Astraea class cruiser
Encyclopedia
The Astraea class was an eight ship class of protected cruiser
s built for the Royal Navy
during the 1890s. The ships served on a number of foreign stations during their careers, particularly in the waters of the Indian
and Pacific Ocean
s, and around the Cape of Good Hope
. Already obsolete by the outbreak of the First World War, most continued to see service in a variety of roles, though rarely in a front line capacity. By the end of the war the majority were being used as training or depot ship
s, and they were soon sold out of the service and scrapped. However one ship, HMS Hermione
, was bought by the Marine Society and used as a training ship until 1940.
The eight ships were ordered under the provisions of the 1889 Naval Defence Act
as an improved design of the preceding Apollo-class cruisers
. They were to displace 1000 tons more than the Apollos, and were to have improved sea-keeping abilities, and a heavier and better placed armament. The result was a design with a full length deck that gave a higher freeboard amidships, and placed the main armament higher on the superstructure. Though this made them drier ships, the design was criticised for being a larger and more expensive development of the Apollos, but without offering any substantial increase in armament, speed or endurance. The increased weight did however make them more seaworthy, and the design provided the basis for the development of future protected cruisers. The ships were built at several of the principal navy dockyards, three at Devonport
, two at Pembroke, and one each at Sheerness
, Chatham
and Portsmouth
.
during the early part of her career, but as converted into submarine
depot ship
in 1907. She spent the First World War serving in this role, and was sold for scrapping in 1920. The nameship of the class, Astraea
, was the third of the class to be launched, on 17 March 1893, behind Bonaventure and Cambrian
. Astraea served on the China Station
and in the Indian Ocean, before joining the Grand Fleet at the Nore
in 1912. She moved to the Cape of Good Hope and West African Station in 1913, and spent the war there, bombarding Dar es Salaam
and taking part in the blockade of SMS Königsberg. She was paid off after the war and was sold in 1920. Cambrian served on the Australia Station
and in the Indian Ocean, before returning to Britain in 1913 to be paid off and put up for sale. The outbreak of the First World War led to the navy retaining her and commissioning her as a stoker's training ship named Harlech in 1916. She was renamed Vivid in 1921 and was sold in 1923.
Charybdis spent most of her career in British waters, with occasional voyages to the Indian Ocean and Far East commands. She became part of the 12th Cruiser Squadron on the outbreak of war, but was damaged in a collision in 1915 and was laid up at Bermuda
. Used for harbour service from 1917 she was converted to a mercantile vessel and loaned to a shipping firm in 1918. She was returned to the navy in 1920, sold in 1922 and broken up the following year. Flora
also served in China and India, and was on the sale list on the outbreak of war. Retained for use as a depot ship, she was renamed Indus II in 1915 and was sold in 1922. Forte served on the Cape and West African station, until being laid up and finally sold in 1914, the first of the class to leave service. Fox
served in British and East Indian waters in the pre-war period. She was particularly active off the East African and Egyptian coasts during the war, and was paid off and sold in 1920. Hermione
was the longest-lived of the class. Serving alternately in British waters and at the Cape, she was in reserve by the outbreak of war. She briefly became a guardship at Southampton
, but by 1916 she was serving as the headquarters for coastal motor launches and motor torpedo boats. Paid off in 1919 she was sold to the Marine Society in 1922 and was renamed Warspite. She was finally broken up in 1940.
Protected cruiser
The protected cruiser is a type of naval cruiser of the late 19th century, so known because its armoured deck offered protection for vital machine spaces from shrapnel caused by exploding shells above...
s built for the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
during the 1890s. The ships served on a number of foreign stations during their careers, particularly in the waters of the Indian
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
and Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
s, and around the Cape of Good Hope
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...
. Already obsolete by the outbreak of the First World War, most continued to see service in a variety of roles, though rarely in a front line capacity. By the end of the war the majority were being used as training or depot ship
Depot ship
A depot ship is a ship which acts as a mobile or fixed base for other ships and submarines or supports a naval base. Depot ships may be specifically designed for their purpose or be converted from another purpose...
s, and they were soon sold out of the service and scrapped. However one ship, HMS Hermione
HMS Hermione (1893)
HMS Hermione was an Astraea-class protected cruiser launched at Devonport in 1893. She served in World War I and was sold in 1921. She was renamed HMS Warspite in 1922, and broken up in 1940....
, was bought by the Marine Society and used as a training ship until 1940.
Design and construction
Naval Defence Act 1889
The Naval Defence Act 1889 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, instituted on May 31, 1889 to increase the United Kingdom's naval strength and formally adopt the country’s "two-power standard." The standard called for the Royal Navy to maintain a number of battleships at least equal...
as an improved design of the preceding Apollo-class cruisers
Apollo class cruiser
The Apollo class were a class of second-class protected cruisers built for the Royal Navy in the late 19th century that served during the Boer War and World War I....
. They were to displace 1000 tons more than the Apollos, and were to have improved sea-keeping abilities, and a heavier and better placed armament. The result was a design with a full length deck that gave a higher freeboard amidships, and placed the main armament higher on the superstructure. Though this made them drier ships, the design was criticised for being a larger and more expensive development of the Apollos, but without offering any substantial increase in armament, speed or endurance. The increased weight did however make them more seaworthy, and the design provided the basis for the development of future protected cruisers. The ships were built at several of the principal navy dockyards, three at Devonport
HMNB Devonport
Her Majesty's Naval Base Devonport , is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy . HMNB Devonport is located in Devonport, in the west of the city of Plymouth in Devon, England...
, two at Pembroke, and one each at Sheerness
Sheerness
Sheerness is a town located beside the mouth of the River Medway on the northwest corner of the Isle of Sheppey in north Kent, England. With a population of 12,000 it is the largest town on the island....
, Chatham
Chatham Dockyard
Chatham Dockyard, located on the River Medway and of which two-thirds is in Gillingham and one third in Chatham, Kent, England, came into existence at the time when, following the Reformation, relations with the Catholic countries of Europe had worsened, leading to a requirement for additional...
and Portsmouth
HMNB Portsmouth
Her Majesty's Naval Base Portsmouth is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the British Royal Navy...
.
Service
All eight ships spent at least some time on foreign stations, particularly in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, and despite their obsolescence, all but Forte went on to see service in a variety of roles during the First World War. Bonaventure was the first ship to be launched, in late 1892. She served on the Pacific StationPacific Station
The Pacific Station, often referred to as the Pacific Squadron, was one of the geographical divisions into which the Royal Navy divided its worldwide responsibilities...
during the early part of her career, but as converted into submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
depot ship
Depot ship
A depot ship is a ship which acts as a mobile or fixed base for other ships and submarines or supports a naval base. Depot ships may be specifically designed for their purpose or be converted from another purpose...
in 1907. She spent the First World War serving in this role, and was sold for scrapping in 1920. The nameship of the class, Astraea
HMS Astraea (1893)
HMS Astraea was an Astraea class second class cruiser of the Royal Navy. She was built towards the end of the nineteenth century, and survived to serve in the First World War.-Construction and commissioning:...
, was the third of the class to be launched, on 17 March 1893, behind Bonaventure and Cambrian
HMS Cambrian (1893)
HMS Cambrian was a second-class protected cruiser, of the Royal Navy, built at the Pembroke Dockyard and launched on 30 January 1893. She was the last flagship of the Australia Station....
. Astraea served on the China Station
China Station
The China Station was a historical formation of the British Royal Navy. It was formally the units and establishments responsible to the Commander-in-Chief, China....
and in the Indian Ocean, before joining the Grand Fleet at the Nore
Nore
The Nore is a sandbank at the mouth of the Thames Estuary, England. It marks the point where the River Thames meets the North Sea, roughly halfway between Havengore Creek in Essex and Warden Point in Kent....
in 1912. She moved to the Cape of Good Hope and West African Station in 1913, and spent the war there, bombarding Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam , formerly Mzizima, is the largest city in Tanzania. It is also the country's richest city and a regionally important economic centre. Dar es Salaam is actually an administrative province within Tanzania, and consists of three local government areas or administrative districts: ...
and taking part in the blockade of SMS Königsberg. She was paid off after the war and was sold in 1920. Cambrian served on the Australia Station
Australia Station
The Australia Station was the British—and later Australian—naval command responsible for the waters around the Australian continent.-History:In the early years following the establishment of the colony of New South Wales, ships based in Australian waters came under the control of the East Indies...
and in the Indian Ocean, before returning to Britain in 1913 to be paid off and put up for sale. The outbreak of the First World War led to the navy retaining her and commissioning her as a stoker's training ship named Harlech in 1916. She was renamed Vivid in 1921 and was sold in 1923.
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
. Used for harbour service from 1917 she was converted to a mercantile vessel and loaned to a shipping firm in 1918. She was returned to the navy in 1920, sold in 1922 and broken up the following year. Flora
HMS Flora (1893)
HMS Flora was an Astraea class cruiser of the Royal Navy launched on 21 November 1893. She was constructed under the Naval Defence Act of 1889 along with several other Astraea class cruisers...
also served in China and India, and was on the sale list on the outbreak of war. Retained for use as a depot ship, she was renamed Indus II in 1915 and was sold in 1922. Forte served on the Cape and West African station, until being laid up and finally sold in 1914, the first of the class to leave service. Fox
HMS Fox (1893)
HMS Fox was a second class protected cruiser of the Astraea-class of the Royal Navy. The class represented an improvement on previous types, 1,000 tons displacement larger with better seaworthiness due to improved hull design...
served in British and East Indian waters in the pre-war period. She was particularly active off the East African and Egyptian coasts during the war, and was paid off and sold in 1920. Hermione
HMS Hermione (1893)
HMS Hermione was an Astraea-class protected cruiser launched at Devonport in 1893. She served in World War I and was sold in 1921. She was renamed HMS Warspite in 1922, and broken up in 1940....
was the longest-lived of the class. Serving alternately in British waters and at the Cape, she was in reserve by the outbreak of war. She briefly became a guardship at Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
, but by 1916 she was serving as the headquarters for coastal motor launches and motor torpedo boats. Paid off in 1919 she was sold to the Marine Society in 1922 and was renamed Warspite. She was finally broken up in 1940.
Ships
| Name | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Completed | Fate | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Astraea HMS Astraea (1893) HMS Astraea was an Astraea class second class cruiser of the Royal Navy. She was built towards the end of the nineteenth century, and survived to serve in the First World War.-Construction and commissioning:... |
Devonport Dockyard HMNB Devonport Her Majesty's Naval Base Devonport , is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy . HMNB Devonport is located in Devonport, in the west of the city of Plymouth in Devon, England... |
17 March 1893 | 5 November 1895 | Sold in 1920 | ||||
| Bonaventure | Devonport Dockyard | 2 December 1892 | 5 July 1894 | Sold in 1920 | ||||
| Cambrian HMS Cambrian (1893) HMS Cambrian was a second-class protected cruiser, of the Royal Navy, built at the Pembroke Dockyard and launched on 30 January 1893. She was the last flagship of the Australia Station.... |
Pembroke Dockyard | 30 January 1893 | Sold in 1923 | |||||
| Charybdis | Sheerness Sheerness Sheerness is a town located beside the mouth of the River Medway on the northwest corner of the Isle of Sheppey in north Kent, England. With a population of 12,000 it is the largest town on the island.... Dockyard |
1891 | 15 June 1893 | 14 January 1896 | Sold in 1922 | |||
| Flora HMS Flora (1893) HMS Flora was an Astraea class cruiser of the Royal Navy launched on 21 November 1893. She was constructed under the Naval Defence Act of 1889 along with several other Astraea class cruisers... |
Pembroke Dockyard | 21 November 1893 | Sold in 1923 | |||||
| Forte | Chatham Dockyard Chatham Dockyard Chatham Dockyard, located on the River Medway and of which two-thirds is in Gillingham and one third in Chatham, Kent, England, came into existence at the time when, following the Reformation, relations with the Catholic countries of Europe had worsened, leading to a requirement for additional... |
9 December 1893 | Sold in 1914 | |||||
| Fox HMS Fox (1893) HMS Fox was a second class protected cruiser of the Astraea-class of the Royal Navy. The class represented an improvement on previous types, 1,000 tons displacement larger with better seaworthiness due to improved hull design... |
Portsmouth Dockyard HMNB Portsmouth Her Majesty's Naval Base Portsmouth is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the British Royal Navy... |
15 June 1893 | 14 April 1896 | Sold in 1920 | ||||
| Hermione HMS Hermione (1893) HMS Hermione was an Astraea-class protected cruiser launched at Devonport in 1893. She served in World War I and was sold in 1921. She was renamed HMS Warspite in 1922, and broken up in 1940.... |
Devonport Dockyard | 7 November 1893 | 14 January 1896 | Sold in 1940 | ||||
| Sources: Conway's 1860–1905, p. 77; Jane's, p. 62 | ||||||||