Royal Naval Cruisers

History of the Royal Navy Cruisers including light cruisers from the First World War and Second World War to the modern warships used today. Short histories of each ship and data including complement, armament, speed, range and displacement are available for each cruiser. Also photographs of ships and personnel supplied by ex-crew and images of fine art prints supplied courtesy of the naval art company. Notice boards for each ship class are available for family of ex-crew and ship enthusiasts.

[ HMS Shannon ] [ Converted Frigates ] [ Walker Screw Frigates ] [ Immortalite Frigates ] [ Juno Screw Corvettes ] [ Eclipes Class ] [ Amethyst Class Corvette ] [ Satellite Class  Sloops ] [ Condor Class ] [ Cruisers in 1880s ] [ Caledon Class ] [ Ceres Class ] [ Capetown Class ] [ Danae Class ] [ Kent Class ] [ London Class ] [ Norfolk Class ] [ York Class ] [ Leander Class ] [ Arethusa Class ] [ Southampton Class ] [ Dido Class ] [ Fiji Class ] [ HMS Adventure ] [ Blake Class ] [ Orlando Class ] [ Aeolus Class ] [ Bellona Class ] [ Early Frigates ] [ Armoured Cruisers ] [ Light Cruisers ] [ Diadem Class ] [ Pelorus Class ] [ Abdiel Class ] [ Gem Class ] [ Swiftsure/Tiger Class ] [ Edinburgh Class ] [ Gloucester Class ]

If you would like to leave a message to contact ex-crew or find information about a certain cruiser, you are welcome to USE OUR MESSAGE FORM 

To see details of the ships class click the 'view class' link. To see details on a specific ship click the ships name.

Pre 1860 Screw Frigates

HMS Imperieuse.

A large image size 10" x 7" approx, is available.  Reproduced from the original negative / photo under license from MPL, the copyright holder.  A signed numbered certificate is supplied. Price £25.   Order photograph here   Order Code  XMP892

Original republished © MPL Photograph (Postcard Size).  Price £5 Click here to order.  Order Code  MP892

HMS Imperieuse.

A large image size 10" x 7" approx, is available.  Reproduced from the original negative / photo under license from MPL, the copyright holder.  A signed numbered certificate is supplied. Price £25.   Order photograph here   Order Code  XMP893

Original republished © MPL Photograph (Postcard Size).  Price £5 Click here to order.  Order Code  MP893

HMS Liffey, 1869.

HMS Liverpool, 1869.

Pre 1860 Screw Corvettes

HMS Challenger, 1870.

A reproduction of this original photo / photo-postcard size 10" x 7" approx available.  Order photograph here  © Walker Archive. Order Code  PHC0909

HMS Pearl.

Pre 1860 Paddle Frigates

Pre 1860 Screw Sloops

HMS Cruiser, Malta, 1894.

This ship was renamed Cruiser in 1857, then as the training ship Lark from March 1893, but was sold for scrap in Malta in 1912.  Although the photograph seems to have the name of the ship wrong, (it should be Lark in 1894), this is probably through local persistence of the name.

A reproduction of this original photo / photo-postcard size 10" x 7" approx available.  Order photograph here  © Walker Archive. Order Code LGE0183

Pre 1860 Paddle Sloops

Pre 1860 Sailing Sloops

Ships shown with grey background were in reserve or were similarly ineffective by 1860.

HMS Camilla, Canton River, 1858.

Several sources mention different dates for the loss of HMS Camilla, some say September 1860, others say March 1861.  Certainly it was not before 1860.

A reproduction of this original photo / photo-postcard size 10" x 7" approx available.  Order photograph here  © Walker Archive. Order Code  LGE0136

H Hawkes, Commander R.N.

HM Brig Camilla was lost in a typhoon in the China seas on her voyage to Japan, 1860.  She had left Plymouth in 1856 with the following officers on board, but never returned.

Commander G Colville - lost, Lieutenant H Hawkes - lost, Lieutenant Andrew - became Commander, Surgeon Girvan - lost, Master Read (or Reid) - became Master, Paymaster Hooper - became Paymaster, Mate Kellett - lost?, Midshipman Hare - became Lieutenant, Midshipman Thackeray - lost, Midshipman Macdonnell - lost, Nav Cad Berner - became Lieutenant, Nav Cad Markham - became Lieutenant.

We know all hands were lost in this incident, so the list is confusing in that the officers here marked as lost were certainly lost with the Camilla, but it is unclear whether the officers with new ranks were no longer with the Camilla when the ship was lost, or whether they had been promoted before being lost with the ship.  In the four or five years since leaving Plymouth, it is likely that at least some of the officers would have left the ship in one way or another - we know from the obituary for example that Commander Colville himself Captained HMS Niger before returning to HMS Camilla during this time.

The distressing loss of her Majesty's ship Camilla, with all hands on board, in a typhoon off the coast of Japan, is already known to the public.  No further particulars have, as yet, transpired, and probably never will.  The officer commanding the sloop, Commander George Twistleton Colville R.N., was the second surviving son of Frederick Charles Aston Colville, Esq., of Barton House, Warwickshire, by his wife, Mary, sister to Chandos, late Lord Leigh, and was a scion of the ancient cavalier house of Colville, of Newton Colville.  He was born in 1826, and entered the Royal Navy in 1839.  He joined as a Midshipman aboard the Talbot in the spring of 1840, and in the same year was present at the bombardment of St. Jean d'Acre, for which he received two medals.  After further service, he was appointed Gunnery Lieutenant on board the Rodney, from which ship he acted as its senior Lieutenant in the siege operations, and commanded a battery of the Naval Brigade before Sebastopol with great distinction, and was seized with Crimean fever, from which he was not expected to recover.  He was also at the battle of Inkerman, for which he had a clasp.  For his gallant conduct throughout he received an English and Turkish medal, and was created an officer of the Imperial Order of Mejidie.  In the summer of 1856 he was appointed, as Commander, to the Camilla, and sailed almost directly for China; and while there, in March, 1859, he was appointed acting Captain of the Niger steam-sloop, and he immediately afterwards went on a cruising expedition, which important service he so gallantly and successfully carried out that his despatch on the occasion was published by Government, accompanied by a letter from Admiral Sir Michael Seymour urging his claims for promotion.  During the latter part of 1859 and the commencement of the year following, Colville continued to be engaged in important duty in the China Seas, whence it was his sad fate never to return.  Commander Colville, who was much and deservedly esteemed for his professional talents, amiable disposition, and many other qualities, is deeply regretted by his family and numerous friends.  He marked for promotion to the rank of Post Captain on the 26th ult.

HMS Eurydice.

A reproduction of this original photo / photo-postcard size 10" x 7" approx available.  Order photograph here  © Walker Archive. Order Code BLD0014

Pre 1860 Sailing Frigates

Ships shown with grey background were in reserve or were similarly ineffective by 1860.