HMS Cochrane (1905)

HMS Cochrane was a armoured cruiser built for the Royal Navy in the first decade of the 20th century. She served in the 2nd Cruiser Squadron during the First World War under Rear-Admiral Herbert Heath, taking part in the Battle of Jutland in 1916. She was based in Murmansk in mid-1918 during the Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War. She became stranded in the River Mersey on 14 November 1918 and broke in two. The wreck was broken up in place by June 1919.

Description
Cochrane displaced 13550 LT as built and 14500 LT fully loaded, with a length of 505 ft, a beam of 73 ft and a draft of 27 ft. She was powered by four-cylinder triple-expansion steam engines, driving two shafts, which developed a total of 23650 ihp and gave a maximum speed of 23.3 kn. The engines were powered by 19 Yarrow water-tube boilers and six cylindrical boilers. The ship carried a maximum of 2050 LT of coal and an additional 600 LT of fuel oil that was sprayed on the coal to increase its burn rate. At full capacity, she could steam for 7960 nmi at a speed of 10 kn.

Her main armament consisted of six BL 9.2 in Mark X guns in single Mk V turrets distributed in two centerline turrets (one each fore and one aft) and four turrets disposed in the corners about the funnels. Her secondary armament of four BL 7.5 in Mark II or Mark V guns in single Mk II turrets was carried amidships, between the wing 9.2-inch guns. Twenty-six Vickers QF 3 pounders were fitted, ten on turret roofs and eight each on the forward and aft superstructures. The last four ships of the Duke of Edinburgh-class cruiser cruisers had a secondary armament of turreted 7.5-inch guns rather than the 6 in guns in open barbettes of the first two ships; these latter four were sometimes referred to as the Warrior class. Because of the extra topweight of the turrets in comparison to their half-sisters their stability was reduced which made them very good seaboats and steady gun platforms.

Wartime modifications
A single Hotchkiss QF 6-pounder anti-aircraft gun on a high-angle Mark Ic mounting was mounted on the quarterdeck in 1915. It had a maximum depression of 8° and a maximum elevation of 60°. The gun fired a 6 lb shell at a muzzle velocity of 1765 ft/s at a rate of fire of 20 rounds per minute. They had a maximum ceiling of 10000 ft, but an effective range of only 1200 yd. It was replaced by a QF 3 inch 20 cwt guns on a high-angle Mark II mount in 1916. This gun had a maximum depression of 10° and a maximum elevation of 90°. It fired a 12.5 lb shell at a muzzle velocity of 2500 ft/s at a rate of 12–14 rounds per minute. It had a maximum effective ceiling of 23500 ft. A pair of Vickers QF 3 pounder on HA Mark III mountings were probably installed amidships during 1915–16. They could elevate to +80° and depress to -5°. This gun fired a 3.3 lb shell at a muzzle velocity of 2575 ft/s at a rate of 25 rounds per minute. They had a maximum ceiling of 15000 ft, but an effective range of only 2000 yd.

The guns on top of 'A' and 'Y' turrets were removed in 1915–16. The aftermost 3-pounder guns on the superstructure were removed during 1917 as well as the guns on top of the forward 9.2-inch wing turrets. This reduced her total to twenty 3-pounder guns, excluding the AA guns. Some of these guns were landed at Murmansk while she was based there. Seventeen 3-pounders were on board when she was lost in 1919, but it is unclear if that total includes the AA guns. Cochrane's foremast was converted to a tripod mast to support the weight of a fire-control director in 1917, but the director was not actually fitted until August 1918.

Service
Cochrane was laid down on 24 March 1904 and launched on 28 May 1905 at Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering, Govan, Scotland. The ship was commissioned with a nucleus crew on 18 February 1907 and cost £1,193,121. She "joined the Nore Division of the Home Fleet on 6 March 1907 and shortly afterwards was brought into to full commission for service with the 5th Cruiser Squadron. On 1 April 1909 she recommissioned for service with the 2nd Cruiser Squadron with which she remained until September 1917." She escorted the Royal Yacht Medina in 1911–12. Cochrane, accompanied by her sister HMS Achilles (1905) and three other armoured cruisers were sent to reinforce the defences of the Shetland Islands on 2 August 1914, days before the start of the First World War. She, and her squadron, were assigned to the Grand Fleet for most of the First World War. She took part in the Battle of Jutland on 31 May–1 June 1916, along with the cruisers HMS Minotaur, HMS Shannon (1906), and HMS Hampshire (1903) under the command of Rear-Admiral Heath. However, the ship remained unengaged throughout the battle, and did not fire her 9.2 or 7.5-inch guns at all during the battle.

Cochrane was transferred to the North America and West Indies station in November 1917, but rejoined the 2nd Cruiser Squadron early in 1918. She was based in Murmansk between March and September 1918 during the Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War. She ferried Soviet troops to Pechenga on 3 May to forestall an attempt by White Finns to seize the town. On 14 November 1918 she was stranded in the Mersey Estuary, while under the control of the pilot, and later broke in two, becoming a total loss. The wreck had been broken up in situ by June 1919.