Diadem-class cruiser

	HMCS Niobe
Class overview
Name	Diadem class
Operators	Royal Navy; Royal Canadian Navy;
Preceded by	Powerful class
Succeeded by	Cressy class
Built	1896–1903
In commission	1898–1925
Completed	8
Retired	8
General characteristics
Type	Protected cruiser
Displacement	11,000 tons
Length	435 ft (132.6 m); (462 ft 6 in (140.97 m) o/a);
Beam	69 ft (21.0 m)
Draught	25 ft 6 in (7.77 m); 27 ft 6 in (8.38 m);
Propulsion	2 shaft triple expansion engines:; 16,500 hp (12,300 kW); (Ariadne, Spartiate, Amphitrite and Argonaut: 18,000 hp (13,000 kW)); Belleville boilers;
Speed	20.25 knots (37.50 km/h; 23.30 mph); (Ariadne, Spartiate, Amphitrite and Argonaut: 20.75 knots (38.43 km/h; 23.88 mph));
Range	2,000 nmi (3,700 km; 2,300 mi) at 19 knots (35.2 km/h; 21.9 mph); (bunker capacity 1900 tons);
Complement	677
Armament	16 × single QF 6-inch (152 mm) guns; 14 × single 12-pounder (76 mm) QF guns; 3 × single QF 3-pounder (47 mm) guns; 2 × 18-inch (450 mm) torpedo tubes (underwater); 8 Maxim machine guns;
Armour	Casemates and gun shields 4.5 in (110 mm); Hoists 2 in (51 mm); Deck 4–2.5 in (102–64 mm); Conning tower 12 in (300 mm) fore ; 6 in (150 mm) tube to fore conning tower; 2 in (51 mm) aft conning tower; Armour was Harvey Nickel steel, except for armoured deck.;

The Diadem-class cruiser was a class of "first class" protected cruiser built for the Royal Navy during the 1890s that served in the First World War. The class consisted of eight ships, built at a cost of around £600,000 each.

They were considered "good sea boats" but criticised for their lack of a heavy calibre main armament, bulky unprotected sides, average speed and lack of manoeuvrability despite being considered large ships when completed. They were the last British first class protected cruisers; the armoured cruiser taking the large cruiser role in future."

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