HMS Argonaut (1898)

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

History
HMS Argonaut
United Kingdom
Name:	HMS Argonaut
Builder:	Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Govan
Launched:	24 January 1898
Reclassified:	Hospital ship at Portsmouth 1915 Accommodation ship 1918
Fate:	Sold for breaking up 18 May 1920
General characteristics
Class and type:	Diadem-class cruiser
Displacement:	11,000 tons
Length:	435 ft (133 m) (462 ft 6 in (140.97 m) o/a)
Beam:	69 ft (21 m)
Draught:	25 ft 6 in (7.77 m)
Propulsion:	2 shaft triple expansion engines 16.500 - 18,000 hp
Speed:	20–20.5 kn (37.0–38.0 km/h; 23.0–23.6 mph)
Complement:	760
Armament:	16 × single QF 6-inch (152 mm) guns 14 × single QF 12-pounder (76 mm) guns 3 × single QF 3-pounder (47 mm) guns 2 × 18-inch (450 mm) torpedo tubes as Minelayer: 4 × 6-inch guns 1 × 12-pounder gun 354 mines
Armour:	6 inch casemates 4.5-2 inch decks

HMS Argonaut was a ship of the Diadem-class of protected cruiser in the British Royal Navy. She was built by Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Govan and launched on 24 January 1898.

Service history

She was commissioned at Chatham, Kent in 1900 for service on the China Station from 1900-1904. During this time, the Commanding Officer, Captain George H Cherry RN, issued some 600 punishment warrants, gaining a reputation as a stern disciplinarian. As a consequence, the ship's officers ordered medals to be struck by Gamages of London as reward and mementos of their service under such a captain: on the obverse it read "Argonaut China 1900-1904" and showed a foul anchor (for the Royal Navy), a fleece (for Argonaut) and a dragon (for China); on the reverse are a cherry tree and a representation of the officers who survived the commission. An honorary "Cherry Medal" was presented to King George VI; many others were lost with ships sunk in the First World War.

From June to September 1906, Argonaut was refitted for special service and in October, joined the Home Fleet. She was paid off in February 1911 and recommissioned February 1912, joining the 3rd Fleet. The cruiser was paid off again in April 1914.^[1]

During the First World War Argonaut was part of the 9th Cruiser Squadron, operating in the Atlantic. The squadron was stationed off Cape Finisterre from August 1914 to July 1915. While a part of this unit, Argonaut captured the German merchant ship Graecia. In 1915 she was converted to a hospital ship at Portsmouth and in 1918, to an accommodation ship.^[1] She was sold to Ward of Milford Haven on 18 May 1920 and arrived there for breaking up on 4 September 1921.

Notes

1 2 Gardiner and Gray, p.11

References

Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8. OCLC 67375475.
Gardiner, Robert & Gray, Randal, eds. (1984). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships: 1906–1921. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-85177-245-5.
Diadem class at worldwar1.co.uk
Fabulous Admirals compiled by Commander Geoffrey L Lowis (Putnam, 1957)

External links

"Royal Navy Log Books - HMS Argonaut". naval-history.net. Retrieved 2013-12-15. OldWeather.org transcription of ship's logbooks August 1914 to September 1915

Diadem-class cruisers

Royal Navy	Diadem Niobe Europa Andromeda Amphitrite Argonaut Ariadne Spartiate

Royal Canadian Navy	Niobe

Preceded by: Powerful class Followed by: Cressy class

List of cruisers of the Royal Navy

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 1/4/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.