HMS Challenger (1902)

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

HMS Challenger was a second-class protected cruiser of the Challenger-class of the Royal Navy.

Challenger
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Challenger
Builder	HM Dockyard Chatham
Laid down	1 December 1900
Launched	27 May 1902
Christened	Mrs. Eva Holland
Completed	1904
Fate	Broken up for scrap in 1920
General characteristics
Class & type	Challenger-class protected cruiser
Displacement	5,900 tons
Length	355 ft (108.2 m)
Beam	56 ft (17.1 m)
Draught	21 ft 8 in (6.60 m)
Propulsion	12,500 horsepower
Speed	21 knots (39 km/h)
Armament	11 × BL 6-inch (152.4 mm) Mk VII guns 8 × 12 pounder guns 6 × 3-pounder guns 2 × 18-inch (450-mm) torpedo tubes

Construction

Challenger was designed by Sir William Henry White, Director of Naval Construction, and was built at the Chatham Dockyard, where she was laid down on 1 December 1900.^[1] She was launched there on 27 May 1902, when she was named by Eva Holland, wife of Rear-Admiral S. C. Holland, Admiral-Superintendent of Chatham Dockyard.^[2]

Her machinery was made by the Wallsend Slipway & Engineering Company, and there were 12 boilers of the Babcock & Wilcox type.^[1]

Service history

Challenger being docked in 1905

Challenger was commissioned by Captain F.C.T. Tudor, R.N., on 3 May 1904,^[3] and commenced duty on the Australia Station in July 1904 as recruit training ship.^[4][5] She was paid off into reserve on 10 October 1912 before recommissioning during the First World War. She initially served as part of the Ninth Cruiser Squadron off West Africa before serving in East African waters. She was sold in 1920 and was broken up for scrap.