The speed of the Invincible was definitely fixed at 25 knots. Bacon, who served as Fisher's Naval Assistant and later as Director of Naval Ordnance (D.N.O.), later gave his opinion (reiterated in 1940 ) on the philosophy behind the battle cruiser: 12-inch guns to be as numerous only as is consistent with the above speed and reasonable proportions.ДЄrmour to be on similar scale to 'Minotaur' class.Дocking facilities to be carefully observed. The terms of reference for the armoured cruiser design were set as follows:ДЄrmament, 12-inch guns and anti-torpedo-craft guns. Ask the Japs.' The First Battle CruisersДЄ Committee on Designs was instituted by Fisher in December, 1904 and first met on 3 January, 1905, to consider designs for a battleship, an armoured cruiser, and three types of torpedo craft. In July, 1904, he wrote that, 'All are agreed that battleships must for the present be continued, and that their characteristic features, distinguishing them from armoured cruisers, are more powerful guns and more armour.' In papers presented to the Earl of Selborne in October, he wrote, 'At the present moment naval experience is not sufficiently ripe to abolish totally the building of battleships so long as other countries do not do so.' Selborne commented, 'Indeed not! The battleship is essential, just as much as 100 years ago. In a lecture of 1902, Fisher stated that, 'It is a cardinal mistake to assume that Battleships and Armoured Cruisers have not each of them a distinct mission.' Ruddock Mackay's take on Fisher's lecture was that the armoured cruiser's mission was 'to outpace and eliminate enemy cruisers.' An infinite number of ants would not be equal to one armadillo! The armadillo would eat them up one after the other wholesale!'

In regard to Cruisers, the fact has been overlooked that no number of unprotected or unarmoured or smaller type of Cruisers can cope successfully with even one thoroughly powerful first-class armoured Cruiser. In November, 1900, Fisher, now Commander-in-Chief in the Mediterranean, wrote to the new First Lord of the Admiralty, the Earl of Selborne, on naval requirements:Д«ut here I must put in the remark for your careful attention that if what I read in the French newspapers is correct, their new big cruisers are really Battle-ships in disguise, and our new 1st class cruisers ought to be designed accordingly. A month later, however, Long died following a riding accident. John Durston, the Engineer-in-Chief, for their assistance with information on cruisers, it being not implausible that the two of them were aware of what was contained in the paper. Fisher, the Controller of the Navy, and A. It is noteworthy that Long publicly thanked Rear-Admiral (later Admiral of the Fleet Lord) John A. The duties of scouting for intelligence, while avoiding action, would doubtless be best fulfilled by mercantile auxiliaries and ships like Iris and Mercury. In fact, it seems not impossible that offensive power and speed may be developed in future battleships at the expense of armoured protection.

In considering the duties of cruisers attending on fleets, I shall confine myself to those intended to act as look-out ships, observing that it is possible first-class or battle-cruisers may be attached to fleets to play the part assigned by Lord Howe to his fast-sailing battle-ships on May 28, 1794, so well described by Captain Mahan. In an interesting lecture to the Institution of Naval Architects of March, 1893, entitled ' On the Present Position of Cruisers in Naval Warfare', Rear-Admiral Samuel Long stated that the size of cruisers had grown to such an extent that it would 'justify attaching the name of battle-cruisers to many of them.' Later in his talk, he made these remarks: 6.1 Redistribution of the Battle Cruisers.

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