White inherited the Orlando experience after most of that armoured class's design work had already been completed. He could watch those ships being built and used before being asked to produce Blake and Blenheim, laid down in 1888 and launched in 1889. The new ships were the Royal Navy's first class of first-class protected cruisers, intended for fleet service and trade protection. The requirement carried an unstated strategic symmetry: the endurance and mobility needed to defend British commerce could also support blockade and trade interdiction against an enemy. The specification tied cruiser design to Britain's wider maritime strategy.
Chapter · 14:33-16:15
One cruiser design for fleet work and trade protection
The Blakes combined fleet duties with trade protection, giving them the same reach and speed useful for attacking enemy commerce.