HMS Amphion (1883)

Amphionmoored at Coal Harbour, Vancouver, while serving on the Pacific Station in British Columbia, Canada, 1900.
History
United Kingdom
Name:	HMS Amphion
Ordered:	1880
Builder:	Pembroke dockyard
Laid down:	25 April 1881
Launched:	13 October 1883
Commissioned:	5 July 1887
Decommissioned:	25 May 1904
Fate:	Sold 1906
General characteristics
Class and type:	Leander-class second-class partially protected cruiser
Displacement:	4,300 tons (4,400 tonnes) load.
Tons burthen:	3,750 tons (B.O.M.).
Length:	300 ft (91 m) between perpendiculars. 315 ft 96.01 m) overall.
Beam:	46 ft (14 m).
Draught:	20 ft 8 in (6.30 m) aft, 19 ft 6 in (5.94 m) forward with 950 tons (970 tonnes) of coal and complete with stores and provisions.
Propulsion:	Sails and screw. Two shafts. Two cylinder horizontal direct acting compound engines, 12 cylindrical boilers, 5,500 IHP.
Speed:	16.5 knots (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph) designed 17-18 knots after funnels raised
Range:	11,000 nmi (20,000 km; 13,000 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). 725 tons coal normal, 1000 tons maximum = c. 6,000 nmi at economical speed.
Complement:	(1885): 275
Armament:	(1885): 10 × 6-inch (152 mm) breechloading guns 8 1-inch (25.4 mm) Nordenfelt guns 2 5-barrel and 2 2-barrel 0.45-in machineguns 4 above water torpedo dischargers.
Armour:	1.5 in (40mm) steel armoured deck (with sloped sides) over 165 ft. 1.5 in (40mm) gun shields.
Notes:	Carried 2 second class torpedo boats. Carried 7-pounder and 9-pounder boat guns and field guns.

HMS Amphion was a second class cruiser of the Leander class which served with the Royal Navy. She was built at Pembroke Dockyard, being laid down in 1881, launched in 1883 and completed in financial year 1885-86, and then lay in ordinary at Devonport. She was commissioned for the 1887 and 1888 annual manoeuvres. She was recommissioned in December 1888 served in the Pacific until 1890, in the Mediterranean from 1890 to 1895, in ordinary in Devonport from 1895 to 1897 and in the Pacific once more from 1897 to 1904, having a refit in 1900.

Amphion was built at Pembroke Dockyard, and completed in financial year 1885-86.

The December 1885 Navy List, listed Amphion at Devonport, with her commissioned and warrant officers borne in the Nanking as follows:

Amphion was commissioned for the annual manoeuvres on 5 July 1887, and paid off on 31 August 1887.

Amphion was commissioned for the annual manoeuvres on 4 July 1888, and paid off on 31 August 1888. In the manoeuvres, hostilities broke out at noon on 24 July 1888, and ended at noon on 20 August.

In the manoeuvres, Vice Admiral John K.E. Baird's force represented the British fleet, and England, Scotland and Wales were considered friendly to the British fleet and hostile to the enemy. Opposing Baird was the 'Achill' fleet, led by Rear Admiral George Tryon, and based in Berehaven on the south-west coast of Ireland and Lough Swilly on the north coast. All Irish territory was considered hostile to the British fleet and friendly to the enemy. At the outset Baird's fleet was concentrated on keeping Tryon's fleet shut up in their base ports. They failed. Both Tryon and his second in command broke the blockade on 4 August, and swooping round the extremities of Ireland, made a descent on British commerce and British ports.

Amphion was part of Rear Admiral George Tryon's 'Achill' fleet. "The Amphion left Lough Swilly with the [new battleship] Rodney, and broke the blockade with her on the night of 4th-5th August. During her cruize in the Channel and up the East Coast of Great Britain she claims the destruction of much shipping; and the capture of the coastguard stations at Scarborough and Wick, also, after leaving Lough Swilly the second time, to have visited Bude with a hostile purpose.