HMS ''Proserpine'' was a 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 ...

. There were eleven "Third class"

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 ...

s in the class, which was designed by Sir William White. While well armed for their size, they were primarily workhorses for the overseas fleet on "police" duties and did not serve with the main battlefleet. They displaced 2,135 tons, had a crew complement of 224 men and were armed with eight QF 4 inch (102 mm) (25 pounder) guns, eight 3 pounder guns, three machine guns, and two 18 inch (457 mm)

torpedo tube A torpedo tube is a cylindrical device for launching torpedoes. There are two main types of torpedo tube: underwater tubes fitted to submarines and some surface ships, and deck-mounted units (also referred to as torpedo launchers) installed aboa ...

s. With reciprocating triple expansion engines and a variety of boilers, the top speed was .

Service history

Protected cruiser HMS Proserpine - IWM Q 75408

HMS ''Proserpine'' was laid down at Sheerness Dockyard in March 1896, and launched on 5 December 1896 when she was christened by Lady Nicholson, wife of Sir Henry Nicholson, Commander-in-Chief at The Nore. Captain John Locke Marx was appointed in command in September 1898, for service on the

North America and West Indies Station The North America and West Indies Station was a formation or command of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy stationed in North American waters from 1745 to 1956, with main bases at the Imperial fortresses of Bermuda and Halifax, Nova Scotia. The ...

, which had headquarters at

Bermuda Bermuda is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. The closest land outside the territory is in the American state of North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. Bermuda is an ...

and (during summer) Halifax. In March 1900 she visited

Nassau, Bahamas Nassau ( ) is the capital and largest city of The Bahamas. It is on the island of New Providence, which had a population of 246,329 in 2010, or just over 70% of the entire population of The Bahamas. As of April 2023, the preliminary results of ...

to assist HMS ''Hermes'', stranded there with a broken shaft. Commander Gerald Charles Adolphe Marescaux was appointed in command in October 1900. She returned to pay off at Chatham in early November 1901. Shortly after returning home, she was involved in a collision while she was anchored off

Sheerness Sheerness () is a port town and civil parish beside the mouth of the River Medway on the north-west corner of the Isle of Sheppey in north Kent, England. With a population of 13,249, it is the second largest town on the island after the nearby ...

harbour. The Royal Zeeland Steamship Company mailboat ''Koningen Regentes'' struck the bow of ''Proserpine'', leaving slight damage to both vessels. She was subsequently taken to

Chatham Dockyard Chatham Dockyard was a Royal Navy Dockyard located on the River Medway in Kent. Established in Chatham, Kent, Chatham in the mid-16th century, the dockyard subsequently expanded into neighbouring Gillingham, Kent, Gillingham; at its most extens ...

for repairs, and paid off at the naval base there 28 November 1901. East Indies Station 1904–12, Mediterranean 1913. Returned to the UK, joined the 3rd Fleet 1913–14, 7th Channel Cruiser Squadron 1914. Sent to the Mediterranean, East Indies and Egypt 1914-18 and finally the Red Sea 1918 to blockade

Somalia Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is the easternmost country in continental Africa. The country is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, th ...

, and gun running prevention in the

Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf, sometimes called the Arabian Gulf, is a Mediterranean seas, mediterranean sea in West Asia. The body of water is an extension of the Arabian Sea and the larger Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.Un ...

. Sold for scrap on 30 November 1919, at Alexandria 1919 and broken up at Genoa.

References

External links

*
''World War I Naval Combat'' webpage
{{DEFAULTSORT:Proserpine (1896) Pelorus-class cruisers of the Royal Navy Ships built in Sheerness 1896 ships World War I cruisers of the United Kingdom