HMS Bonaventure (1892)

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Bonaventure.

HMS Bonaventure was an Astraea-class second class cruiser of the Royal Navy, ordered as part of the eight-ship Astraea class under the Naval Defence Act of 1889. She was commissioned for service in 1895, and survived to serve in the First World War.

HMS Bonaventure in the 1890s (IWM Q21029)
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Bonaventure
Builder	Devonport Dockyard
Laid down	December 1890
Launched	2 December 1892
Commissioned	5 July 1894
Fate	Sold on 12 April 1920
General characteristics
Class & type	Astraea-class cruiser
Displacement	4,360 tons
Length	320 ft (98 m) (p/p)
Beam	49.5 ft (15.1 m)
Draught	21 ft 6 in (6.55 m)
Propulsion	Triple expansion engines Two shafts 7,500 ihp
Speed	18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph) (natural draught) 19.5 knots (36.1 km/h; 22.4 mph) (forced draught)
Range	Carried 1000 tons coal (max)
Complement	318
Armament	2 × QF 6-inch (152.4 mm) guns 8 × QF 4.7 in (120 mm) guns 1 × 76 mm (3.0 in) gun 2 × 6-pounder guns 1 × 3-pounder gun 4 × machine guns 3 × 18 inch (450 mm) torpedo tubes
Armour	Conning tower: 3–6 in (76–152 mm) Deck: 2 in (51 mm) Engine hatch: 5 in (130 mm)

History

The launch of the new cruiser, Bonaventure, at Devonport, Princess Marie of Edinburgh performing the christening ceremony. The Graphic 1892

Bonaventure served in the Pacific Squadron, including service in the 3rd China War, under command of Captain Robert Montgomerie RN.^[1]

She returned in May 1906 to Devonport to be paid off. She then went to Haulbowline Dockyard, Cork, Ireland to be converted into a depot ship for submarines.

Bonaventure, converted to a submarine depot

This work was completed in April 1907 and she continued to serve during the First World War as a submarine depot ship.^[2]

Stern view of HMS Bonaventure anchored at Spithead, 1909 (National Maritime Museum)

C31 alongside HMS Bonaventure

Scrapping

Bonaventure returned to the UK and was paid off on 17 October 1919. She was sold on 12 April 1920 to the Forth Ship Breaking Company, Bo'ness.