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HMS Pegasus (1897)
Encyclopedia
HMS Pegasus was one of 11 Pelorus-class
protected cruiser
s ordered for the Royal Navy
in 1893 under the Spencer Program and based on the earlier Pearl-class
. The class were fitted with a variety of different boilers most of which were not entirely satisfactory and by 1914 four ships had been withdrawn. They had all been condemned in 1904 but were reprieved and remained in service with scrapping proposed in 1915.
Station in 1906.
harbour, now part of Tanzania
, having left her battlegroup, which included and , to attend to boiler and engine problems. The German
light cruiser
launched a surprise attack on the ship. Out-ranged and out-gunned, Pegasus was incapacitated within eight minutes and the captain
—Commander
Ingles—struck the colours to avoid further bloodshed. The ship sank later that day with the loss of 38 killed and 55 wounded. The hospital ship Gascon and Scottish ship Clan Macrae came to the aid of the survivors.
—Pegasus sister ship—later assisted in the blockade of the Rufiji River
where Königsberg had taken refuge.
Six of the eight guns were salvaged and two, named "Peggy III" and "Peggy IV", were used in the land campaign until 1916. Of the other four, two remained in Zanzibar, one was mounted on board the lake steamer Winifred and the last mounted at Mombasa
where it survives to this day outside Fort Jesus
museum. Twenty-four of the British sailors that died in the battle were laid to rest in a mass grave in part of the naval cemetery on Grave island, Zanzibar, the remaining 14 were buried in the town cemetery but in 1971 were moved to the Dar es Salaam
war cemetery. The wreck was sold in 1955 for £500 and broken up for scrap, although large amounts of debris still remain on the seabed.
Pelorus class cruiser
The Pelorus class cruiser was a "third-class" protected cruiser class of eleven Royal Navy warships designed by Sir William White , based on the earlier Pearl class cruisers. They were ordered in 1893 under the Spencer Program, and laid down 1896–1900...
protected cruiser
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 ordered 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...
in 1893 under the Spencer Program and based on the earlier Pearl-class
Pearl class cruiser
The Pearl-class cruiser was a class of nine third-class cruisers designed by Sir William White, five of which were paid for by Australia under the terms of the Imperial Defence Act of 1887 to serve in Australian waters.-Design:...
. The class were fitted with a variety of different boilers most of which were not entirely satisfactory and by 1914 four ships had been withdrawn. They had all been condemned in 1904 but were reprieved and remained in service with scrapping proposed in 1915.
History
Pegasus was completed in 1898 and in 1899 she was stationed off of the SE Coast of America. She then was stationed in the Mediterranean, Australia, China, and finally Africa, serving on the Cape of Good HopeCape 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...
Station in 1906.
The sinking
In the early morning of 20 September 1914, Pegasus was anchored in ZanzibarZanzibar
Zanzibar ,Persian: زنگبار, from suffix bār: "coast" and Zangi: "bruin" ; is a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania, in East Africa. It comprises the Zanzibar Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of numerous small islands and two large ones: Unguja , and Pemba...
harbour, now part of Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
, having left her battlegroup, which included and , to attend to boiler and engine problems. The German
Kaiserliche Marine
The Imperial German Navy was the German Navy created at the time of the formation of the German Empire. It existed between 1871 and 1919, growing out of the small Prussian Navy and Norddeutsche Bundesmarine, which primarily had the mission of coastal defense. Kaiser Wilhelm II greatly expanded...
light cruiser
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
launched a surprise attack on the ship. Out-ranged and out-gunned, Pegasus was incapacitated within eight minutes and the captain
Captain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
—Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
Ingles—struck the colours to avoid further bloodshed. The ship sank later that day with the loss of 38 killed and 55 wounded. The hospital ship Gascon and Scottish ship Clan Macrae came to the aid of the survivors.
—Pegasus sister ship—later assisted in the blockade of the Rufiji River
Rufiji River
The Rufiji River lies entirely within the African nation of Tanzania. The river is formed by the convergence of the Kilombero and Luwegu rivers. It is approximately 600 km long, with its source in southwestern Tanzania and its mouth on the Indian Ocean at a point between Mafia Island called Mafia...
where Königsberg had taken refuge.
Six of the eight guns were salvaged and two, named "Peggy III" and "Peggy IV", were used in the land campaign until 1916. Of the other four, two remained in Zanzibar, one was mounted on board the lake steamer Winifred and the last mounted at Mombasa
Mombasa
Mombasa is the second-largest city in Kenya. Lying next to the Indian Ocean, it has a major port and an international airport. The city also serves as the centre of the coastal tourism industry....
where it survives to this day outside Fort Jesus
Fort Jesus
Fort Jesus is a Portuguese fort built in 1593 by order of King Philip I of Portugal , then ruler of the joint Portuguese and Spanish Kingdoms, located on Mombasa Island to guard the Old Port of Mombasa, Kenya. It was built in the shape of a man , and was given the name of Jesus...
museum. Twenty-four of the British sailors that died in the battle were laid to rest in a mass grave in part of the naval cemetery on Grave island, Zanzibar, the remaining 14 were buried in the town cemetery but in 1971 were moved to the 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: ...
war cemetery. The wreck was sold in 1955 for £500 and broken up for scrap, although large amounts of debris still remain on the seabed.
External links
- http://www.merchantnavyofficers.com/clanline3.html
- http://rapidttp.com/milhist/vol066ed.html
- http://www.red-duster.co.uk/UNION9.htm
- http://navalhistory.flixco.info/H/221556x9/8330/a0.htm
- http://www.africantrails.com/beach.htm