Design, speed, and ammunition commonality

Elisabeta's protected-cruiser scheme included an armoured deck, a conning tower, and a four-inch forward transverse bulkhead. The bulkhead protected against end-on fire and may also have limited collision or ramming damage. At about 1,351 tons and 73 metres long, she was small enough to be classed as a third-rate cruiser or even a sloop by Royal Navy standards. Four boilers, two triple-expansion engines, and twin shafts produced an 18-knot top speed that was competitive for her size and date, while a complement of 140 remained manageable for a small navy. Her original battery comprised four 5.9-inch, four 2.2-inch, and four 1.5-inch single guns, plus four 14-inch torpedo tubes. British makers could supply the guns, but Romania's army already used Krupp weapons, so the navy chose Krupp guns as well. The decision tied shipboard armament to ammunition supply and national standardisation.