HMCS Rainbow (1891)

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For other ships with the same name, see HMS Rainbow and HMCS Rainbow.

HMCS Rainbow in 1910
History
United Kingdom
NameRainbow
BuilderPalmers, Hebburn
Laid down1890
Launched25 March 1891
Commissioned1892
Decommissioned1909
Stricken1909
FateTransferred to Canada
Canada
NameRainbow
Commissioned4 August 1910
Decommissioned1 June 1920
Stricken1 June 1920
FateScrapped 1920
General characteristics
Class and typeApollo-class protected cruiser
Displacement3,600 long tons (3,700 t)
Length314 ft (95.7 m)
Beam43.5 ft (13.3 m)
Draught17.5 ft (5.3 m)
Propulsion2 shaft, 2-cylinder triple expansion, 7,000 ihp (5,200 kW)
natural draught
Speed19.75 knots (36.58 km/h; 22.73 mph)
Range8,000 nmi (15,000 km; 9,200 mi) at 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Complement273
Armament
Armour
  • Deck: 1+1⁄4–2 in (32–51 mm)
  • Conning tower: 3 in (76 mm)
  • Gun shields: 4+1⁄2 in (114 mm)
  • Engine hatch: 5 in (127 mm)

HMCS Rainbow was an Apollo-class protected cruiser built for Great Britain's Royal Navy as HMS Rainbow entering service in 1892. Rainbow saw time in Asian waters before being placed in reserve in 1909. In 1910 the cruiser was transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy for service on the west coast. At the outbreak of the First World War, Rainbow was the only major Canadian or British warship on the western coast of North America. Due to age, the cruiser was taken out of service in 1917 and sold for scrap in 1920 and broken up.

Design and description

The Apollo-class cruisers were enlarged versions of the preceding

forced draught. This gave the cruisers a maximum speed of 18.5 knots (34.3 km/h; 21.3 mph) at natural draught and 19.75 knots (36.58 km/h; 22.73 mph) at forced draught. The Apollo class carried 535 long tons (544 t) of coal for fuel. With full bunkers of coal, the cruisers had a range of 8,000 nautical miles (15,000 km; 9,200 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).[1]

Rainbow's main armament was two single-mounted

mainmast and one in the bow. The fourth torpedo tube was situated in the stern on the main deck. The Apollo class had a 1+1⁄4-inch (32 mm) armoured deck where flat and 2-inch (51 mm) armoured deck where sloped. The cruisers had a 5-inch (127 mm) armoured glacis over the hatch where the engine cylinders projected above the deck. The conning tower had 3 inches (76 mm) of armour and the gun shields 4+1⁄2 inches (114 mm).[1]

Service history

Royal Navy

Rainbow was ordered as part of the

launched on 25 March 1891 and entered service in 1892, completing in January 1893.[1][2]

Rainbow served on the

decommissioned
and placed on the inactive list.

Royal Canadian Navy

HMCS Rainbow entering Esquimalt, 7 November 1910 (HS85-10-23189)

Rainbow was presented to Canada in 1910, and was recommissioned

HMCS Rainbow on 4 August. She and HMS Niobe were purchased from the Admiralty to be used as training ships at Royal Naval College of Canada in Halifax, Nova Scotia.[10][11] During discussions on the type of cruisers to be sent to Canada, the Admiralty believed that the Apollo-class cruiser was the right choice.[12] Canada paid $225,000 to acquire Rainbow, using outstanding money from the Marine and Fisheries Department.[13] Before departing Great Britain, the ships required alterations to make them suitable for training. This required new heating systems, an up-to-date galley, the latest in Marconi wireless, the enlargement of the cadet gunroom and principal messes and the removal of the obsolete secondary armament.[11]

After commissioning, Rainbow was assigned to the west coast of Canada and was the first Canadian ship to sail around South America by the

Esquimalt, British Columbia on 7 November 1910.[14] However, after commissioning, the status of the Canadian vessels and their ability to operate without direction from the Admiralty kept the new ships within coastal waters. This limited Rainbow to fisheries patrols until the matter was settled.[15] In 1911, the cruiser had her 6-pounder guns removed and replaced with QF 12-pounder 12 cwt naval guns.[16] Her service was quiet on the west coast, performing ceremonial duties,[17] training and coastal fisheries patrol, notably apprehending the American fishing schooner Edrie in February 1913 for illegal fishing.[18] When Niobe was laid up in 1913, her crew was sent west to fill out Rainbow's complement.[19]

English Bay
, where she was sent to guard the freighter Komagata Maru in July 1914

In July 1914, Rainbow was called to

Punjab.[22]

When the First World War broke out, Rainbow was sent to cover the withdrawal of the British

armoured cruiser Izumo.[25] Following the destruction of the German Pacific Fleet at the Battle of the Falkland Islands in December 1914, the greatest threat to shipping in Pacific was considered to be armed German raiders and Rainbow was considered to be a match for all but the fastest.[26] However, in 1915, her patrols were shortened due to the lack of a collier to refuel Rainbow while out on patrol.[27]

In early 1916, Rainbow was still patrolling the west coast of North America, performing reconnaissance on German shipping. On 23 April 1916, she seized the German-owned but American-flagged schooner Oregon and then followed that up by seizing the Mexican-flagged schooner Leonor on 2 May.[28][29] The cruiser returned to Esquimalt with the prizes in tow on 30 May.[29] In 1916 and early 1917, Rainbow was used to transport $140,000,000 in Russian gold bullion (valued in 1917 Canadian dollars), between Esquimalt and Vancouver.[30] This money was placed in trust with Canada by the Russian government for protection due to the impending Russian revolution.

The Royal Canadian Navy found that the cost of operating Rainbow was using up too much of the West Coast naval operations budget, and the crew of Rainbow were sorely needed on the Atlantic coast for the fight against the U-boats. Rainbow was decommissioned and deactivated on 8 May 1917, her crew sent east. On 5 July she was recommissioned in Esquimalt as a depot ship. She served in this capacity until 1 June 1920, when she was sold for scrap to a Seattle shipbroker.[17]

Notes

  1. ^ a b c Chesneau and Kolesnik, p. 76
  2. ^ a b c Friedman, p. 344
  3. ^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36641. London. 18 December 1901. p. 6.
  4. ^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36756. London. 1 May 1902. p. 6.
  5. ^ "The Coronation – Naval Review". The Times. No. 36845. London. 13 August 1902. p. 4.
  6. ^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36847. London. 15 August 1902. p. 4.
  7. ^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36880. London. 23 September 1902. p. 8.
  8. ^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36896. London. 11 October 1902. p. 12.
  9. ^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36951. London. 15 December 1902. p. 6.
  10. ^ MacMillan-Murphy, Jim. "Esquimalt Remembers" (PDF). Esquimalt Heritage Advisory Committee. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 April 2012. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  11. ^ a b c Johnston et al., pp. 233–234
  12. ^ Johnston et al., p. 225
  13. ^ Johnston et al., p. 226
  14. ^ Gimblett, p. 11
  15. ^ Johnston et al., p. 242
  16. ^ Tunnicliffe, pp. 46–47
  17. ^ a b Macpherson and Barrie, p. 11
  18. ^ Johnston et al., p. 267
  19. ^ Johnston et al., p. 297
  20. ^ a b Johnston et al., pp. 298–299
  21. ^ a b Gimblett, p. 18
  22. ^ Ricketts, Bruce. "The Komagata Maru Incident". Mysteries of Canada. Archived from the original on 27 February 2014. Retrieved 30 August 2013.
  23. ^ Johnston et al., p. 299
  24. ^ Milner, Marc (May–June 2004). "The Original Rainbow Warrior". Legion Magazine. Archived from the original on 11 October 2008. Retrieved 3 December 2009.
  25. ^ Johnston et al., p. 311
  26. ^ Johnston et al., p. 321
  27. ^ Johnston et al., p. 437
  28. ^ Johnston et al., p. 438
  29. ^ a b Gimblett, p. 30
  30. ^ Sugrue, Clare (2005–2006). "Ship histories: HMCS Rainbow". CFB Esquimalt Naval & Military Museum. Archived from the original on 29 July 2007. Retrieved 3 May 2007.

References

External links

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