HMS Tauranga

HMS Tauranga was a Pearl-class cruiser of the Royal Navy. The vessel was originally named Phoenix and built by J & G Thomson, Glasgow. She was launched on 28 October 1889.[2] Renamed on 2 April 1890, as Tauranga as part of the Auxiliary Squadron of the Australia Station. She arrived in Sydney with the squadron on 5 September 1891. During the Samoan civil war in 1899, she took part in operations with HMS Porpoise and HMS Royalist.[2] Spending between 1901 and 1903 in reserve at Sydney before being assigned to the New Zealand division of the Australia Station. She left the Australia Station on 14 December 1904. She was sold for £8500 in July 1906 to Thomas Ward for breaking up.[2]

A Pearl-class cruiser from Brassey's Naval Annual, 1897

Memorial to Payne, First Lieutenant of H.M.S. Tauranga, in Chester Cathedral.

HMS Tauranga, Tasmania in 1902.
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Phoenix
Builder	J & G Thomson, Glasgow
Launched	28 October 1889
Renamed	Tauranga, 1890
Fate	Sold in July 1906 for breaking up.
General characteristics
Class and type	Pearl-class cruiser
Displacement	2,575 tons
Length	278 ft (85 m) oa 256 ft (78 m) pp[1]
Beam	41 ft (12 m)[1]
Draught	15 ft 6 in (4.72 m)
Installed power	7,500 ihp (5,600 kW) on forced draught
Propulsion	2 × 3-cylinder triple-expansion steam engines 4 × double-ended cylindrical boilers 2 screws[1]
Speed	19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph)
Complement	217
Armament	8 × QF 4.7 inch (120 mm) guns 8 × 3-pounder guns 4 × machine guns 2 × 14-inch (356 mm) torpedo tubes
Armour	Deck: 1–2 in (25–51 mm) Gunshields: 2 in (51 mm) Conning tower: 3 in (76 mm)