HMS Good Hope (1901)

Good Hope before 1914
History
United Kingdom
NameGood Hope
BuilderFairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering, Govan
Laid down11 September 1899
Launched21 February 1901
ChristenedEthel Elgar
Completed8 November 1902
FateSunk at the Battle of Coronel, 1 November 1914
General characteristics
Class and typeDrake-class armoured cruiser
Displacement14,150 long tons (14,380 t) (normal)
Length533 ft 6 in (162.6 m) (o/a)
Beam71 ft 4 in (21.7 m)
Draught26 ft (7.9 m)
Installed power
Propulsion
Speed23 knots (43 km/h; 26 mph)
Complement900
Armament
Armour

HMS Good Hope was one of four Drake-class armoured cruisers built for the Royal Navy around 1900; she was originally named Africa, but was renamed before she was launched. She became flagship of the 1st Cruiser Squadron of the Atlantic Fleet in 1906, and was the flagship of the 2nd Cruiser Squadron in 1908. She was reduced to reserve in 1913, but was recommissioned in mid-1914.

When war was declared in August 1914, Good Hope was ordered to reinforce the 4th Cruiser Squadron and became the flagship of Rear Admiral Christopher Cradock. Cradock moved the available ships of his squadron later that month to the coast of South America to search for German commerce raiders.

He was then ordered further south to the Strait of Magellan to block any attempt of the German East Asia Squadron to penetrate into the South Atlantic. He found the German squadron on 1 November off the coast of Chile. The German squadron outnumbered Cradock's force and were individually more powerful; they sank Cradock's two armoured cruisers in the Battle of Coronel, both, including Good Hope, being lost with all hands.
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