Crête-à-Pierrot
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| History | |
|---|---|
 Haiti
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| Name: | Crête-à-Pierrot |
| Builder: | Earle's Shipbuilding & Engineering Co, Hull (Yard 396) |
| Launched: | 7 November 1895 |
| Commissioned: | 1896 |
| Out of service: | 1902 |
| Fate: | Destroyed to prevent capture |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Gunboat |
| Displacement: | 950 tons |
| Installed power: | Triple expansion steam engines |
| Propulsion: | Single screw propeller |
| Speed: | 16 knots (30 km/h) |
| Complement: | 175 |
| Armament: |
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Crête-à-Pierrot was a ship in the Haitian Navy. It was destroyed by Admiral Hammerton Killick in 1902 to prevent it falling into the hands of a German warship.
The ship displaced 950 tons. It was powered by a triple expansion steam engine driving a single screw propeller, giving a speed of 16 knots (30 km/h). Armament comprised a 16 cm, 12 cm and four 10 cm guns, four Nordenfelt machine guns and two Maxim machine guns.
The Haitian Government commissioned an armed cruiser to be designed by Sir E J Reed and built by Earle's Shipbuilding & Engineering Co at Hull, Yorkshire, England. The ship was launched as Crête-à-Pierrot on 7 November 1895. After arming in France, it was added to the Haitian Navy in 1896 and considered the Navy's crown jewel, the best of the four ships it possessed at the time.
Crête-à-Pierrot's first commander was Captain Gilmour, from Scotland, who served under contract to Haiti.
In 1902 Haiti was enveloped in a civil war over who would become president after the sudden resignation of Tirésias Simon Sam. Crête-à-Pierrot was controlled by Admiral Hammerton Killick and supporters of Anténor Firmin and was used to blockade ports where Pierre Nord Alexis was gathering troops. There was a plan to use Crête-à-Pierrot to transport Firmin to Port-au-Prince while Jean Jumeau marched on Port-au-Prince by land.
In September 1902, Crête-à-Pierrot seized a German ammunition ship, Markomannia en route to provide ammunition to Alexis' forces. Alexis asked Germany for help subduing a pirate ship. In response, Germany sent SMS Panther to find and capture Crête-à-Pierrot.
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Wikipedia