HMS Royal Arthur (1891)

HMS Royal Arthur was a first class cruiser of the Edgar class, previously named Centaur, but renamed in 1890 prior to launching. She served on the Australia Station and briefly on the North America and West Indies Station before returning to the Home Fleet in 1906. She was paid off after the First World War.

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Royal Arthur.

History
United Kingdom
Name: HMS Royal Arthur
Builder: Portsmouth Dockyard
Laid down: 20 January 1890
Launched: 26 February 1891
Fate: Sold for breaking up August 1921
General characteristics
Class and type: Edgar-class cruiser
Displacement: 7,700 tons
Length: 387.5 ft (118.1 m)
Beam: 60.75 ft (18.52 m)
Armament:

Service history

Royal Arthur, and her sister ship Crescent, were built to a slightly modified design and are sometimes considered a separate class. She was built at Portsmouth and launched on 26 February 1891.

She first served as the flagship of the Pacific Station from 1893 to 1896, before being refitted at Portsmouth in 1897. She then served as the flagship of the Australian Station from 1897 to 1904.[1] In that role she provided escort for the royal yacht Ophir carrying the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York (the future King George V and Queen Mary) to Australia to open the new Federal Parliament in 1901.[2] Captain Thomas Philip Walker was appointed in command in April 1901. She visited Norfolk Island in July 1902,[3] and Suva, Fiji the following month.[4] Captain Richard Purefoy FitzGerald Purefoy was appointed to the ship in October 1902,[5] but did not take command until early in 1903, after Vice Admiral Arthur Dalrymple Fanshawe had taken command of the Australia Station. She left the Australia Station on 6 April 1904 and was paid off and refitted at Portsmouth.[1]

She recommissioned in 1905 and served on the North America and West Indies Station before returning to England in 1906.[1] Laid up in reserve for three years, she served as part of the Home Fleet and later Queenstown Training Squadron. She was a guardship at Scapa Flow during the early part of the First World War and later as a submarine depot ship.[1]

The bow of HMS Royal Arthur while drydocked in Sydney.
The stern of HMS Royal Arthur while drydocked in Sydney.

Fate

She was paid off in 1920 and sold in August 1921 for breaking up in Germany.

References
  1. Bastock, p.117-118.
  2. "The Royal Visit - Arrival of the Ophir". Sydney Morning Herald. 6 May 1901.
  3. "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times (36830). London. 26 July 1902. p. 8.
  4. "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times (36852). London. 21 August 1902. p. 8.
  5. "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times (36897). London. 13 October 1902. p. 7.

Sources
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