HMS Cressy (1899) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Cressy
Namesake	Battle of Cressy
Builder	Fairfield Shipbuilding, Govan, Scotland
Laid down	12 October 1898
Launched	4 December 1899
Completed	28 May 1901
Fate	Sunk by SM U-9, 22 September 1914
General characteristics
Class and type	Cressy-class armoured cruiser
Displacement	12,000 long tons (12,000 t) (normal)
Length	472 ft (143.9 m) (o/a)
Beam	69 ft 6 in (21.2 m)
Draught	26 ft 9 in (8.2 m) (maximum)
Installed power	21,000 ihp (16,000 kW) 30 Belleville boilers
Propulsion	2 × shafts 2 × 4-cylinder triple-expansion steam engines
Speed	21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph)
Complement	725–760
Armament	2 × single BL 9.2-inch Mk X guns 12 × single BL 6-inch Mk VII guns 12 × single QF 12-pdr 12-cwt guns 3 × 3-pounder Hotchkiss guns 2 × single submerged 18-inch torpedo tubes
Armour	Belt: 2–6 in (51–152 mm) Decks: 1–3 in (25–76 mm) Barbettes: 6 in (152 mm) Turrets: 6 in (150 mm) Conning tower: 12 in (305 mm) Bulkheads: 5 in (127 mm)

HMS Cressy was a large warship called an armoured cruiser built for the Royal Navy (the British navy) around 1900. After it was finished, it sailed to the China Station and later to the North America and West Indies Station. In 1909, it was put into the reserve, meaning it was kept ready but not actively used.

When World War I began in 1914, Cressy was brought back into service. It took part in a small way in the Battle of Heligoland Bight soon after the war started. Sadly, on 22 September 1914, Cressy and two of its sister ships were hit by torpedoes and sunk by a German submarine called U-9. About 560 crew members from Cressy lost their lives in this attack.

Building and Features of HMS Cressy

Cressy was designed to weigh about 12,000 tons. The ship was 472 feet (143.9 meters) long overall. It had a width of 69 feet 9 inches (21.3 meters) and a deep draught of 26 feet 9 inches (8.2 meters).

The ship was powered by two large steam engines. These engines had four cylinders each and drove two propellers. They produced a total of 21,000 horsepower, allowing the ship to reach a top speed of 21 knots (about 39 km/h or 24 mph). Thirty Belleville boilers provided the steam for these powerful engines. During its sea trials, Cressy only reached 20.7 knots, which was the slowest speed among ships of its type. The ship could carry up to 1,600 tons of coal for fuel. Its crew usually had between 725 and 760 officers and sailors.

Weapons and Protection

Cressy had strong weapons to defend itself and attack enemy ships:

• Main Guns: Two large 9.2-inch (234 mm) guns were placed in single gun turrets. One was at the front and one at the back of the ship. These guns could fire 380-pound (172 kg) shells up to 15,500 yards (14,200 meters).
• Secondary Guns: Twelve 6-inch (152 mm) guns were located in casemates (armored rooms) along the sides of the ship. Eight of these were on the main deck, but they could only be used in calm weather. They fired 100-pound (45 kg) shells up to 12,200 yards (11,200 meters).
• Smaller Guns: Twelve 12-pounder (3-inch or 76 mm) quick-firing guns were added to protect against smaller, fast torpedo boats.
• Torpedoes: The ship also had two torpedo tubes hidden underwater.

The ship was protected by thick armor:

• The main armor belt along the waterline was up to 6 inches (152 mm) thick.
• The armor on the gun turrets and their bases was 6 inches thick.
• The casemates (where the 6-inch guns were) had 5-inch (127 mm) thick armor.
• The protective deck armor varied from 1 to 3 inches (25 to 76 mm) thick.
• The Conning tower (where the ship was steered) had very thick 12-inch (305 mm) armor.

Service History

Cressy was named after the Battle of Crécy, a famous battle from 1346. It was built by Fairfield Shipbuilding in Govan, Scotland. Its construction began on 12 October 1898, and it was launched into the water on 4 December 1899.

After its sea trials, Cressy joined the fleet reserve at Portsmouth on 24 May 1901. It was officially put into service on 28 May 1901, under Captain Henry Morton Tudor. It was meant to go to the China Station, but its trip was delayed because its steering gear broke down. It finally left in October 1901, reaching Colombo in November and then Singapore. From 1907 to 1909, it served in the North America and West Indies Station before returning home and being placed back in reserve.

World War I and the Broad Fourteens

When World War I started in August 1914, Cressy was assigned to the 7th Cruiser Squadron. This squadron's job was to patrol an area of the North Sea called the Broad Fourteens. This patrol helped protect the eastern end of the English Channel from German warships that might try to attack supply routes between England and France.

On 28 August, during the Battle of Heligoland Bight, Cressy was part of a reserve force off the Dutch coast and did not see any fighting. After the battle, Rear Admiral Arthur Christian ordered Cressy to take on 165 German survivors from damaged ships. Cressy, along with its sister ship Bacchante, then sailed to the Nore to drop off the prisoners.

The Sinking of the Cressy

Map showing the attack on the three cruisers

Sketch of the Cressy sinking, by Henry Reuterdahl

On the morning of 22 September 1914, Cressy and its two sister ships, Aboukir and Hogue, were on patrol. They did not have any escorting destroyers because bad weather had forced the destroyers to seek shelter. The three cruisers were sailing in a line, about 2,000 yards (1,800 meters) apart, at a speed of 10 knots. They were not expecting a submarine attack, but they had lookouts watching and one gun ready on each side. The weather had improved that morning, and more destroyers were on their way to join them.

The German submarine U-9, commanded by Otto Weddigen, had been ordered to attack British transport ships. However, it had to dive to escape the storm. When it came back to the surface, it spotted the British ships and prepared to attack.

At 6:20 AM, U-9 fired a torpedo at Aboukir, hitting its right side. The captain of Aboukir thought they had hit a mine and told the other two ships to come closer to help transfer wounded men. Aboukir quickly began to tilt and capsized (flipped over) around 6:55 AM.

As Hogue approached its sinking sister ship, its captain, Wilmot Nicholson, realized it was a submarine attack. He signaled Cressy to look for a periscope. Hogue continued to get closer to Aboukir, with its crew throwing anything that would float into the water to help survivors. After stopping and lowering all its boats, Hogue was hit by two torpedoes around 6:55 AM. The sudden loss of weight from the torpedoes made U-9 briefly pop to the surface. Hogue's gunners fired at it, but the submarine quickly submerged again. Hogue capsized about ten minutes after being torpedoed and sank at 7:15 AM.

Cressy tried to ram the submarine but missed. It then went back to rescuing survivors. At 7:20 AM, Cressy was also hit by a torpedo. Weddigen had fired two torpedoes from the back of his submarine, but only one hit. U-9 then had to turn around to use its last torpedo from the front. It fired this torpedo from about 550 yards (500 meters) at 7:30 AM. This torpedo hit Cressy on its left side and damaged several boilers, badly scalding the men in that area. Like its sister ships, Cressy tilted heavily and then capsized before sinking at 7:55 AM.

Dutch ships began rescuing survivors at 8:30 AM, and British fishing boats also joined in. More British ships arrived at 10:45 AM. From all three ships, 837 men were rescued. Sadly, 62 officers and 1,397 sailors were lost. Of those lost, 560 were from Cressy.

In 1954, the British government sold the rights to salvage (recover parts from) all three sunken ships to a German company. These rights were later sold to a Dutch company, which began recovering metal from the wrecks in 2011.

See also

In Spanish: HMS Cressy (1899) para niños