HMS Pomone (1897)
Encyclopedia
HMS Pomone was a protected cruiser
built for the Royal Navy
in the late 1890s. The ship's boilers were so troublesome that she was decommissioned
in 1904 after only a single foreign deployment. She was hulk
ed in 1910 and served as a stationary training ship until 1922 when she was sold for scrap
.
. While well armed for their size, they were primarily workhorses for the overseas fleet on "police" duties and were not intended to serve with the main battlefleet. This class served as testbeds for a variety of water-tube boiler
designs and those used by Pomone were so unsatisfactory that the ship was decommissioned after only five years of service.
HMS Pomone displaced 2135 long tons (2,169.3 t), with an overall length of 313 in 6 in (95.55 m), a beam of 36 in 6 in (11.13 m) and a draft of 16 feet (4.9 m). She was powered by two inverted 3-cylinder vertical triple-expansion steam engines, each driving one propeller shaft. Steam was supplied by 16 coal-fired Blechynden water-tube boilers. The engines were intended to develop a maximum of 7000 ihp under forced draft, but developed a total of 7340 ihp during her sea trial
s and gave a maximum speed of 20.8 knots (11.3 m/s). The ship had a crew of 224 officers and men.
Pomone was armed with eight single QF 4-inch (102 mm) guns
, eight QF 3-pounder gun
s, three machine guns, and two 18-inch (457 mm) torpedo tubes. Her protective deck
ranged from 1.5 to 2 in (3.8 to 5.1 ) in thickness and the ship had a conning tower
with walls 3 inches (8 cm) thick. The four-inch guns were protected by gun shield
s 0.25 inch (0.635 cm) thick.
and suffered from continuous boiler problems. In November and December 1903, Pomone and three other cruisers escorted Lord Curzon's tour of the Middle East. Her Blechynden boilers were so unreliable that she was removed from the effective list in October 1904 when Admiral Lord Fisher started disposing of ineffective ships upon becoming First Sea Lord
. She was laid-up pending a decision on her final disposal. Pomone was disarmed and hulk
ed on 5 January 1910 as a stationary training ship for engineers at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth. She was sold for scrap on 25 October 1922 to J. H. Lee of Dover
.
Protected cruiser
The protected cruiser is a type of naval cruiser of the late 19th century, so known because its armoured deck offered protection for vital machine spaces from shrapnel caused by exploding shells above...
built for the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
in the late 1890s. The ship's boilers were so troublesome that she was decommissioned
Ship decommissioning
To decommission a ship is to terminate her career in service in the armed forces of her nation. A somber occasion, it has little of the elaborate ceremony of ship commissioning, but carries significant tradition....
in 1904 after only a single foreign deployment. She was hulk
Hulk (ship)
A hulk is a ship that is afloat, but incapable of going to sea. Although sometimes used to describe a ship that has been launched but not completed, the term most often refers to an old ship that has had its rigging or internal equipment removed, retaining only its flotational qualities...
ed in 1910 and served as a stationary training ship until 1922 when she was sold for scrap
Ship breaking
Ship breaking or ship demolition is a type of ship disposal involving the breaking up of ships for scrap recycling. Most ships have a lifespan of a few decades before there is so much wear that refitting and repair becomes uneconomical. Ship breaking allows materials from the ship, especially...
.
Design and description
These "third-class" cruisers were designed by Sir William WhiteWilliam Henry White
Sir William Henry White was a prolific British warship designer and Chief Constructor at the Admiralty....
. While well armed for their size, they were primarily workhorses for the overseas fleet on "police" duties and were not intended to serve with the main battlefleet. This class served as testbeds for a variety of water-tube boiler
Water-tube boiler
A water tube boiler is a type of boiler in which water circulates in tubes heated externally by the fire. Fuel is burned inside the furnace, creating hot gas which heats water in the steam-generating tubes...
designs and those used by Pomone were so unsatisfactory that the ship was decommissioned after only five years of service.
HMS Pomone displaced 2135 long tons (2,169.3 t), with an overall length of 313 in 6 in (95.55 m), a beam of 36 in 6 in (11.13 m) and a draft of 16 feet (4.9 m). She was powered by two inverted 3-cylinder vertical triple-expansion steam engines, each driving one propeller shaft. Steam was supplied by 16 coal-fired Blechynden water-tube boilers. The engines were intended to develop a maximum of 7000 ihp under forced draft, but developed a total of 7340 ihp during her sea trial
Sea trial
A sea trial is the testing phase of a watercraft . It is also referred to as a "shakedown cruise" by many naval personnel. It is usually the last phase of construction and takes place on open water, and can last from a few hours to many days.Sea trials are conducted to measure a vessel’s...
s and gave a maximum speed of 20.8 knots (11.3 m/s). The ship had a crew of 224 officers and men.
Pomone was armed with eight single QF 4-inch (102 mm) guns
QF 4 inch naval gun Mk I - III
The QF 4-inch gun Mks I, II, III were early British QF naval guns originating in 1895. They all had barrels of 40 calibres length.-Naval service:The gun was intended to be a more powerful alternative to the 3-inch QF 12 pounder gun....
, eight QF 3-pounder gun
QF 3 pounder Hotchkiss
The QF 3 pounder Hotchkiss was a light 47-mm naval gun introduced in 1886 to defend against new small fast vessels such as torpedo boats, and later submarines...
s, three machine guns, and two 18-inch (457 mm) torpedo tubes. Her protective deck
Deck (ship)
A deck is a permanent covering over a compartment or a hull of a ship. On a boat or ship, the primary deck is the horizontal structure which forms the 'roof' for the hull, which both strengthens the hull and serves as the primary working surface...
ranged from 1.5 to 2 in (3.8 to 5.1 ) in thickness and the ship had a conning tower
Conning tower
A conning tower is a raised platform on a ship or submarine, often armored, from which an officer can con the vessel; i.e., give directions to the helmsman. It is usually located as high on the ship as practical, to give the conning team good visibility....
with walls 3 inches (8 cm) thick. The four-inch guns were protected by gun shield
Gun shield
thumb|A [[United States Marine Corps|U.S. Marine]] manning an [[M240 machine gun]] equipped with a gun shieldA gun shield is a flat piece or section of armor designed to be mounted on a crew-served weapon such as a machine gun or artillery piece, or, more rarely, to be used with an assault rifle...
s 0.25 inch (0.635 cm) thick.
Service
HMS Pomone was laid down at Sheerness Dockyard on 21 December 1896, launched on 25 November 1897, and completed in May 1899. The ship only served a single commission, with the East Indies SquadronEast Indies Station
The East Indies Station was a formation of the British Royal Navy from 1865 to 1941.From 1831 to 1865 the East Indies and the China Station were a single command known as the East Indies and China Station...
and suffered from continuous boiler problems. In November and December 1903, Pomone and three other cruisers escorted Lord Curzon's tour of the Middle East. Her Blechynden boilers were so unreliable that she was removed from the effective list in October 1904 when Admiral Lord Fisher started disposing of ineffective ships upon becoming First Sea Lord
First Sea Lord
The First Sea Lord is the professional head of the Royal Navy and the whole Naval Service; it was formerly known as First Naval Lord. He also holds the title of Chief of Naval Staff, and is known by the abbreviations 1SL/CNS...
. She was laid-up pending a decision on her final disposal. Pomone was disarmed and hulk
Hulk (ship)
A hulk is a ship that is afloat, but incapable of going to sea. Although sometimes used to describe a ship that has been launched but not completed, the term most often refers to an old ship that has had its rigging or internal equipment removed, retaining only its flotational qualities...
ed on 5 January 1910 as a stationary training ship for engineers at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth. She was sold for scrap on 25 October 1922 to J. H. Lee of Dover
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
.