NAVYPEDIA

Photo

  Pyramus 1900 Many thanks to Wolfgang Stöhr for additional information on this page.  

Ships

Name	No	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comp	Fate
Proserpine	N84		Sheerness DYd	3.1896	5.12.1896	1899	sold for BU 11.1919
Pelorus			Sheerness DYd	5.1895	15.12.1896	3.1897	depot ship 1916
Pactolus		657	Armstrong, Elswick	5.1896	21.12.1896	9.1898	submarine depot ship 9.1912
Pegasus		718	Palmers, Jarrow	16.5.1896	4.3.1897	8.1898	sunk 20.9.1914
Pyramus		719	Palmers, Jarrow	15.5.1896	15.5.1897	1900	sold for BU 1.1920
Perseus		411	Earle, Hull	25.5.1896	15.7.1897	3.1901	sold 1914
Pomone			Sheerness DYd	21.12.1896	25.11.1897	5.1899	training hulk 1.1910
Psyche (7/1915- RAN)			Devonport DYd	11/1897	19.7.1898	1900	sold for BU 6.1922
Prometheus		412	Earle, Hull	1897	20.10.1898	6.1899	sold for BU 5.1914
Pioneer (12/1912- RAN)			Chatham DYd	16.12.1897	28.6.1899	11/1900	hulk 1924
Pandora			Portsmouth DYd	3.1.1898	17.1.1900	11.1901	sold for BU 7.1913

Technical data

Displacement normal, t
Displacement full, t	2135 - 2200
Length, m	91.4 pp 95.6 oa
Breadth, m	11.1
Draught, m	4.88
No of shafts	2
Machinery	Pandora, Perseus, Pioneer, Prometheus, Proserpine, Psyche: 2 3-cyl. VTE, 16 Thornycroft boilers Pelorus: 2 3-cyl. VTE, 16 Normand boilers Pegasus, Pyramus: 2 3-cyl. VTE, 16 Reed boilers Pactolus, Pomone: 2 3-cyl. VTE, 16 Blechynden boilers
Power, h. p.	7000
Max speed, kts	20
Fuel, t	coal 500
Endurance, nm(kts)	5500(10)
Armour, mm	steel; deck: 51 - 38, gun shields: 6, CT: 76
Armament	8 x 1 - 102/40 QF Mk I/III, 8 x 1 - 47/40 3pdr Hotchkiss Mk I, 3 х 1 - 7.7/94, 2 - 450 TT (beam, aw)
Complement	224

Standard scale images

Graphics

Project history

The Pelorus class were very similar in appearance and general arrangement to the earlier Pearl class but were slightly smaller, with a lighter armament, and demonstrated a different approach to the problem of obtaining high speed. They had more powerful machinery that the the earlier class with a natural draught power of 5000ihp compared with 4000ihp, but forced draught power was restricted to a realistic 7000ihp which was 500ihp less than that in Pearl and her sisters. In order, therefore, to provide for the high designed speed of 20kts they were made longer and narrower than the Pearls, with a length to beam ratio of 8.2:1 compared with 6.5:1. The narrower beam also meant a reduction in the level of stability and although their lighter armament compensated for this to some extent, they proved to be poor sea boats, having a heavy roll and being very wet in heavy weather.     Apart from the substitution of 102mm QFs for 120mm QFs, the gun armament was identical to that in the Pearl class and was disposed in the same manner.     They were fitted with a variety of boilers to test the qualities of some of the many water tube types available. The results were varied and, while most of the class exceeded their designed power, making between 20 and 21kts on trial, they all suffered from a certain amount of boiler trouble and after a few years' service average maximum speeds were around 16-17kts. The least successful were Pomone and Pactolus, whose Blechynden boilers were so troublesome that the ships were removed from the effective list after only a few years' service.

Ship protection

Main deck has 38-32mm flat part and 51-44mm slopes. Thicker part was over machinery.

Modernizations

None.

Naval service

Pegasus was sunk in action with German cruiser Königsberg at Zanzibar. 

Many thanks to Wolfgang Stöhr for additional information on this page.