.jpg) Sister ship Diogenes as USS Topeka in 1898
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| History | |
|---|---|
 Peru | |
| Name | Lima |
| Launched | December 1880 |
| Completed | 1885 |
| In service | 1889 |
| Out of service | 1937 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Lima-class cruiser |
| Displacement | 1,700 long tons (1,700 t) (normal) |
| Length | 77.7 m (254 ft 11 in) |
| Beam | 10.67 m (35 ft) |
| Draught | 4.7 m (15 ft 5 in) |
| Installed power | 4 x coal-fired Scotch boilers, 1,800 ihp (1,300 kW) |
| Propulsion | 2 x compound engines driving 2 shafts |
| Speed | 16.2 kn (30.0 km/h; 18.6 mph) |
| Complement | 150 |
| Armament |
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Lima was the lead ship of what was to be a two-ship class of unprotected cruisers for the Peruvian Navy, but ended up being the sole member of the class. Originally to be named Socrates and constructed as a merchant ship in Germany, the ship was purchased by Peru during the War of the Pacific and converted to a warship in England. The sale was complex, involving subterfuge to get around embargoes on the purchase of armed vessels by belligerent countries, and was only completed after the war's conclusion. On commissioning, the cruiser was the largest vessel in the Peruvian fleet. Initially armed with two 6 in (152 mm) guns, the ship's main armament was replaced in 1901 with 4 in (102 mm)] guns. The ship was mobilised in 1910 in response to the threat of war with Ecuador. In 1920, the ship was refitted in Panama and subsequently operated as a transport and submarine depot. The vessel briefly saw service in the Colombia–Peru War in 1933 as a floating battery and was discarded in 1937.