HMS ''Naiad'' was an

protected cruiser Protected cruisers, a type of cruiser of the late 19th century, took their name from the armored deck, which protected vital machine-spaces from fragments released by explosive shells. Protected cruisers notably lacked a belt of armour alon ...

of the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

which served from 1892 to 1919.

History

In 1890, building by the Naval Construction and Armaments Co, later known as Vickers, commenced. On 26 Jun 1897, she was present at the Naval Review at

Spithead Spithead is an eastern area of the Solent and a roadstead for vessels off Gilkicker Point in Hampshire, England. It is protected from all winds except those from the southeast, with the Isle of Wight lying to the south-west. Spithead and the ch ...

in celebration of the Diamond Jubilee. Captain

Alexander Bethell Admiral Sir Alexander Edward Bethell (28 August 1855 – 13 June 1932) was a British naval officer who served as Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth of the Royal Navy. Naval career Born the second son of Richard Augustus Bethell, 2nd Baron Westbury, B ...

was appointed in command on 19 March 1901, as she was serving in the

Mediterranean Fleet The British Mediterranean Fleet, also known as the Mediterranean Station, was a formation of the Royal Navy. The Fleet was one of the most prestigious commands in the navy for the majority of its history, defending the vital sea link between ...

. The ship served off South Africa during the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic and ...

(service from April-Nov. 1901) and 117 of her crew of 234 served in Naval Brigades ashore, in the Cape Colony. The following year she visited Alexandria and

Port Said Port Said ( , , ) is a port city that lies in the northeast Egypt extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, straddling the west bank of the northern mouth of the Suez Canal. The city is the capital city, capital of the Port S ...

''en route'' for

Aden Aden () is a port city located in Yemen in the southern part of the Arabian peninsula, on the north coast of the Gulf of Aden, positioned near the eastern approach to the Red Sea. It is situated approximately 170 km (110 mi) east of ...

in late October 1902. Based in the Indian Sea, she was involved in the military operations in Somaliland 1902–04, her crew receiving 285 medals and clasps for the campaign.British Battles and Medals, Spink, London 2006 p.417 In 1910, like many other ships of her class, ''Naiad'' was converted to a

minelayer A minelayer is any warship, submarine, military aircraft or land vehicle deploying explosive mines. Since World War I the term "minelayer" refers specifically to a naval ship used for deploying naval mines. "Mine planting" was the term for ins ...

, as she was obsolete as a Cruiser. She was relegated to harbour duties in 1919 and sold for scrap in 1922.

References

Publications

External links

*
HMS Naiad
at the Dreadnought project. Apollo-class cruisers Ships built in Barrow-in-Furness 1890 ships World War I cruisers of the United Kingdom {{UK-mil-ship-stub