battlecruiser

A battlecruiser is a type of capital warship that combines heavy guns with higher speed than contemporary battleships, achieved by lighter armor and often more powerful propulsion. The concept was to enable a ship to outrun potential threats while still delivering battleship-scale firepower, and to perform reconnaissance, raiding, and fleet screening tasks that required speed.

Origin and development of the concept occurred in the early 20th century, most notably within the British Royal Navy. The Invincible-class ships, launched in the first years of the 1910s, are generally regarded as the first true battlecruisers. The idea was to balance firepower and speed to outgun cruisers and outpace battleships, while accepting weaker armor protection in exchange for greater velocity and range.

Armament and protection varied by class, but battlecruisers typically carried large-caliber guns comparable to those of battleships and achieved much higher speeds. Armor was lighter than that of battleships, making these ships more vulnerable to gunfire from armored opponents at close ranges and in prolonged engagements.

Operational history highlights include service in World War I, where battlecruisers served as scouts and raiders; several were lost at the Battle of Jutland due to their lighter protection and the dangers of long-range engagements. In the interwar and World War II periods, many battlecruisers were rebuilt as fast battleships or retired as carrier aviation emerged as the dominant capital-ship capability. The concept largely fell out of use by the mid-20th century, though it remains a recognized term in naval history and, in other media, in science fiction.