HMS Powerful (1895)

Sailors line the deck of Powerful in Sydney Harbour, Australia (1905–1912)
History
United Kingdom
NamePowerful
BuilderVickers Limited, Barrow-in-Furness
Laid down10 March 1894
Launched24 July 1895
Commissioned8 June 1897
RenamedImpregnable, November 1919
ReclassifiedTraining ship, August 1912
Stricken27 March 1929
FateSold for scrap, August 1929
General characteristics (as built)
Class and typePowerful-class protected cruiser
Displacement14,200 long tons (14,400 t) (normal)
Length538 ft (164.0 m) (o/a)
Beam71 ft (21.6 m)
Draught27 ft (8.2 m)
Installed power
Propulsion
Speed22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph)
Range7,000 nmi (13,000 km; 8,100 mi) at 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph)
Complement894 (designed); 799 (1916)
Armament
Armour

HMS Powerful was the lead ship of her class of two protected cruisers built for the Royal Navy (RN) in the 1890s. She was initially assigned to the China Station and then provided landing parties which fought in the Siege of Ladysmith of 1899–1900 during the Second Boer War. After a lengthy refit, the ship was placed in reserve until 1905 when Powerful became the flagship of the Australia Station. Upon her return home in 1912, she was again reduced to reserve for a brief time before she was reclassified as a training ship. The ship remained in this role until 1929 when she was sold for scrap.