Pearl-class cruiser

The Pearl-class cruiser was a third-class protected cruiser designed by Sir William White for the Royal Navy. Nine ships were built to this design, five of which were paid for by Australia under the terms of the Imperial Defence Act of 1887 to serve in Australian waters.

HMS Tauranga in Tasmania circa. 1902
Class overview
Name	Pearl
Operators	Royal Navy Royal Australian Navy Royal New Zealand Navy
Preceded by	Barham class
Succeeded by	Apollo class
Built	1888–1890
In commission	1890 - 1947
Completed	9
Retired	9
General characteristics
Type	Third-class cruiser
Displacement	2,575 tons
Length	278 ft (84.7 m) oa 256 ft (78.0 m) pp
Beam	41 ft (12.5 m)
Draught	15 ft 6 in (4.72 m)
Installed power	7,500 ihp on forced draught
Propulsion	2 × 3-cylinder triple-expansion steam engines 4 × double-ended cylindrical boilers 2 screws
Speed	19 kn (35 km/h; 22 mph)
Complement	217
Armament	8 × QF 4.7 inch (120 mm) guns 8 × QF 3-pounder (47 mm) guns 4 × machine guns 2 × 14-inch (356 mm) torpedo tubes

Design

Pearl-class ships displaced 2,575 tons and were capable of 19 knots (35.2 km/h).

HMS Pallas at Quebec, Quebec in 1901

Right elevation, deck plan and hull section as depicted in Brassey's Naval Annual 1897

Ships

Name	Launched	Fate
Pallas	1890	Sold for scrap in 1906.
Pandora	1889	Renamed HMS Katoomba. Sold for scrap in 1906.
Pearl	1890	Sold for scrap in 1906.
Pelorus	1889	Renamed HMS Mildura. Sold for scrap in 1906.
Persian	1890	Renamed HMS Wallaroo and then HMS Wallington. Changed back to original in 1920 before being sold for scrap.
Philomel	1890	Transferred to New Zealand Navy in 1914. Sold on 17 January 1947. Scuttled 6 August 1949.
Phoebe	1890	Sold for scrap in 1906.
Phoenix	1889	Renamed HMS Tauranga. Sold for scrap in 1906.
Psyche	1889	Renamed HMS Ringarooma. Sold for scrap in 1906.

HMS Pearl

References

• Winfield, R.; Lyon, D. (2004). The Sail and Steam Navy List: All the Ships of the Royal Navy 1815–1889. London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-032-6. OCLC 52620555.
• Battleships-cruisers.co.uk: Pearl-class