HMS Andromeda (1897)

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For other ships with the same name, see HMS Andromeda.

Andromeda at anchor at Weihaiwei, China, 1904.
History
United Kingdom
NameAndromeda
NamesakeAndromeda
BuilderPembroke Dockyard
Laid down2 December 1895
Launched30 April 1897
Completed5 September 1899
Renamed
  • Powerful II, 23 September 1913
  • Impregnable II November 1919
  • Defiance 20 January 1931
ReclassifiedAs a training ship, 23 September 1913
FateSold for scrap, 1956
General characteristics
Class and typeDiadem-class protected cruiser
Displacement11,000 long tons (11,177 t)
Length435 ft (132.6 m) (p/p)
Beam69 ft (21.0 m)
Draught25 ft 6 in (7.8 m)
Installed power
  • 16,500 ihp (12,300 kW)
  • 30 ×
    Belleville boilers
Propulsion
Speed20.5 kn (38.0 km/h; 23.6 mph)
Complement677
Armament
Armour

HMS Andromeda was one of eight

China Station in 1904 and returned home three years later to be reduced to reserve. Andromeda was converted into a training ship in 1913 and remained in that role under various names until 1956. That year she was sold for scrap and broken up in Belgium, the last Pembroke-built ship still afloat.[1]

Design and description

The Diadem class was designed to protect British merchant shipping from fast

Belleville boilers. They carried a maximum of 1,900 long tons (1,930 t) of coal[3] and their hulls were sheathed with copper to reduce biofouling. Their complement numbered 677 officers and ratings.[4]

The main armament of the Diadem-class ships consisted of 16

Ordnance QF 12-pounder 8-cwt landing guns for use ashore. The ships were also armed with a pair of submerged 18-inch (450 mm) torpedo tubes.[8]

The sloped armoured

Harvey armour[7] while the gun shields had 2 to 4.5 inches (51 to 114 mm) of armour.[5] The conning towers were protected by 12-inch (305 mm) walls and their roofs were 2 inches thick.[7] The tubes protecting the ammunition hoists were also 2 inches thick.[5]

Construction and career

Andromeda was the fifth ship of her name to serve in the Royal Navy

fitted out at Pembroke Dock until 5 September 1898 and sailed later that month to Portsmouth Dockyard for completion.[10]

Upon completion on 5 September 1899, she was assigned to the Mediterranean Fleet. In March 1900 she did a month's cruise of Italian and Spanish ports.

Victor Emmanuel,[15] and the following month the ship was in Gibraltar for a coronation fête.[16] Andromeda and other ships of the division visited Argostoli in early October 1902.[17] She returned home later that year and paid off at Portsmouth on 10 February 1903,[18]
then transferred to the dockyard for a lengthy refit.

Andromeda was assigned to the China Station in 1904 and returned home three years later. The ship was reduced to reserve at Chatham Dockyard upon her return, but transferred to Devonport Dockyard shortly afterwards. In 1907 Lieutenant Quentin Crauford was authorised by the Admiralty to create an experimental radio station to broadcast to the fleet in Chatham – and this was the first wireless broadcast of music and speech for the purpose of entertainment in Britain.[19][20][21]Andromeda was assigned to the 9th Cruiser Squadron of the new reserve Third Fleet in 1912. The following year the ship was converted to a boys' training ship[22] and renamed Powerful II on 23 September 1913.[9] She was later renamed Impregnable II in November 1919 and finally, HMS Defiance on 20 January 1931,[9] when she became part of the torpedo school.[22] The ship was sold for scrap in 1956 and arrived at Burgt, Belgium, on 14 August to begin demolition.[23]

Notes

  1. ^ "Cwt" is the abbreviation for hundredweight, 20 cwt referring to the weight of the gun.

Citations

  1. ^ Phillips 2014, p. 259.
  2. ^ McBride 1987, p. 211.
  3. ^ Chesneau & Kolesnik 1979, p. 68.
  4. ^ Phillips 2014, pp. 214–15.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Chesneau & Kolesnik 1979, p. 5.
  6. ^ Phillips 2014, p. 215.
  7. ^ a b c Phillips 2014, p. 15.
  8. ^ Phillips 2014, pp. 213–14.
  9. ^ a b c Colledge & Warlow 2006, p. 15.
  10. ^ Phillips 2014, pp. 258–59.
  11. ^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36089. London. 14 March 1900. p. 7.
  12. ^ "The Duke of Cornwall´s visit to the colonies". The Times. No. 36401. 13 March 1901. p. 5.
  13. ^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36724. 25 March 1902. p. 9.
  14. ^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36792. 12 June 1902. p. 13.
  15. ^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36778. 27 May 1902. p. 10.
  16. ^ "The Coronation - celebrations in the colonies". The Times. No. 36801. 23 June 1902. p. 10.
  17. ^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36896. London. 11 October 1902. p. 11.
  18. ^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36980. London. 17 January 1903. p. 9.
  19. ^ Webb, Simon (2018), The Analogue Revolution: Communication Technology, 1901–1914 , Pen & Sword Books.
  20. ^ Tucker, S. D. (2015), Great British Eccentrics, Amberley Publishing
  21. ^ Bathgate, Gordon. (2020) Radio broadcasting a history of the airwaves., Pen and Sword History (see page 18)
  22. ^ a b Friedman 2012, p. 233.
  23. ^ Phillips 2014, p. 9.

References

External links

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