The Astraea-class second-class protected cruisers

The eight ships of the Astraea-class of second-class protected cruisers were built for the Royal Navy in the period after the passing of the Naval Defence Act (1889). During their service, they operated across the world and served on foreign stations in the Indian and Pacific Oceans and off the coast of South Africa.

HMS Astraea.

By the outbreak of the First World War, the class was obsolete (one had even been sold for scrapping) but the survivors continued in service with the Royal Navy in a number of secondary roles, including acting a training and depot ships. With the exception of one of the class (HMS Hermione), they were all sold and scrapped soon after the end of the war.

The class's characteristics were:

• Displacement: 4,360 tons
• Dimensions:
• Length:  320ft (97.5m)
• Beam: 49ft 6in (15.09m)
• Draught: 19ft (5.8m)
• Propulsion:  8 x cylinder boilers providing steam to 2 x 3-cylinder vertical triple expansion engines (7,500 hp) each connected to a shaft driving a propeller
• Speed:  18 knots (19.5 knots with forced draught)
• Range:  7,000 nautical miles at 10 knots
• Complement: 318
• Armament 2 x 6-inch (152mm) QF guns; 8 x 4.7-inch (120mm) QF guns 10 x 6-pounder (57mm) QF guns; 1 x 3-pounder (47mm) QF guns; 4 x 18-inch (450mm) torpedo tubes
• Armour: 
• Deck: 2 inches (50mm)
• Engine hatch: 5 inches (130mm)
• Gun shields: 4.5 inches (110mm)
• Conning tower: 6 to 3 inches (152mm to 76mm)

There were eight ships on the class:

• Astraea: Laid down: August 1890; Launched: 17th March 1893; Completed: 5th November 1895; Sold: 1st July 1920
• Bonaventure: Laid down: December 1890; Launched: 2nd December 1892; Completed: 5th July 1894; May 1906 to April 1907: Converted into a submarine depot ship; Sold: 12th July 1920
• Cambrian: Laid down: 1891; Launched: 30th January 1893; Completed: March 1916; Renamed HMS Harlech and converted into a base ship; Renamed HMS Vivid in September 1921; Sold: February 1923
• Charybdis:Laid down: 1891; Launched: 15th June 1893; Completed: 14th January 1896; Sold: 1922
• Flora: Laid down ; ?; Launched: 21st November 1893; Completed: ?; 1914: Paid off and retained for harbour service; April 1915: Renamed Indus II and used as a training ship; Sold: 12th December 1922
• Forte: Laid down:?; Launched: 9th December 1893; Completed: 5th November 1895; 1913: Paid off for disposal; Sold: 2nd April 1914
• Fox: Laid down: ?; Launched: 15th June 1893; Completed: 14th April 1896; Sold: 1920
• Hermione: Laid down: December 1891; Launched: 7th November 1893; Completed: 14th January 1896; December 1916: Became HQ ship for coastal forces; Sold: October 1921 to the Marine Society and renamed Warspite; Sold: September 1940