Keeping every first-rate warship constantly at sea wasted hull and machinery life on routine work. A smaller protected cruiser could handle patrols, reserve training, fishery protection, and presence in home waters. It could also meet a visiting foreign warship while stronger units remained ready for more demanding service. Older cruisers therefore supported fleet economy and readiness long after they ceased to be first-line combatants.
Chapter · 21:37-23:08
Using older cruisers to preserve the best warships
Patrols, fishery protection, and home-water presence let older cruisers absorb wear that would otherwise consume front-line ship life.