Cruiser

Cruisers are medium-sized warships nestled between small destroyers and large battleships. They have all the same capabilities as destroyers, but cost substantially more and can take more punishment.

History: Following the end of the age of the Ironclads, cruisers enjoyed a very short reign over the high seas until the end of the 19th century. They were supplanted by battleships in the 1890's, which at the time were nothing more than larger cruisers. The cruisers remained in service as second-line ships and support vessels for the bigger battleships. As propulsion technology advanced through the turn of the 20th century, battleships got bigger and heavier while cruisers got faster. Strategic naval doctrine of the early 20th century had cruisers performing multiple roles, to include battleship escort, commerce-raiding, anti-destroyer, air defense, mine laying/clearing duties. In addition, cruisers were typically considered large enough to operate independently of fleets whereas a destroyer was too easy a target and a battleship was too critical an investment to operate alone.

Following the end of WWII, cruisers continued to serve in most large navies, but they traded their artillery for guided missiles. Through the cold war era, cruisers got lighter while destroyers continued to get larger and heavier. Modern cruisers are almost indistinguishable from modern destroyers, as both ships are about equal in size and capability. Their roles have also overlapped to make the terms nigh-interchangeable in modern navies. Some examples of cruisers include: Ingame: Cruisers are medium-sized warships able to carry up to 25.4cm artillery and have as few restrictions on secondary weapons as destroyers. Their larger size and toughness, along with their ability to carry more auxiliary systems than battleships, makes them functionally bigger destroyers and most players will do reasonably well to use them in such roles. In addition, their place on the tech trees of all three entries, along with their lack of truly hard-hitting artillery means they're often little more than a stepping stone between destroyers and battleships. More nuanced players can carve out special niches for their cruisers, though.
 * USS Ticonderoga (USN Late Cold War)
 * USS Atlanta (USN WWII)
 * USS Des Moines (USN WWII)
 * DKM Emden
 * HMS Coventry