Pearl-class cruiser

	HMS Tauranga in Tasmania circa. 1902
Class overview
Name	Pearl
Operators	Royal Navy ; Royal Australian Navy ; Royal New Zealand Navy ;
Preceded by	Barham class ; Marathon class ;
Succeeded by	Apollo class
Built	1888–1890
In commission	1890 - 1947
Completed	9
Retired	9
General characteristics
Type	Third-class cruiser
Displacement	2,575 tons
Length	278 ft (84.7 m) oa ; 256 ft (78.0 m) pp ;
Beam	41 ft (12.5 m)
Draught	15 ft 6 in (4.72 m)
Installed power	7,500 ihp on forced draught
Propulsion	2 × 3-cylinder triple-expansion steam engines; 4 × double-ended cylindrical boilers; 2 screws;
Speed	19 kn (35 km/h; 22 mph)
Complement	217
Armament	8 × QF 4.7 inch (120 mm) guns ; 8 × QF 3-pounder (47 mm) guns ; 4 × machine guns; 2 × 14-inch (356 mm) torpedo tubes ;

Last updated June 21, 2025

The Pearl-class cruiser, also called Pallas-class, was a third-class protected cruiser designed by Sir William White for the Royal Navy. Nine ships were built to this design, five of which were paid for by Australia under the terms of the Imperial Defence Act of 1887 to serve in Australian waters.

Design

Pearl-class ships displaced 2,575 tons and were capable of 19 knots (35.2 km/h).

Ships

Name	Launched	Fate
Pallas	1890	Sold for scrap in 1906.
Pandora	1889	Renamed HMS Katoomba. Sold for scrap in 1906.
Pearl	1890	Sold for scrap in 1906.
Pelorus	1889	Renamed HMS Mildura. Sold for scrap in 1906.
Persian	1890	Renamed HMS Wallaroo and then HMS Wallington. Changed back to original in 1920 before being sold for scrap.
Philomel	1890	Transferred to New Zealand Navy in 1914. Sold on 17 January 1947. Scuttled 6 August 1949.
Phoebe	1890	Sold for scrap in 1906.
Phoenix	1889	Renamed HMS Tauranga. Sold for scrap in 1906.
Psyche	1889	Renamed HMS Ringarooma. Sold for scrap in 1906.

Citations

1 2 3 Winfield (2004) p.276

References

Winfield, R.; Lyon, D. (2004). The Sail and Steam Navy List: All the Ships of the Royal Navy 1815–1889. London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-032-6. OCLC 52620555.
Battleships-cruisers.co.uk: Pearl-class
Morris, Douglas (1987), Cruisers of the Royal and Commonwealth Navies, Maritime Books, Liskeard, Cornwall, Great Britain. ISBN 0-907771-35-1

External links

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[RW-1] 1 2 3 Winfield (2004) p.276

[1]

v t e Pearl-class cruisers
Royal Navy	Pandora / Katoomba Phoenix / Tauranga Pelorus / Mildura Psyche / Ringarooma Persian / Wallaroo / Wallington / Persian Pallas Phoebe Pearl Philomel
Royal New Zealand Navy	Philomel
Preceded by: Barham class Followed by: Apollo class
List of cruisers of the Royal Navy

v t e British naval ship classes of the First World War
Aircraft/Seaplane carriers	Empress ^S^V Riviera ^S^V Engadine ^S^V Ark Royal ^S Ben-my-Chree ^S^V Campania ^S^V Raven II ^S^V Anne ^S^V Vindex ^S^V Manxman ^S^V Furious ^M Pegasus ^S^V Nairana ^S^V Argus ^S^V Vindictive ^S^V
Dreadnought battleships	Dreadnought ^S Bellerophon St Vincent Neptune ^S Colossus Orion King George V Erin ^S Agincourt ^S Iron Duke Canada ^S Queen Elizabeth Revenge
Pre-dreadnought battleships	Royal Sovereign Majestic Canopus Formidable London Duncan King Edward VII Swiftsure Lord Nelson
Battlecruisers	Invincible Indefatigable Lion Queen Mary ^S Tiger ^S Renown Courageous Admiral ^S^A
Armoured cruisers	Cressy Drake Monmouth Devonshire Duke of Edinburgh Warrior Minotaur
Heavy cruisers	Hawkins ^A
Light cruisers	Town ^G Arethusa C ^G^C Danae ^C Emerald ^A
Protected cruisers	Apollo Astraea Eclipse Blake Pearl Edgar Powerful Diadem Arrogant Pelorus Highflyer Challenger Topaze
Scout cruisers	Adventure Forward Pathfinder Sentinel Boadicea Blonde Active
Destroyer flotilla leaders	Swift ^S Faulknor Marksman Parker Thornycroft (or Shakespeare) ^C Admiralty (or Scott) ^C
Destroyers	A ^G B ^G C ^G D ^G E ^G F G H I K L Admiralty M Hawthorn M Thornycroft M Yarrow M Yarrow Later M Medea Arno ^S R ^G S ^G^C Talisman V and W ^G^C
Torpedo boats	TB 81 ^S TB 98 TB 109 TB 114 Cricket ^G
Monitors	Marshal Ney Abercrombie Lord Clive Humber Gorgon M15 M29 Erebus
Minesweepers	Racecourse Hunt Dance
Gunboats	Fly Insect
Submarines	A B C D E F G H ^C J K L ^C M ^C R ^C Swordfish ^S V
Sloops	P Cadmus Flower Acacia Azalea Arabis Anchusa Aubrietia 24 ^C
naval trawlers	Castle Mersey
A All completed after the war C One or more completed after the war G Grouping of several classes M converted from Courageous class S Single ship of class V Conversions

Class overview
HMS Tauranga in Tasmania circa. 1902
Name	Pearl
Operators	Royal Navy Royal Australian Navy Royal New Zealand Navy
Preceded by	Barham class Marathon class
Succeeded by	Apollo class
Built	1888–1890
In commission	1890 - 1947
Completed	9
Retired	9
General characteristics
Type	Third-class cruiser
Displacement	2,575 tons
Length	278 ft (84.7 m) oa 256 ft (78.0 m) pp ^[1]
Beam	41 ft (12.5 m)^[1]
Draught	15 ft 6 in (4.72 m)
Installed power	7,500 ihp on forced draught
Propulsion	2 × 3-cylinder triple-expansion steam engines 4 × double-ended cylindrical boilers 2 screws^[1]
Speed	19 kn (35 km/h; 22 mph)
Complement	217
Armament	8 × QF 4.7 inch (120 mm) guns 8 × QF 3-pounder (47 mm) guns 4 × machine guns 2 × 14-inch (356 mm) torpedo tubes