1915 HMS BIRKENHEAD One of a pair of light cruisers originally ordered by
the Greek government just prior to the outbreak of the First World War, but taken over by the Royal Navy while still incomplete in 1915.
THE BIRKENHEAD CLASS
After Greece beat Turkey in the Balkan War of 1912, there was a fear of Turkish reprisals. The (British) Chief of Staff of the Greek Navy building up a modern coastal defence squadron consisting of light cruisers and destroyers, and orders were placed in the UK for two of the former and four of the latter early in 1914. The cruisers were to be copies of the Chatham/Birmingham classes of 1911-12, and the first, the Antinovarkos Kontouriotis was laid down at Cammel Lairds in Birkenhead on 27 March 1914, to be followed in October by the Lambros Katsonis. The former had already been launched, on 18 January 1915, when the Admiralty advised the builders that it would be taking over the two ships for the Royal Navy. They became the Birkenhead and the Chester, and were completed in May 1915 and May 1916 respectively. Neither had a long career, and both were sold for scrap in the latter part of 1921.
A NEW TYPE OF GUN
The only material difference between the new ships and those on which they were based was the substitution of a new 5.5in (140mm) gun for the 6in (152mm) rifles they carried they were over half a ton lighter, and thus the ships could mount ten instead of nine, while the difference in range and penetrating power was minimal (the guns were pedestal mounted behind abbreviated shields; when Chester saw action at Jutland, the short screens proved to be deficient, and many injuries resulted, It had been the constructors intention to equip them with a new 12pdr high-angle gun, too, but these were not available by the time they were fitting out, and a Vickers 3pdr was substituted.
TECHNICAL DATA
Type: Light cruiser
Machinery: 4-shaft Parsons geared turbines giving a total of 25,000shp
Dimensions (overall): Length, 135.9m (446ft); beam, 15.2m (50ft)
Displacement: 5235t standard
Draught: 4.9m (16ft)
Complement: 500
