HMS ''Rapid'' was a ''Satellite''-class composite screw sloop of the

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 ...

, built at Devonport Dockyard and launched on 21 March 1883.Bastock 1988, p. 110. She was later reclassified as a corvette. Initially on service with the Cape of Good Hope and West Africa Station, ''Rapid'' commenced service on the

Australia Station The Australia Station was the British, and later Australian, naval command responsible for the waters around the Australian continent.Dennis et al. 2008, p.53. Australia Station was under the command of the Commander-in-Chief, Australia Station, ...

in 1886. She was recommissioned three times in Sydney before leaving the Australia Station on 1 December 1897. In March 1902, it was announced that she would be sold out of service owing to defects in her machinery. Six months later, she was instead posted to

Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = " Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gib ...

where she arrived for dockyard work in September 1902. Hulked in 1906, she was converted into a coal hulk in 1912 and was renamed ''C7''. She became an accommodation ship in 1916 and was renamed ''Hart''. She was sold at

in 1948.

Notes

References

*Bastock, John (1988), ''Ships on the Australia Station'', Child & Associates Publishing Pty Ltd; Frenchs Forest, Australia. * 1883 ships Ships built in Plymouth, Devon Satellite-class sloops Victorian-era sloops of the United Kingdom {{UK-mil-ship-stub