 Powerful in Sydney Harbour, Australia (1905–1912)
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Powerful class |
| Operators |  Royal Navy |
| Preceded by | Edgar class |
| Succeeded by | Diadem class |
| Built | 1894–1898 |
| In service | 1897–1932 |
| In commission | 1897–1919 |
| Completed | 2 |
| Scrapped | 2 |
| General characteristics (as built) | |
| Type | Protected cruiser |
| Displacement | 14,200 long tons (14,400 t) (normal) |
| Length | 538 ft (164.0 m) (o/a) |
| Beam | 71 ft (21.6 m) |
| Draught | 27 ft (8.2 m) |
| Installed power |
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| Propulsion |
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| Speed | 22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph) |
| Range | 7,000 nmi (13,000 km; 8,100 mi) at 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) |
| Complement | 894 (designed) |
| Armament |
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| Armour |
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The Powerful class were a pair of first-class protected cruisers built for the Royal Navy (RN) in the 1890s, designed to hunt down enemy commerce raiders. Both ships served on the China Station and participated in the Second Boer War of 1899–1900. Terrible went on to help suppress the Boxer Rebellion a few months later. Powerful served as the flagship of the Australia Station in 1905–1912; shortly after her return home, she became a training ship and remained in that role until she was sold for scrap in 1929. Terrible was mostly in reserve after she returned home in 1902 and was often used as an accommodation ship. During the First World War she was disarmed and made one voyage as a troop transport in 1915. The ship became a depot ship when she returned home and then became a training ship in 1918. Terrible was sold for scrap in 1932.