Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:22:52-1:23:13

Protected cruisers as affordable ships for distant stations

Protected cruisers were cheaper to build in numbers and suitable for distant stations where losing one would not directly reduce the fleet's main battle strength.

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Question

What made protected cruisers more attractive to build than armored cruisers?

Short answer

They were cheaper, could be mass-produced for distant stations, and could be lost without seriously weakening the main battle fleet.

Notes

Protected cruisers could be mass-produced for distant stations. They were cheaper than armored cruisers while still demanding substantial effort from an enemy to destroy. Losing one carried a smaller penalty for the navy's battle strength. That combination made cost, numbers, and the consequences of losing a ship practical reasons for choosing the type.