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The six [[Light Cruiser|light cruisers]] of the '''''Chatham'' Class''' were completed between 1912 and 1916. They were sometimes treated as the second sub-type of an encompassing [[Town Class Cruiser (1909)|"Town Class"]] which included the five earlier [[Bristol Class Cruiser (1909)|''Bristol'']] and four [[Weymouth Class Cruiser (1910)|''Weymouth'' class]] and the following four [[Birmingham Class Cruiser (1913)|''Birmingham'']] and two [[Birkenhead Class Cruiser (1915)|''Birkenhead'' class]] cruisers. <div name=fredbot:ships> {| class="wikitable collapsible" border=2 cellpadding=2 cellspacing=0 style="margin: 0 0 1em 0.5em; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse;" align=center; |- ! colspan=6 align=left|Overview of 6 vessels |- | colspan=6 align=left|<small>Citations for this data available on individual ship pages</small> |- ! align=center | Name ! align=center | Builder ! align=center | Laid Down ! align=center | Launched ! align=center | Completed ! align=center | Fate |- align=left | {{Template:UK-Chatham}} |[[Chatham Royal Dockyard]] |3 Jan, 1911 |19 Nov, 1911 |Dec, 1912 |Sold 13 Jul, 1926 |- align=left | {{Template:UK-Dublin}} |[[Beardmore]] |3 Jan, 1911 |30 Apr, 1912 |11 Mar, 1913 |Sold Jul, 1926 |- align=left | {{Template:UK-Southampton}} |[[John Brown]] |6 Apr, 1911 |16 May, 1912 |Nov, 1912 |Sold |- align=left | {{Template:AU-Brisbane}} |[[Cockatoo Dockyard]] |25 Jan, 1913 |30 Sep, 1915 |Nov, 1916 |Sold |- align=left | {{Template:AU-Melbourne}} |[[Cammell Laird]] |14 Apr, 1911 |30 May, 1912 |Jan, 1913 |Sold 8 Dec, 1928 |- align=left | {{Template:AU-Sydney}} |[[London & Glasgow]] |11 Feb, 1911 |29 Aug, 1912 |Jun, 1913 |Broken up Apr, 1929 |} </div name=fredbot:ships> ==Binoculars== In September 1914, the ships were allowed five additional pairs of Pattern 343 Service Binoculars.{{AWO1914|331 of 8 Sep, 1914}} ==Fore Top== In late 1913, there was some doubt as to whether the sides of the fore top in these ships needed to be raised, and indeed there was some confusion as to how high the sides were in various units. It was mentioned that altering them to a height of 4 feet would allow a seated observer to do his work.{{AWO1913|627 of 7 Nov, 1913}} ==Boats== The ships were ordered in July 1914 to surrender one of their two 30-foot drop-keel gigs. As {{UK-Chatham}} had only one, and one 30-foot gig of ordinary type, she was asked to return either one.{{AWO1914|131 of 10 July 1914}} ==Armament== ===Guns=== * eight 6-in B.L. guns on P. VI mountings at the outset of war.{{UKTHVol4Part36|p. 4}} ===Torpedoes=== * Two 21-in submerged broadside tubes forward depressed 2 degrees with the axis of the tube 1 foot 5.25 inches above the deck.<ref>''Addenda (1911) to Torpedo Manual, Vol. III., 1909'', p. 155.</ref> In 1917, at least some of these tubes were firing {{Torp|21-in Mark II*****|UK}}es.{{ARTS1917|p. 61}} ==Fire Control== ===Mechanical Aid-to-Spotter=== By 1920, these ships were equipped with [[Mechanical Aid-to-Spotter Mark II*]]s with Evershed Bearing Transmitters.{{UKManGun1920III|p. 35}} The installations generally consisted of placing one on each side of the foretop, driven by flexible shafting from a gearbox on the director tower's Evershed rack.{{UKManGun1920III|p. 35, 37}} Supplies of these devices began in June 1918.{{FCHMShips|pp. 25-6}} ===Range Dials=== In 1918, it was ordered that these and ten other classes of light cruisers should receive "range instruments for concentration of fire". Presumably, this meant range dials.{{ARTS1918|p. 376. (C.I.O. 3492/18, N.S. 11226/18)}} As of 1920, ''Brisbane'' had two [[Range Dial Type C]]s, ''Melbourne'' had one [[Range Dial Type B]] and a [[Range Dial Type BR]]. The remaining ships each a [[Range Dial Type B]] and a [[Range Dial Type C|Type C]].{{UKManGun1920III|p. 45}} ===Rangefinders=== By June 1918, it was determined that the "Town" class cruisers would probably eventually carry two 12-foot and one 9-foot rangefinders.{{GFGTO|21/6/1918, p. 116}} ===Evershed Bearing Indicators=== As of 1919, this equipment was unlikely to have been fitted for gun or searchlight control, but it may have been present by 1920 to support the Aids-to-Spotters.<ref>see ''The Technical History and Index: Fire Control in HM Ships, 1919'', p. 29. and above section</ref> ===Gunnery Control=== <!-- ====Control Positions==== ====Control Groups==== --> ===Directors=== In 1916, it was approved that the ships of this class should be retrofitted with directors as time, resources and opportunity permitted.{{ARTS1916|p. 175}} This intention was reiterated in 1917.{{ARTS1917|p. 229}} All ships except ''Brisbane'' (owing to her service in the Pacific) were fitted with directors in 1917 and 1918.{{FCHMShips|pp. 11-12}} In order to speed the delivery if the systems in the ''Chatham'' class with their 6-in Mark XI guns, their director cams were identical to those of the 6-in Mark XII guns of the [[Birmingham Class Cruiser (1913)|''Birmingham'' class]] (average dip 53 feet 8 inches), with the difference in muzzle velocity and the actual variation in dip from gun to gun being allowed for in the [[Dip Strip]]s. Furthermore, the range dials on the director for this class also used newer range data than those on the local gun sights, creating small differences to consider when testing the director for elevation.{{DirectorH|p. 10}} The [[Elevation Receiver]]s on the guns were 6-in P. VIII Type with electrical tilt correctors, Pattern F.C. 6, capable of 15 degrees elevation.{{DirectorH|p. 144}} ===Transmitting Stations=== ===Dreyer Table=== These ships had no fire control tables.<ref>absent from list in ''Handbook of Capt. F.C. Dreyer's Fire Control Tables'', p. 3.</ref> ===Fire Control Instruments=== For some reason, this class is not listed in Appendix I of ''Handbook for Fire Control Instruments, 1914'', but I would suppose that the next paragraph applies to ''Chatham'' as it did to the ''Weymouth'' class that preceded it, but that the Mark III supposition is more plausible. The four ships in this class were likely completed with the latest [[Vickers F.T.P. Fire Control Instruments Mark III]]{{ARTS1910|p. 148}} in the manner of the ''Weymouth'' as follows:{{HFCI1909|pp. 57, 60}}{{HFCI1914|p. 65}} * Range Transmitters: 2 (P & S) * Deflection Transmitters: 2 (P & S) * Range Receivers: 8 * Deflection Receivers: 8 * C.O.S.: none * Vickers Fire Gongs: 8 with 2 keys By 1915, a 4-way {{COS}} had been added to permit some freedom in assigning the CL guns to either broadside group:{{HFCI1914|p. 65}} # both on port # both on starboard # fore on port, aft on starboard # aft on port, fore on starboard In addition, navyphones addressing telaupads at the guns supported a finer control by breaking each broadside down into 2 groups, fore and aft. 3-way change-over (fore, after, separate) switches dictated which navyphones addressed which guns. The aft navyphones were in the aft control platform. The fore navyphones could be either in the fore control platform or plugged in in the TS.<ref>I'm not completely sure I understand this description, either.</ref> The CL guns can be joined to either broadside battery by 2-way switches located in the {{TS}} and the control platforms (when the control platform switches are used, the {{TS}} switches are left "off". In the other case, plugs were removed at the control platform switches).{{HFCI1914|p. 65}} By mid-1918, it had been approved to issue these ships, along with several other classes of light cruisers range repeat receivers for their fore bridge and control positions so that their captains and control officers could know the gun range. Additionally, the "Town" class cruisers were to receive two "Graham type" bearing transmitters in their spotting tops.{{ARTS1917|p. 230}} ==Torpedo Control== In 1916, it was decided that all light cruisers of [[Bristol Class Cruiser (1909)|''Bristol'' class]] and later should have torpedo firing keys (Pattern 2333) fitted on the fore bridge, in parallel with those in the C.T., and that a flexible voice pipe be fitted between these positions. Additionally, those with submerged tubes were to be equipped with gyro angle and order instruments from fore bridge (and after control position, if present) to the tubes. ''Chatham'' class already has (or will have) Barr and Stroud for this purpose.{{ARTS1916|p. 146}} ==See Also== {{WP|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Town_class_cruiser_(1910)#Chatham_/_Sydney_class}} ==Footnotes== {{reflist}} ==Bibliography== {{refbegin}} *{{UKTHVol4Part34}} *{{HFCI1909}} *{{HFCI1914}} *{{DreyerH}} *{{FCHMShips}} {{refend}} {{Footer Chatham Class Cruiser (1911)}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Chatham}} {{CatClassLightCruiser|UK}} <!-- data nat=UK cat=LightCruiser type=light cruiser chain=Minor Cruisers {ship name=Chatham pend=37 (1914)<br>38 (Jan 1918)<br>18 (Apr 1918){{DittColl|p. 46}} builder=[[Chatham Royal Dockyard]]{{DittColl|p. 46}} order= laid=3 1 11{{Conways1906|p. 53}} launch=19 Nov, 1911{{DittColl|p. 46}} comm=12 12{{Conways1906|p. 53}} fate=Sold fate2= fatedate=13 7 26{{DittColl|p. 46}} } {ship name=Dublin pend=68 (1914)<br>57 (Jan 1918)<br>42 (Apr 1918){{DittColl|p. 46}} builder=[[Beardmore]]{{DittColl|p. 46}} order= laid=3 1 11{{Conways1906|p. 53}} launch=30 Apr, 1912{{DittColl|p. 46}} comm=11 Mar, 1913 fate=Sold fate2=Scrapped fatedate=7 1926{{DittColl|p. 46}} } {ship name=Southampton pend=89 (1914)<br>9A (Jan 1918)<br>35 (Apr 1918){{DittColl|p. 46}} builder=[[John Brown]]{{DittColl|p. 46}} order= laid=6 4 11{{Conways1906|p. 53}} launch=16 May, 1912{{DittColl|p. 46}} comm=11 12{{Conways1906|p. 53}} fate=Sold fate2= fatedate= } {ship name=Brisbane nat=AU pend=''N/A''{{DittColl|p. 46}} builder=[[Cockatoo Dockyard]]{{DittColl|p. 46}} order= laid=25 1 13{{Conways1906|p. 53}} launch=30 Sep, 1915{{DittColl|p. 46}} comm=11 16{{Conways1906|p. 53}} fate=Sold fate2= fatedate= } {ship name=Melbourne nat=AU pend=86 (Jan 1918)<br>93 (Apr 1918){{DittColl|p. 46}} builder=[[Cammell Laird]]{{DittColl|p. 46}} order= laid=14 4 11{{Conways1906|p. 53}} launch=30 May, 1912{{DittColl|p. 46}} comm=1 13{{Conways1906|p. 53}} fate=Sold fate2=to Alloa, Rosyth{{DittColl|p. 46}} fatedate=8 Dec, 1928{{DittColl|p. 46}} } {ship name=Sydney nat=AU pend=A1 (Jan 1918)<br>52 (Apr 1918){{DittColl|p. 46}} builder=[[London & Glasgow]]{{DittColl|p. 46}} order= laid=11 2 11{{Conways1906|p. 53}} launch=29 Aug, 1912{{DittColl|p. 46}} comm=6 13{{Conways1906|p. 53}} fate=Broken up fate2=in [[Cockatoo Dockyard]]{{DittColl|p. 46}} fatedate=4 1929{{DittColl|p. 46}} } data --> [[Category:Featured Ship Classes]]

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