The C class was a group of twenty-eight light cruisers of the Royal Navy, and were built in a sequence of seven groups known as the Caroline Class (six ships), Calliope Class (two ships), Cambrian Class (four ships), Centaur Class (two ships), Caledon Class (four ships), Ceres Class (five ships) and Carlisle Class (five ships). They were built for the rough conditions of the North Sea, and proved to be rugged and capable vessels, despite their being somewhat small and cramped.