The C class was a group of twenty-eight light cruisers of the Royal Navy, and were built in a sequence of seven groups known as the Caroline class (six ships), the Calliope class (two ships), the Cambrian class (four ships), the Centaur class (two ships), the Caledon class (four ships), the Ceres class (five ships) and the Carlisle class (five ships). They were built for the rough conditions of the North Sea, and proved to be rugged and capable vessels, despite being somewhat small and cramped.
The Caroline class
The Caroline class were all ordered in July and August 1913, as the first six of eight "light armoured cruisers" under the 1913 programme. The ships were launched in 1914 or 1915 and commissioned in 1915. They had an armament of two single 6 in aft, eight 4 in and two 6-pounder guns. Their anti-aircraft (A/A) weaponry consisted of four 3-pounder. Their aft 6 in guns were superfiring; the class had three funnels. During the First World War, the ships of the class underwent a variety of alterations, including the removal of the guns in Caroline, Carysfort and Comus, being replaced by two extra guns, while Cleopatra, Conquest and Cordelia retained one or two of the guns, with two 2-pounder guns being added to some of the ships.
Ships
was built by Cammell Laird and Company, Birkenhead. She was laid down on 28 January 1914, launched on 29 September 1914, and completed in December. She became a drill ship for the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve in April 1924 and fulfilled that role in Alexandra Dock, Belfast until 31 March 2011, when she was decommissioned. In May 2013 the Heritage Lottery Fund announced an £845,600 grant to support her conversion to a museum. was built by Pembroke Dockyard. Laid down on 25 February 1914, she was launched on 14 November 1914, and completed in June 1915. She was sold for breaking up in August 1931. was built by Devonport Dockyard. Laid down on 26 February 1914, she was launched on 14 January 1915, and completed in June. She was sold for breaking up in June 1931. was built by Swan Hunter and Wigham Richardson, Wallsend on Tyne. Laid down on 3 November 1913, she was launched on 16 December 1914, and completed in January 1915. She was sold for breaking up on 28 July 1934. was built by Chatham Dockyard. She was laid down on 3 March 1914, launched on 20 January 1915, and completed in June. She was sold for breaking up on 29 August 1930. was built by Pembroke Dockyard. She was laid down on 21 July 1913, launched on 23 February 1914, and completed in June. She was sold for breaking up 31 July 1923.
The Calliope class
The two ships of the Calliope sub-class - HMS Calliope and Champion - were the last pair of the eight "light armoured cruisers" to be ordered in July and August 1914 under the 1913 Programme. They both had geared turbines, the first Royal Navy cruisers to be so fitted. They also had increased belt armour; Champion had just two screws. They were commissioned in mid to late 1915, as modifications to the Caroline subclass with higher speeds, a more efficient boiler layout and a reduction in the number of funnels to two. The two ships had different machinery types for comparative purposes. Calliope and Champion underwent similar gun armament modifications to the Caroline subclass. They also had underwater tubes rather than the deck mounted weapons of the Caroline subclass and were given two twin deck mounted torpedo tubes during the war but these were later removed to reduce top weight.
Ships
: Built by Chatham Dockyard, she was laid down on 1 January 1914, and launched on 17 December; she was completed in June 1915. She was sold for breaking up on 28 August 1931. : Built by R. & W. Hawthorn Leslie and Company, Hebburn on Tyne, she was laid on down 9 March 1914, launched on 29 May 1915, and completed in December 1915. She was sold for breaking up on 28 July 1934.
The Cambrian class
The Cambrian class were ordered in September 1914 under the 1914-15 Programme, and commissioned between 1915 and 1916. The ships had two funnels rather than the three of the Caroline subclass, following on from the developments in the Calliope subclass. The Cambrian subclass had similar armament to the previous sub-class, with their main armament being four guns in single mounts. Their secondary armament consisted of eight guns. They were later removed, with Canterbury and Champion retaining one single gun. The rest of the ships used either two or three guns.