- Source: HMS Pyramus (1897)
HMS Pyramus was a Pelorus-class protected cruiser of the Royal Navy. There were eleven "Third class" protected cruisers in the class, which was designed by Sir William White. While well armed for their size, they were primarily workhorses for the overseas fleet on "police" duties and did not serve with the main battlefleet.
They displaced 2,135 tons, had a crew complement of 224 men and were armed with eight QF 4 inch (102 mm, 25 pounder) guns, eight 3-pounder guns, three machine guns, and two 18 inch (457 mm) torpedo tubes. With reciprocating triple expansion engines and a variety of boilers, the top speed was 20 knots (37 km/h).
HMS Pyramus was laid down at Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company, Jarrow in May 1896, and launched on 15 May 1897.
She served in various colonial posts, including in the Mediterranean Fleet in 1901–02. Commander Alfred Ernest Albert Grant was appointed in command on 2 August 1901. In October 1902 she was reported to be visiting Suda Bay at Crete.
In 1914 she formed part of the escort for the New Zealand Force which occupied German Samoa (now Samoa). In July 1915 she was present at the Rufiji river delta action when the monitors HMS Severn and HMS Mersey destroyed the German cruiser SMS Königsberg.
She was sold for scrap on 21 April 1920.
Notes
References
World War I Naval Combat webpage
Miramar Ship Index listing
Imperial War Museum Book of the War at Sea 1914–1918.
Gardiner, Robert, ed. Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860-1905. New York: Mayflower Books Inc., 1979. ISBN 0-8317-0302-4.