HMS Shannon. Britain's first armoured cruiser, built
by Pembroke Dockyard, laid down 29th August 1873, launched 11th November
1875 and completed for Royal Navy service 17th September 1877. She was
intended for foreign service, economically built but with sufficient size
and armament to engage any expected ironclads in far distant waters. HMS
Shannon served for a short period in the China station and for two years
in the Pacific, but her remaining service was in home waters. Due to
her construction she was inadequately built and armoured to be classed as
a battleship and was too slow compared to the new cruisers. In
1883 HMS Shannon was relegated to coastguard duty, and in 1893 HMS Shannon
was placed in reserve, finally sold for scrapping in December 1899.
Displacement: 5670 tons.
I.H.P: c.3,370 Length: 260 ft. Beam:
54 ft. Depth: 22 ft 3 ins. Speed: c.12.25 knots. Armament:
2 - 10in MLR, 7 - 9in MLR, 6 - 20pdr BL.
Complement: 452.
