HMS ''Hermione'' was an

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...

protected cruiser Protected cruisers, a type of naval cruiser of the late-19th century, gained their description because an armoured deck offered protection for vital machine-spaces from fragments caused by shells exploding above them. Protected cruisers re ...

launched at Devonport in 1893. She served in

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and was sold in 1921. She was renamed training ship ''Warspite'' in 1922, and broken up in 1940. ''Hermione'' was a 10-gun twin-screw cruiser of 4360 tons, , and capable of . The vessel was in length, had a beam of , and a draught of .

Service history

In 1896 ''Hermione'', commanded by Captain Charles R. Arbuthnot, was one six ships which was specially commissioned as part of a new squadron in reply to a congratulatory telegram from the

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to President

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on the repulse of Dr. Jameson's Raid. The squadron, known as the Particular Service Squadron, was commanded by Rear-Admiral Alfred Taylor Dale with his flag in . ''Hermione'' was assigned to the

China Station The Commander-in-Chief, China was the admiral in command of what was usually known as the China Station, at once both a British Royal Navy naval formation and its admiral in command. It was created in 1865 and deactivated in 1941. From 1831 to 18 ...

in 1898. In 1900 she played a minor part in the third China war or Boxer Rebellion. In December 1899 and April 1900, Marines from ''Hermione'' served as an honour guard and pallbearers for the funerals of the Governor of the Straits Settlements, Sir

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and the Chief Justice of the

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, Sir

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, who had also served as consul-general in

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. In May 1902 she was posted to the

Mediterranean station 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 ...

. Attached to the cruiser division, she visited

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with other ships of the division in early October 1902. In 1906 ''Hermione'' went into reserve at Portsmouth, refitted in 1907 and sent to the Cape Town Station. On 14 February 1909 she ran aground at

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but was re-floated sustaining only slight damage. In June 1909 she joined the 3rd Cruiser Squadron at Portsmouth and in July joined the Home Fleet. On 6 August ''Hermione'' ran aground off Killingholme in the

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and after 8 hours was re-floated. In September 1910 she began preparations for use as a tender for the Royal Navy's first

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, but when this project was abandoned, she rejoined the Home Fleet in January 1912. In the meantime, she had hosted the first British seaplane experiments, with an Avro Type D in November 1911. At the outbreak of World War I in August 1914, she became guard ship at

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, later becoming HQ Ship for motor launches and coastal motor boats from December 1916 until December 1919. Sold off October 1921 and resold to the Marine Society in 1922 and became training ship ''Warspite'', finally scrapped September 1940.Gardiner, p. 77

Notes

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hermione (1893) Astraea-class cruisers Ships built in Plymouth, Devon 1893 ships World War I cruisers of the United Kingdom