HMS Pelorus (1896)

HMS Pelorus was the first of the Pelorus-class cruiser, and was laid down at Sheerness dockyard in 1896. Completed and commissioned into the Royal Navy on 15 December the same year, it was designed by Sir William White. Construction cost £154,315. The ship was well armed for its size, but was primarily a workhorse for the overseas fleet.

HMS Pelorus displaced 2,135 tons and had a top speed of 20 kn. It had reciprocating triple expansion engines and Normand water-tube boilers which could give 7000 hp for limited periods of time with forced draught, and 5000 hp under natural draught. It carried a crew complement of 224 men and it was armed with eight QF 4 inch (102 mm) (25 pounder) guns, eight QF 3 pounder (47-mm) guns, three machine guns, and two 18-inch (450-mm) torpedo tubes.

In 1901, the ship was stationed at Gibraltar as part of the Channel Squadron under the command of Commander Ernest C J Troubridge.

In 1906, the ship was assigned to the Cape of Good Hope Station under the command of Commander James C. Tancred. In 1908 the captain was Arthur W Craig.