Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 30:15-30:41

Courageous was officially a large light cruiser

Courageous, Glorious, and Furious carried the unusual large-light-cruiser label, including Fisher's concept of mounting an 18-inch gun on a light-cruiser design.

18-inch GunsCourageous Class Warship LineageHMS CourageousHMS FuriousHMS GloriousLarge Light CruisersWarship Classification
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Question

Was HMS Courageous originally a battlecruiser?

Short answer

The Admiralty called Courageous, Glorious, and Furious large light cruisers, an unusual Fisher-era category that included an 18-inch-gun concept.

Notes

Calling Courageous a battlecruiser misses the Admiralty's more specific label. Courageous, Glorious, and Furious were classified as large light cruisers. Fisher's idea of fitting an 18-inch gun to a light-cruiser concept shows how unusual that category was. The official term carries a historical meaning that a later visual comparison can obscure.