"A Flawed Concept – The Imperial Chinese Navy’s" Topic

…doomed "Rendel Cruisers"

"In my novel Britannia's Spartan, set in 1882, an important role is played by a cruiser of the Imperial Chinese Navy, the Fu Ching. She is the fictional sister of two warships the Yang Wei and the Chao Yung, that did indeed serve in that navy. For a short period in the 1880s these vessels carried what was probably the heaviest armament for any ships of their sizes afloat. Built in British yards, their design had been evolved by Sir George Rendel, building on the success of his earlier concept, the "Flatiron Gunboat" which was armed with a single large-calibre weapon. (A Rendel gunboat plays a key role in my novel Britannia's Reach).

While the Flatirons were intended for use in estuaries and sheltered waters, the new Rendel design envisaged a small, cheap cruiser-type vessel suited for service in the open sea and carrying two of the most powerful guns then available. These were Armstrong 10" breech-loaders. With reasonable speed for the time, and with high mobility, these vessels would be suited, in theory at least, to engage larger and more heavily armoured, but less nimble ships. Despite the superficial attractiveness the concept was turned down by the Royal Navy, due to concerns about seaworthiness in the English Channel and the North Sea. These areas might well become battlegrounds in any future war since France was perceived as Britain's most likely potential enemy in this period…"

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