Battle cruiser facts for kids

A battlecruiser was similar to a battleship. It had slightly thinner armor and lighter guns, and was longer and more narrow. They were faster than battleships, which meant they were made to outrun similar ships and chase down smaller ships.

SMS von der Tann

German battlecruiser SMS Seydlitz in port

Battlecruisers were mostly used in the 20th century. The Royal Navy invented the battlecruiser, soon later they were used by many countries around the world. They have been replaced with more modern ships which means they are no longer used.

Images for kids

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  HMS Hood, the largest battlecruiser ever built, in Australia on 17 March 1924

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  HMS Shannon, a Minotaur-class armoured cruiser

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  Invincible, Britain's first battlecruiser

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  HMS Queen Mary, the last battlecruiser built before World War I

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  SMS Seydlitz

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  Kongō

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  Seydlitz was heavily damaged in the Battle of Dogger Bank

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  Queen Mary blows up during the Battle of Jutland

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  Lexington-class battlecruiser (painting, c. 1919)

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  Repulse as she was in 1919

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  Renown, as reconstructed, in 1939

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  USS Alaska, one of the United States Navy's two "large cruisers"

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  Admiral Lazarev, formerly Frunze, the second ship of her class

See also

In Spanish: Crucero de batalla para niños