HMS ''Ringdove'' was a 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 30 April 1889.Bastock, p. 114. She 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, ...

on 5 March 1890, under the command of R. F. Ayscough. She left the Australia Station in February 1901 and returned to England, where she was paid off at Devonport 10 June 1901 and placed in the fleet reserve to be refit at

Haulbowline Haulbowline ( ga, Inis Sionnach; non, Ál-boling) is an island in Cork Harbour off the coast of Ireland. The world's first yacht club was founded on Haulbowline in 1720. The western side of the island is the main naval base and headquarters f ...

. She became a tender to HMS ''Vernon'' and was converted into a salvage vessel in 1915 and was renamed HMS ''Melita''.

Fate

She was sold to the Ship Salvage Corporation on 22 January 1920 and renamed ''Telima''. She was broken up in 1926.

Citations

References

*Bastock, John (1988), ''Ships on the Australia Station'', Child & Associates Publishing Pty Ltd; Frenchs Forest, Australia. * * 1889 ships Victorian-era gunboats of the United Kingdom Redbreast-class gunboats {{UK-mil-ship-stub