Note 176 — Chapter XVII
Reading edition
War vessels built mainly for speed. They were originally used for scouting, but nowadays they are little inferior in strength and gun power to battleships. A battle cruiser is really a battleship with high speed. The Lion, for example, has a tonnage of 26,350 tons, and steams over 30 miles an hour. She carries eight 13.5-inch guns, and sixteen 4-inch guns. The Lion, the Tiger, the Queen Mary, and the Princess Royal are the most powerful battle cruisers in existence.