The advantages of flat-sided turrets lie in the fact that K.C. can be used for them instead of the relatively softer non-cemented. K.C. is not applicable to curved surfaces, for which reason barbettes, casemates, and batteries with curved portholes in them and rounded turrets cannot be constructed of it. Flat-sided turrets consist of a number of flat plates placed to meet each other at predetermined angles, thus forming one homogeneous whole. These battleships were:-- ============+============+===========+============ Name. | Laid down. | Built at. | Engines by. ------------+------------+-----------+------------ _London_ | Dec. ’98 | Portsmouth| Earle _Bulwark_ | March, ’99 | Devonport | Hawthorn _Venerable_ | Nov. ’99 | Chatham | Maudslay ============+============+===========+============ All were completed in 1902. The cruisers of the same year, the _Drake_ class, were “improved” _Cressies_, with increased displacement, power and speed. The increased displacement allowed of four extra 6-inch guns being mounted, these being placed in casemates on top of the amidships casemates. Particulars of the _Drake_ class:-- Displacement--14,000 tons. Length--(over all) 529½ft. Beam--71ft. Draught--(maximum) 28ft. Armament--Two 9.2, 45 cal. (instead of 40 cal., as in the _Cressies_), sixteen 6-inch, 45 cal., and fourteen 12-pounders, two submerged tubes (18in.). Armour--2,700 tons, as in _Cressy_, except that the casemates are 6in. thick. Horse-power--30,000 = 23 knots. Boilers, 43 Belleville. Coal--(normal) 1,250 tons; (maximum) 2,500. These ships were altogether superior to the _Cressy_ class. On trial they all easily made their contract speeds and subsequently greatly exceeded them. It was discovered that increased speed was to be obtained by additional weight aft, and this was so much brought to a fine art that weights were adjusted accordingly, and in one of them, seeking to make a speed record, the entire crew were once mustered aft in order to vary the trim! Building details are as follows:-- ===============+============+==========+===========+============== Name. | Laid down. |Completed.| Built at. | Engines by. ---------------+------------+----------+-----------+-------------- _Good Hope_ | Sept. ’99 | 1902 | Fairfield | Fairfield _Drake_ | April, ’99 | 1902 | Pembroke | Humphrys & T. _Leviathan_ | Nov. ’99 | 1903 | Clydebank | Clydebank _King Alfred_ | Aug. ’99 | 1903 | Vickers | Vickers ===============+============+==========+===========+==============