Astraea-class
Apollo-class
Built under the Naval Defence Act of 1889. Part of the Astraea-class protected cruisers consisting of the Astraea, Hermione, Charybdis, Bonaventure, Cambrian, Flora, Forte and Fox, preceded by the Apollo-class and succeeded by the Eclipse-class. Laid down by Devonport Dockyard, England in December 1890, launched on 2 December 1892, commissioned on 5 July 1894, converted at Haubowline Dockyard, Cork, Ireland into a submarine depot ship after May 1906-October 1907, piad off on 17 October 1919 and sold to the Forth Ship Breaking Compnay, Bo’ness to be broken up on 12 April 1920.
General technical class specifications.
With a displacement of 4.360 tons and as dimensions 97,5 (between perpendiculars)-103,48 (over all) x 15,09 x 5,8 metres or 320-339.6 x 49.6 x 19 feet. The machinery consisted of 3-cylinder turbines and 8 cylinder boilers supplying via 2 shafts 7.500 (natural draught)-9.500 (forced) draught ihp allowing a speed of 18 (natural draught)-19,5 (forced draught) knots. With a coal bunker capacity of 1.000 tons and a speed of 10 knots was the range 7.000 nautical miles. Crew numbered 318 men. The armour consisted of a 5,1cm/2” thick deck, 11cm/4.5” gun shields, a 13cm/5” thick engine hatch while the conning tower was protected by 7,6cm/3”-15,2cm/6” thick armour. The armament consisted of 2-15,24cm/6” quick firing guns, 8-12cm/4.7” quick firing guns, 10-5,7cm/2.2”/6pd quick firing guns, 1-4,7cm/1.9”/3pd quick firing gun and 4-45cm/18” torpedo tubes.
