Diadem class armoured cruisers (1896)

RN (Built 1896-1903):
HMS Diadem, Amphitrite, Andromeda, Argonaut, Ariadne, Europa, Niobe, Spartiate

WW1 RN Cruisers

Blake class | Edgar class | Powerful class | Diadem class | Cressy class | Drake class | Monmouth class | Devonshire class | Duke of Edinburgh class | Warrior class | Minotaur class

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Iris class | Leander class | Mersey class | Marathon class | Apollo class | Astraea class | Eclipse class | Arrogant class | Highflyer class

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The eight Diadem signed an attempt to stand out from the gigantic Powerful class, deemed too expensive. They had reduced size, armour and saved a total of 3,000 tons, shelving 100,000 pounds per ship, which was almost the cost of a light cruiser at the time. Constructed in two groups, the following had more powerful machines for a gain of half a knot. Good steamers, they easily reached their desired speeds, although Niobe suffered from machine failures and other units in the class had problems with boilers in service. They were criticized for their lack of heavy artillery and insufficient protection, with guns shields rather than turrets. At the start of their career, three operated in China and one in the Mediterranean, the others remained in territorial waters. They were no longer fully active in WWI, uses in various guises. Diadem was a TS in 1914, Niobe a depot ship in 1915, Andromeda a harbour TS in 1914, as well as Amphitrite, and Spartiate since 1913. Argonaut became a hospital ship in 1915 and Ariadne was the only one lost in action, on July 1915, sunk by UC65 off Beachy Head.

Brasseys 1894 plan and elevation, showing notably their armour scheme and ASW compartimentation.

Development

The Diadem class, like the preceding Powerful class, were built for trade protection, and “capable of dealing with any cruiser existing or building”. The two classes had been built in the context of the “russian war scare”. The Russian Imperial Navy was extdended to the Pacific through Vladivostok, and became a threat to the British Empire asian trade lines at the time both China and Japan were not considered a viable threat. After the latter’s victory in 1894, Britain seeked rapprochement with the fledging Empire, culminating in an alliance in 1903 as the last Diadem class was completed.

The Powerful class cruisers were seen in the press as an adequate deterrent for large Russian far east armoured cruisers such as the Rurik and following Gromoboi and Rossia. But the Powerful class proved very costly and demanding in manpower, whereas they consumed coal to such a point this made them not an more economical solution for the treasury. What the RN needed was a class of cruisers that would be equally a deterrent, but could be built and operated in greater numbers.

There was a set of admiralty specifications to reduce many parameters relative to the Powerfuls, with power reduced from 25,000 indicated horsepower (19,000 kW) down to 16,500 ihp (12,300 kW) and speed reduced from 22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph) to 20 kn (37 km/h; 23 mph). It was also required to compensate, a degraded thickness of the protective deck, from 6 inches (150 mm) to 4 inches (100 mm). The armament was simplified as the single single 9.2-inch (234 mm) guns fore and aft were removed, replaced by pairs 6-inch (152 mm) guns, making also ordnance procurement simpler. These changes were calculated to save about £100,000 per ship, so 15% less than a Powerful class cruiser.
This enabled the admiralty to ask for eight ships at 11,000 tons and £600,000 apiece.
In the end, nine ships were voted in 1895 and built from 1896 in 4 naval yards by pairs:
Fairfield, Govan: Diadem, Argonaut
Vickers, Barrow: Amphitrite, Niobe
Pembroke Dockyard: Andromeda, Spartiate
J&G Thompson, Clydebank: Ariadne, Europa
With inflation, costs ranged from £565,464 for Ariadne to £680,188 for the last Spartiate.
Construction time was three years on average, but for Spartiate (1897-1903, so seven years, hence the additional cost). This was due to Pembroke financial and recuitment issues, as the previous Andromeda “only” took five years. The prototype from Fairfield, Diadem was in comparison, blistering fast to built, from January 1896 to July 1898, so 2.5 years.

Design of the class

The Diadems were designed by Sir William White, being typical of British design of the time, with high freeboard, “double-decker” casemates and for them, cutouts were practiced forward and aft to allow fore and aft fire from these. The casemates offered a solid gun protection and this tall hull and doubled casemates enabled a large number of these to bear on the broadside. The main disadvantage was their lower battery was near to unusable in heavy seas.

Hull and general design

The Diadem class displaced 11,000 tons standard, for a between parallels lenght of 435 ft (132.6 m) or (462 ft 6 in (140.97 m) in overall lenght, and a beam of 69 ft (21 m).
Draught was 25 ft 6 in (7.77 m) light and 27 ft 6 in (8.38 m) when fully loaded. Janes fighting ships Edition 1900 precised these ships were almost absolutely identical in appearance, albeit Diadem (Fairfield) and Andromeda (Pembroke) had no steam pipes abaft the first two funnels, the others have those before and abaft each funnel. Their hulls were wood sheathed and coppered with coal bunkers on the lower deck, above and below the armour deck.

The shared some caracteristics with the Powerfuls, like their symetrical military masts and four heavenly spaced, tall funnels. Both fore and aft bridge structure were developed, with a forward only conning tower topped by a semi-enclosed bridge and wings, and an open roof bridge. They had two light projectors on platforms on the foremast and aft mast, on the latter case placed high up, as the foremast instead supported a covered, roomy spotting top. Both masts had boom cranes to manage a collection of boats, pinnaces, yawls, whalers, and utility barge to recoal, all for a crew of 677 officers and ratings. They could also land a generous party of 200 armed sailors if needed, added to the fact there was a Royal marine company on board.

Powerplant of the Diadem class

The Diadem class were given a 2 shaft arrangement like the Powerful class, with similar vertical triple expansion engines (VTE) fed by no les than thirty Belleville small tubes boilers. This was for a total output of 16,500 hp (12,300 kW) as contracted, albeit HMS Ariadne, Spartiate, Amphitrite and Argonaut were declared at 18,000 hp (13,000 kW).
The machinery weighted 1,630 tons total, with boilers occupying 132 feet (40 m) in internal space. They Worked at a pressure of 300 to 250 psi (2.1 to 1.7 MPa).
Top Speed was contracted at 20.25 knots (37.50 km/h; 23.30 mph), but Ariadne, Spartiate, Amphitrite and Argonaut were capable of 20.75 knots (38.43 km/h; 23.88 mph), a meagre result for an additional 1500 hp in output.

Range was based on a standard peacetime bunker capacity 1,900 tons. It was as contracted 2,000 nmi (3,700 km; 2,300 mi) at 19 knots (35.2 km/h; 21.9 mph).
Although the powerplant used Belleville boilers, the last in water-tube type, and most in class were seemingly good steamers at the exception of exception was Niobe, which had troubles with her machinery. The first four ships also had vibration issues so their machinery rooms were rearranged with a new configuration providing the extra 1,500 hp (1,100 kW) increase seeen above. All exceeded their contracted outputon trials, the first four being able of 20.5 knots (38.0 km/h) in service, the later four 21 knots (39 km/h).

Protection in Detail

These cruisers had a steel Armour made in Harvey Nickel process, except for armoured deck.
The protective deck was 4 inches (102mm) thick over the machinery, tapering down to 51mm over a narrow section of the crown, reduced to 64mm forward and aft. All the 152mm guns in casemates were protected by 4 inches armour, and the four deck guns had 4 inches (114 mm) shields with 2 inches (51mm) roofs. Ammunition hoists tubes were protected by 2 inches or 51mm down to the protective deck. This was clearly less than the Powerful class in general. They had in effect two conning tower, a general practice at the time, but only the forward CT was strongly armoured an immune to battleship caliber.
Casemates and gun shields: 4.5 in (110 mm)
Ammunition Hoists: 2 in (51 mm)
Turtle Armoured Deck: 2.5 in (64 mm) flat, 4 inches (102 mm) slopes.
Fore Conning tower: 12 in (300 mm), and tube: 6 in (150 mm)
Aft conning tower: 2 in (51 mm)
Main Gun shields: 4 inches (114 mm)
Secondary Gun shields: 2 inches (51 mm)
Casemates: 4 inches (114 mm) down to 2 inches roof (51 mm)
ASW compartimentation comprises 18 separate compartments with waterpoof bulkheads from under the prow to the stern, below the sloped protection of the turtleback deck. The latter plunged a full deck in height at the prow and stern. At the prow it reinforced the ram bow and aft it protected the steering mechanism.

Armament

Loading the QF 6 inches gun
In Detail:
Sixteen single QF 6-inch (152 mm) guns
Fourteen single 12-pounder (76 mm) QF guns
Three single QF 3-pounder (47 mm) guns
Two 18-inch (450 mm) torpedo tubes (both underwater)
Eight Maxim machine guns.

6-inches (152mm)/40 QF Mk I/II

A 1892 design, well known and widepread, first mass produced medium quick firing artillery. Used as secondary on battleships and primary on most cruisers.
Two pairs forward and aft, only ones protected by shields, the remainder in casemates, twin casemates forward aft and with cutouts to fire truly forward and aft, and the remaining four in single lower deck casemates with a broadside only ar cof fire. The two 6 in guns forward and aft had a single hoist for both weheras each casemate has its own hoist, double, as the lifts went to two levels. Eight of these on the lower battery deck were almost unusable in heavy weather (too low).

Specs:

Mass: 6.6 tons
Barrel: 240 inches (6.096 m) bore, 6-inch (152mm) caliber
Shell: 100 pounds (45 kg) QF, separate cartridge and shell
Elevation: -5 / +20 degrees, traverse +150/-150 degrees, 90°-70° casemates
Rate of fire: 5–7 rounds per minute
Muzzle velocity: 2,154 feet per second (657 m/s)
Effective firing range: 10,000 yards (9,140 m) at 20° elevation.

3-inches (76mm)/40 12pdr 12cwt QF Mk I

Of these sixteen guns, there were five behind bulwarks on the weather deck, eight total, two in casemates forward and two aft, making four more, then two under shields on the forward bridge’s wings and aft structures, four more, total eighteen. The QF 12-pounder 12-cwt gun (Quick-Firing) abbreviated as Q.F. 12-pdr. or 12-cwt. is also a very common light artillery, first designed in 1894. Even the ones behind bularks had shields, likely 2 inches thick.

Specs:

Weight: 12 cwt (0.6 tons, 510 kg)
Length: 10 ft 3 in (3.12 m), Barrel 10 ft (3 m)
Shell: Separate-loading QF 3-inch (7.62 cm)
Breech: single-motion screw
Elevation/Traverse: 30°/360° on the initial PI* mount
Rate of fire: 15 rounds per minute
Muzzle velocity: 2,210 ft/s (670 m/s)
Effective range: 11,750 yd (10,740 m) at 40° elevation

47mm/40 3pdr Hotchkiss Mk I

The M1885 Hotchkiss was a French-built US-origin light gun, ubiquitous in all navies at the time as self-defence last light artillery. With only three of them, it’s not clear where they were located, probably two on the upper bridge’s wings, one on the aft structure upper platform are likely. They could be aimed and fired by a man alone, with two and more bringing extra rounds.
It’s also likely they were used as salute guns, firing blanks, when crossing other ships and in parade.

Specs:

Mass: 240 kg (530 lb)
Length: 2 m (6 ft 7 in), barrel 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) 40 cal.
Shell: Fixed QF 47 × 376 mm R, 1.5 kg (3.3 lb), complete 3 kg (6.6 lb), 47 mm (1.9 in)
Breech: Vertical sliding-wedge, 30° elevation
Rate of fire: 30 rpm[3]
Muzzle velocity: 571 m/s (1,870 ft/s)
Maximum range: 5.9 km (3.7 mi) at +20°

18-inches Torpedo Tubes

Three tubes, 450mm one above water at the stern*, 2 submarine, in the beam. Reloads unknown.
Fired the 45 cm “Fiume” (Whitehead) torpedo (1894)

Specs:

Weight : 845 lb (383 kg)
Length : 11 ft 8 in (3.56 m)
Warhead : 118 lb (54 kg) wet gun-cotton
Performance : 26.5 knots (49.1 km/h; 30.5 mph) for 800 yd (730 m)
Propulsion : Compressed air
*diverging sources

Maxim Machine Guns

The grandfather of all modern machine guns, in service from 1886. Typically used a water jacket to be cooled, unlike later models that needed to be portable and thus, lighter, being air-cooled. Location unknown, probably on pintles along the upper forecastle and aft decks, dismontable to used by landing parties on shore, possibly with an optional wheeled undercarriage.

Specs:

Mass: 27.2 kg (60 lb), length 107.9 cm (42.5 in), barrel 67.3 cm (26.5 in). Crew: 4
Cartridge .303 British, action Recoil-operated, rate of fire: 550–600 rounds/min
Muzzle velocity: 744 m/s
Feed system: 250-round flexible canvas belt. Iron sights.

Modifications

In 1917, Ariadne was converted as a minelayer, she had all her armament removed but keeping only four 6-in/40 QF Mk I/II, and a single 3-in/45 20cwt QF Mk I but carried now 400 mines.
In August 1917, HMS Amphitrite was similarly converted, also keeping only four 6-in/40 QF Mk I/II, and a single 3-in/45 20cwt QF Mk I but could only carry this time 354 mines.

HMS Argonaut with the 9th cruiser sqn, illustration in 1915.

Evaluation

Despite the cost savings, the Diadems proved controversial when revealed. The press was not dythirambic. Naval journalist Fred Jane (at the head of the now famous Jane’s fighting ships) spoked of these “much-discussed” cruisers cumulated “all the weak points of the Powerfuls were exaggerated in them”. Critics in general pointed out their slower speed, poor manoeuvrability, lack of heavy guns plus an artillery moslty in casemates having limited fields of fire and protection for some guns by only gunshields.

The Diadems served most of their careers in home waters, not what was intended for them. They saw a few deployments to China Station, Mediterranean and Caribbean during their career though. Niobe was sold to Canada in 1910. After 1906, their limitations compared to the latest British cruisers were self-evident, and they were placed a limited commission to reduce costys and assign rews in more important and recent ships, especially after the Dreadnought and follower were now built and great cost. By 1914, the Diadem class wa smostly relegated to training or depot ship duties with skeleton crews and without any serious modernization. However when First World War broke out, some were reactivated for patrol duties, with the 9th Cruiser Squadron, Eastern Atlantic, a less demanding theater. In 1917, Amphitrite and Ariadne were converted into minelayers and assigned to the Dover Patrol. Ariadne was thus torpedoed and sunk by UC-65 on 26 July 1917. Survivors were withdrawn before 1918, all placed in reserve afterwards, sold for scrap at the most by 1932, except Andromeda, still kept as boys’ training ship until… 1956.

HMS Amphitrite was stationed at Cape Verde at the beginning of the war, in the 9th Cruiser Squadron. From June 1915, she sailed to Portsmouth to be converted into a minesweeper. In August 1917 she had been rearmed with only four 6-in guns at the bow and stern and one of 3-inches AA. She could carry 354 mines and from her service start in August 1917, laid some 5,053 mines, replacing Ariadne on the Dover dam, and the great northern dam in the company of the US Navy. She was involved in a collision in September 1918 with the destroyer HMS Nessus and retired from service in June 1919.
HMS Andromeda was anchored at Devonport and served as a training ship, a role he held until 1919. Then, renamed Impregnable II, she held his role until 1929. In 1931 she became a torpedo ship renamed Defiance, and survived as a schoolship until 1956.
HMS Argonaut was stationed until 1915 at Cape Finisterre with the 9th squadron. She captured the German armed cargo ship Graecia. She was in Portsmouth reserve by October 1915, then converted into a hospital ship until 1917, then a utility hull until 1920.
HMS Ariadne was a stokers training ship in 1914 in Portsmouth. She was transferred to Devonport in 1915 and was converted into a minelayer such as Amphitrite in 1917. She could lay 400 mines, and from March, she was sent to lay mines at the Dover Dam and Heligoland Bay, until torpedoed and sank on 26 July by UC 65 in front of beachy Head.
HMS Diadem was stationed as a stokers training ship in 1914 in Portsmouth. In October 1915 this role was terminated, and she remained in reserve until 1918, sold in 1921.
HMS Europa operated at Finisterre Cape in 1914 with the 9th squadron as flagship. She was then sent to the Mediterranean for the remainder of the war, operating in Mudros and Malta in 1918 and sold in 1920.
HMCS Niobe operated with the RCAN and ran aground before the war. In 1914, she was based in Bermuda. In October 1915, she was anchored in Halifax, disarmed, as an ammunition depot ship, badly damaged by the famous explosion and never repaired, remaining as a pontoon until 1922.
HMS Spartan (or Spartiate) was the third acting as stokers training ship in 1914, a role she held until 1932, under the name from 1915, of HMS Fisgard.

Active career of the Diadem class cruisers

HMS Diadem in 1914
Diadem was laid down at Fairfield, Govan on 23 Jan 1896, launched on 21 Oct 1896 and completed on 19 July 1898. She served in the Easter Division, Channel Squadron under command of Captain Harry Seawell Niblett. She had a refit at Chatham in January 1900 to fix a few issues. In March 1901 Diadem she escorted HMS Ophir, commissioned as royal yacht for the World tour of the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York, later King George V and Queen Mary. This tour started at Spithead and was to Gibraltar. In September she again escorted her from St Vincent to Halifax in Nova Scotia. In January 1902, she was announced to be decommissioned to fix “defects which will take some time to remedy”. She was paid off at Chatham on 11 February 1902 and sent only in May (towed) to Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Glasgow. This concerned her hull and machinery and was completed, then she was back at Sheerness in early December 1902 and full reactivated later. She was sent to China Station as flagship, vice-admiral, until 1907. Back home she was paid off in April 1907. She was assigned to the Home Fleet, Portsmouth based, from 1907 until 1912. She was then transferred to the Third Fleet, seeing little activity having a reduced crew. She was in between refitted in 1909.
As the First World War broke up she acted as a stokers’ training ship like three of her sisters. She was placed in reserve in October 1915, as crews were needed on other ships. She was returned as stokers’ training ship in January 1918, until 1920, placed in reserve, stricken and finally sold to Thos. W. Ward, Morecambe for BU on 9 May 1921.

HMS Amphitrite in razzle dazzle livery as minelayer, 1917.
Amphitrite was laid down at Vickers, Barrow on 8 Dec 1896, launched on 5 Jul 1898 and completed on 17 September 1901. She was inspected at Chatham in February 1900 and versed in the Fleet Reserve, and only commissioned at Chatham on 17 September 1901. She was assigned to the Mediterranean Station, leaving Sheerness on 28 September 1901 for Malta, with a new crew for HMS Illustrious in addition of her own. The latter was indeed under refit. She later carried back invalids from garrisons at Malta and Gibraltar and entered Plymouth on 20 October 1901. Next she was sent to Portsmouth. In November she ws assigned to the China station, again with crews for the despatch vessel HMS Alacrity and draught steamer HMS Snipe. She arrived at Hong Kong on 4 January 1902. While back home, she briefly grounded in the bay of Suez by early February, but refloated, and arrived at Plymouth on 21 February, with rotating crews from the China station. She was paid off on 20 March and recommissioned to return to the China Station. Disgruntled crews with on board food nicknamed her ‘am and tripe’.
She left Portsmouth on 6 May 1902, with a new crew for the draught steamer HMS Robin stationed at Hong Kong. She stopped in Bombay on 30 June 1902 to watch over a Persian Gulf Royal cruise, after stopping in Muscat, being the largest warship so far to visit the gulf. She stopped also at Colombo in mid-July, Singapore in late July, and entered Hong Kong on 1 August.
She was recalled back probably in 1913 as in 1914 she was part of the 9th Cruiser Squadron, Atlantic as most her sisters. In June 1915 she was placed in reserve, modified, and then reactivated as a Minelayer in 1917. She collided with the destroyer HMS Nessus in the North Sea, 8 September 1918 (Nessus sank). She was later assigned to the Nore Command in 1918. Placed in reserve in 1919 she was stricken and sold to Ward of Milford Haven on 12 April 1920 for BU.

HMS Andromeda in China, 1904
HMS Andromeda was laid down at Pembroke Dockyard on 2 Dec 1895, launched on 30 Apr 1897 and completed on 5 September 1899. Upon completion she was assigned to the Mediterranean Fleet. By March 1900 she cruised Italian and Spanish ports. By March the next year she escorted HMS Ophir (see above) for a World tour via Gibraltar and Port Said. Captain Christopher Cradock was captain 24 by March 1902 (later, tragic hero of the Good Hope). From 11 June, Andromeda became flagship of the Cruiser Division, Mediterranean Fleet. From May 1902, she visited Palermo for festivities and the Agricultural Exhibition by King Victor Emmanuel. Next she was in Gibraltar for a coronation celebration. She visited Argostoli in early October 1902, returned home, paid off at Portsmouth, 10 February 1903, for a lengthy refit. Once completed, she was sent to the China Station in 1904-1907 and placed in reserve at Chatham, then transferred to Devonport. In 1907 Under Lt. Quentin Crauford she tested an experimental radio station to communicate with Chatham, airing the first wireless music and speech broadcast for entertainment in Britain. Next in 1912 she was versed to the 9th Cruiser Squadron, new reserve 3rd Fleet. In 1913 she was converted to a boys’ training ship as “Powerful II” on 23 September 1913, then later renamed ‘Impregnable II’ in November 1919 and “HMS Defiance” on 20 January 1931, torpedo school. She was sold for scrap in 1956, in Burgt, Belgium from 14 August.

HMS Argonaut in the late 1890s
HMS Argonaut was laid down at Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, in Govan on 23 November 1896, launched on 24 January 1898, but while under construction, a fire broke out in the yard on February 8, 1897. It emblazed all workshops and threatened several ships, including the cruiser and RMS Empress Queen. But the fire was eventually contained. By April 1900, she started service for the China Station, until 1904. From June to September 1906 she refitted for “special service”. In October she joined the Home Fleet, and ultimately paid off in February 1911, the recommissioned February 1912, 3rd Fleet until paid off again in April 1914. She was in the 9th Cruiser Squadron, Atlantic during the war. She was stationed off Cape Finisterre from August 1914 to July 1915 and captured the German merchant ship Graecia. In 1915 she saw a full conversion into a hospital ship at Portsmouth. In 1918 she became an accommodation ship. She was sold to Ward, Milford Haven, 18 May 1920, BU from 4 September 1921.

HMS Ariadne
She was Built at J&G Thompson, Clydebank, laid down on 29 October 1896, launched on 22 April 1898. She was placed in the Fleet reserve, Portsmiyth, from Chatham in March 1900.
In March two years later, she was ordered to prepare for service, North America and West Indies Station, as flagship, Vice-Admiral, Sir Archibald L. Douglas. The latter took command on station by July and she was commissioned at last in Portsmouth; 5 June 1902, under Captain Montague Browning, flag captain. She left Portsmouth in early July for the station HQ at Halifax and succeed HMS Crescent as flagship, 15 July. In August–September 1902, she visited St. John’s as wel as Quebec City and Charlottetown. In November she visited the Bermuda HQ Carribean station and Trinidad. She took part in the naval blockade of Venezuelan ports during the Venezuelan crisis of 1902–1903. No records afterwards. She was converted as a minelayer in late 1916, operational in March 1917, and took part in the Dover squadron minelaying operations, notably in the Dogger Bank and the “great northern barrage”. She was famosuly sunk by UC-65 (KptLt. Otto Steinbrinck) on 26 July 1917 off Beachy Head, Eastbourne.

HMS Europa was laid down at J&G Thompson, Clydebank on 10 Jan 1896, launched on 20 Mar 1897, and completed on 23 Nov 1899. In 1899, she received a wireless message for the Summer Manoeuvres, sending a a wireless message some 95 miles away to HMS Alexandra, relayed by HMS Juno so to keep contact with convoy in escort, longest ship to ship transmission to that point.
She remained in the Channel Squadron and left Portsmouth on 19 January 1900 with a new crew for HMS Ramillies, flagship (second) Mediterranean station. She departed Malta with the paid-off crew of Ramillies to Portsmouth. Next she did the same for the Australia Station via Gibraltar, Malta, Port Said and Colombo.
She had a refit in 1902, notably with the installation of new boilers. Later she was placed in reserve at Devonport, then recommissioned in November 1907 for the Home Fleet, paid off February 1910. She ended in the 3rd Fleet from November 1911 to 1914, then 9th Cruiser Squadron, Atlantic fleet, stationed off Cape Finisterre as flagship, until June 1915. She as then sent off Moudros, for the Dardanelles Campaign, receiving a battle honour for her service there.
She became flagship at Mudros from July 1915 until 1919, then paid off while in Malta in March 1920. Insteads of being broken up she was purchased on 15 September 1920 for conversion to an emigrant carrier, but she sank in a gale off Corsica, in January 1921, her wreck later raised, broken up in Genoa.

HMS Niobe was ordered as part of the 1895/96 Estimates, laid down at Vickers, Barrow on 16 Dec 1895, launched on 20 Feb 1897 and completed on 6 Dec 1898. She was part of the Channel Squadron when the Boer War commenced (1899–1900), sent to Gibraltar to escort troopships to the Cape. On 4 December 1899, with HMS Doris she rescued troops from SS Ismore, which ran aground. Niobe saw action directly in the Boer War, escorting troops to Cape Town. She was awarded the Queen’s South Africa Medal. She returned to the English Channel and continued to escort ships notably to Colombo, Ceylon.
In March 1901, Niobe escorted HMS Ophir commissioned as royal yacht for a world tour from Spithead to Gibraltar and by September from St Vincent to Halifax, and later to the fleet review at Spithead on 16 August 1902 (King Edward VII Coronation). In the Med by 1903 she stopped at Souda Bay, Crete for combined manoeuvres combining ships from the Channel and Mediterranean stations. She stopped at Gibraltar in early October on her way to Portsmouth, paid off in reserve and refit. From 1905, and until 1909, she became flagship, Rear-Admiral, Reserve Squadron, refitted in 1908. In April 1909, the cruiser was recommissioned into the 4th Division, Home Fleet, Devonport, then paid off in September 1910.
Negotiations between Canada and the Admiralty for its own brand new Canadian Navy, led to a renouncement to destroyers for the cruiser HMS Niobe, to form the nucleus of the east coast fleet. The purchase was arranged in January 1910. The £215,000 were traded for a flotilla leader. Niobe and HMS Rainbow would form the core of the new Canadian navy, with the Payment for Niobe deferred until after the vote by the Canadian House of Commons. The Naval Service Act was contested by the Conservatives, preferring to pay directly the Royal Navy. The Liberals had the majority of seats and won the Canadian navy. She became HMCS Niobe, when officially transferred on 6 September 1910 at Devonport. They were equipped before departing with all fittings and equipments to perform as training vessels, plus Canadian requirements like a heating systems, up-to-date galley and the latest Marconi wireless system.

She arrived at Halifax on 21 October, Trafalgar Day. Formal transfer was done on 12 November, entirely paid for. She remained in training duties in Halifax but during her training cruise, but she ran aground in fog off Cape Sable on 30–31 July 1911. Damage control saved her but repairs took six months, until January 1912. Her top speed was capped afterwards and the court martial found the NavOf Charles White and Captain W. B. MacDonald negligent. Buty her conditions deteriorated as noted in an inspection in 1913. The naval staff wanted to boost her state of readiness for possible combat, and she needed her crew still at Esquimalt. The sloops Shearwater and Algerine were paid off at Esquimalt and both crews sent east and arrived in September 1914. She departed and picked up in Newfoundland 107 more sailors from the Royal Naval Reserve. She patrolled the St Lawrence gulf with HMS Lancaster and on 11–13 September 1914, escorted The Royal Canadian Regiment on SS Canada to Bermuda to garrison duties. Back home she was a week in repair. By 6 October she integrated the RN 4th Cruiser Squadron, North America and West Indies Station. She looked for German ships along the American coast, until July 1915. She narrowly missed the raider SS Prinz Eitel Friedrich, which took refuge and was interned into Newport News in Virginia. A new inspection revealed she was she was worn out and she made a final patrol on 4–17 July 1915, before being berthed and pair off at Halifax on 6 September 1915, depot ship.

Niobe was laid up when th ammo transport Mont Blanc, in flames after a rammning, was loose in the port. Warrant Officer Albert Mattison and six men sailed to Mont-Blanc in Niobe’s pinnace and boarded the ammunition ship, trying to scuttle her but she detonated before they could anything, killing them all. Niobe’s upper works were badly dampaged, and she lost seven more on deck this time. Her cables broke loose and she left her moorings, dragging her concrete embedded anchor until re-secured. She was disposed of in 1920, sold for BU in the US, 1922. Canada announced that 21 October would be “Niobe Day”.

HMS Spartiate in 1898
Spartiate (or Spartan) was laid down at Pembroke Dockyard on 10 May 1897, launched on 27 Oct 1898 and commissioned on 17 March 1903. She was delivered at Portsmouth by April 1900 and underwent sea trials in the winter went but returned to fix her condensers (causing friction in her machinery). This was so bad her machinery was entirely re-constructed, leading to many delays and new trials in 1901, but then her new condenser tubes leaking so badly they were later all replaced. A third serie of trials in April 1902 was abandoned but after new fixes she completed her trials in July, ready for assignation by March 1903. By that time her design was already well outdated. She remained in home waters. She was mentioned as flagship for the Australia Station but this never took place. Logs unknown for 1902-1914. She became a stokers’ training ship in 1914, renamed Fisgard in June 1915, sold in July 1932, BU at Pembroke.

Read More

Books

Chesneau, Roger and Kolesnik, Eugene (Ed.) Conway’s all the world fighting ships 1860-1905.
Robert Gardiner (Ed.). Conway’s All the World’s Fighting Ships 1906–1921. Conway Maritime Press, 1985
Brown, David K. Warrior to Dreadnought: Warship Development 1860–1905. Caxton Editions 2003.
Jane, Fred T (Ed.) Jane’s Fighting Ships 1900
Jane, Fred T (Ed. Preston, Antony). The British Battle-Fleet: Its Inception and Growth throughout the Centuries. Republished by Conway Maritime Press, 1997.
Brassey, T.A. (ed)The Naval Annual 1904, 1905
Leyland, J. and Brassey, T.A. (ed)The Naval Annual 1906
Hythe, Viscount and Leyland, J. (ed)The Naval Annual 1914

Links

The Diadem class on wikipedia
navypedia.org/ cr_diadem
On historyofwar.org
on commons.wikimedia.org/
on worldwar1.co.uk

Model Kits

None found yet.