The Talismans were designed by Armstrong Whitworth for the Ottoman Navy, but were sub-contracted to Hawthorn Leslie and Company for building.

The turbines developed a total of 25,000 shaft horsepower (19,000 kW) and gave a maximum speed of 32 knots (59 km/h; 37 mph).

The other guns were carried on the centreline; one between the first and second funnels, one after the searchlight platform and one on a bandstand on the quarterdeck.

[3] The vessel was originally to have been named Ogre, but was renamed whilst under construction, on 15 February 1915.

She was sunk on 1 June 1916 at the Battle of Jutland by the German battleship SMS Westfalen[6] with the deaths of 90 crew members, and the surviving 13 became prisoners of war.