British cruiser 2nd class HMS Melampus 1889-1910

Apollo-class

Dutch protected cruiser Noord-Brabant based on Apollo design

Laid down at the shipyard of Vickers, Barrow-in-Furness, England on 30 August 1889, launched on 2 August 1890, completed in December 1891. Withdrawn as guard ship serving at Kingstown, Ireland in 1903 and finally sold to be broken up on 1 January 1910.

Part of the Apollo-class, designed by William Henry White, preceded by the Pearl-class and succeeded by the Astrea-class, consisting of the Andromache, Apollo, Latona, Melampus, Naiad, Sappho, Scylla, Sybille, Terpsichore, Thetis, Tribune, Aeolus, Brilliant, Indefatigable, Intrepid, Iphigenia, Pique, Rainbow, Retribution, Sirius and Spartan and which were built under the 1889 Naval Defence Act. The design of the Apollo-class was used for developing the Dutch protected cruisers Zr. Ms. Holland, Friesland, Gelderland, Noord-Brabant, Utrecht and Zeeland.

General technical specifications of the Apollo-2nd class protected cruisers. With a displacement of 3.700 tons/3.600 tons and as dimensions 96 x 13,26 x 5,33 metres or 314 x 43.6 x 17.6 feet. Speed 18,5 (natural draught)-20 (forced draught) knots. Crew numbered 273-300 men. The armament consisted of 2-15,2cm/6” quick firing guns. 6-12cm/4.7” quick firing guns, 8-6pd guns, 1-3pd quick firing gun and 4-36cm/14” surfaced torpedo tubes. The armour consisted of 4.5” thick gun shield, conning tower protected by 3” thick armour, the engine hatch by 5”and further more a 1.5-2” thick deck.

The Dutch protected cruiser Zr.Ms. Noord-Brabant had a displacement of 4.033 ton and as dimensions 94,7 x 14,8 x 5,4 metres. Her crew numbered 325 men. The armament consisted of 2-15cm guns, 6-12cm guns, 6-7,5cm guns, 4-3,7cm revolver guns,2-7,5cm mortars2, torpedo guns and 2 torpedo tubes. Maximum speed 20,08 miles. Armour consisted gun shields of 5cm thick deck with the conning tower protected by 10cm.