Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:46:31-2:48:34

Larger Blakes versus cheaper Edgars

Larger Blake-class cruisers receive a narrow preference, while the Edgar class remains a necessary step toward later powerful designs.

Blake Class Protected CruisersCruiser DesignEdgar Class CruisersProtected Cruisers
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Question

Would larger Blake-class cruisers have been preferable to the cheaper Edgar class?

Short answer

On balance, larger Blakes were preferable, but the Edgars were a necessary development step toward the Powerful and Diadem classes.

Notes

The cheaper Edgars are not dismissed as mistakes. Larger Blakes receive the preference on balance, particularly for their deployment value. The Royal Navy still had to build and learn from the Edgar class before it could reach the Powerful and Diadem classes. Cruiser procurement was an evolutionary process in which an intermediate class remained useful even when another contemporary design looked more attractive.