The three Antianeira were to be the scouting cruisers for the Fleet. For this work they would need to be 5-6 knots faster than the current battleships. With the current battleships making 18-20 knots, then these cruisers would have to make 25-26 knots.
These three ships were the cruiser equivalent of the Hecate class battleships, sharing the same three turret layout. The two year difference in layout and design meant that these ships would have turbines, a major advance. The armament was a new 9.2" gun that came from the Royal Navy arsenals. The 9.2" only populated these three ships, but, this meant that ammunition for these ships would be available at any Royal navy munitions magazine - world wide. The next Prindylla class would have an Armstrong's twin 10" turret so that it would be superior to the 9.2" armed Invincible class. One of the greatest hoaxes perpetrated on the worlds navies. Invincible being a 12" armed battlecruiser. The casemate 6" and single 3" were standard secondary / tertiary weapons. Two torpedo tubes mounted fore and aft were the last of the original armament. 3" AA would be fitted in 1916-17.
For World War One the three ships were based at Aden and covered the trade routes around the Indian Ocean. Perth in Australis and Singapore being the limits of their coverage. Only Gortyessa saw any action when it caught and sank the German merchant raider Prinz Ludwig. A short engagement took place but the old liner was badly hit as the 9.2 high explosive shells tore the ship apart. After twenty minutes the Kapitan of the Ludwig signalled the Gortyessa that they wished to put the prisoners they had on board into boats before continuing the fight. The Gortyessa's Captain accepted. The Ludwig put their prisoners into boats and waited for them to get out of the firing lines before dipping its flag and opening fire again with its 4.1" guns. Ten minutes later the Ludwig was a hulk waiting to sink.
The ships were in the training fleet and ready to be removed from active service when the Japanese actions toward the naval treatys reprieved many ships. Mu had many small islands around the continent and in the South Pacific which it had claims on. The best of those islands could do with support ships to cover the harbours that provided a lot of commerce with stops on the trade routes. As mother ships to long range flying boats they would be worth their weight in gold. In this configuration they could also continue in their training ship roles.
The three ships were used continuously during WW2 to provide harbour defence during the Island Hopping Campaign. The ships would be left in harbour while the fleet was away. During the war the ships would be updated with electronic aids. This would improve their harbour defence capabilities. Local Anti-submarine patrols could be flown by the ships own Buccaneer floatplanes. The ships were also fitted to look after the Catalina flying boats that the Amazonian forces were building under license. None of the ships were lost, and after being used to repatriate Amazon troops back to Mu, they were discarded and scrapped.
