: 13" Deck: 1" C.T.: 10" |
|||
| Machinery 18 Yarrow small tube boilers |
Turbines 4 x Parsons geared |
Power output 90,000 shp |
Shafts 4 |
| Speed 32 kts |
Range N/A |
Fuel 750 tons oil normal 3160 tons oil max |
|
Courageous
WWI Service:
With Grand Fleet 1917 - 1918
27 Nov 1917 Damaged in action North Sea by
German light craft
Inter-War Service:
27 Jun 1924 Taken in hand to convert to carrier
21 Feb 1928 Recommissioned
25 Sep 1933 Ran aground off Yarmouth
1936 Refit, tripod mast fitted
WWII Service:
Assigned to Home Fleet
17 Sep 1939 Sunk by two torpedoes from German
U-29 southwest of Iceland, 515 killed
Glorious:
WWI Service:
Grand Fleet 1917-1918
27 Nov 1917 Action with German light craft
in North Sea
Inter-War Service:
14 Feb 1924 Taken in hand for conversion
to carrier
24 Feb 1930 Recommissioned
1 Apr 1931 Collision with French liner Florida, bow damaged
1934-35 Refit, flightdeck extended aft
WWII Service:
1939-40 Mediterranean
1940 Home Fleet, Norway Campaign
8 June 1940 Caught without air patrol flying
by German Scharnhorst and Gneisenau off Norway,
sunk by gunfire, approx 800 killed.
