Q&A · 32:13-32:19

What the old Leander-class cruisers did in the First World War

The surviving Leander-class ships mainly supplied distant presence rather than serving as front-line fleet combatants.

Leander Class Protected Cruisers (1882)Naval Presence Overseas Stations Royal Navy World War I

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Question

What were the Leander-class ships doing while still in commission during the First World War?

Short answer

They mainly served as Royal Navy presence ships on distant stations around the world.

Notes

During the First World War, these elderly cruisers mainly wandered the wider world as Royal Navy presence ships. Their wartime value here is described in terms of distant presence rather than battle-fleet service.