24 April 1900

At sea Vigo to Gibraltar. Course S49E at 11 knots. Wind SE force 1 to 2 with broken cloud. Barometer 30.14 inches rising to 30.19 at 0800 and then falling to 30.10 at noon before rising again to 30.13 at 1600; then falling to 30.10 inches where it finished at midnight. Temperature at noon 67F.

0330. Sighted Cape Trafalgar Light S80E.
0515. Altered course to S59E.
0710. Altered course to S84E.
0800. Wind SE force 2 with broken cloud.
0925. Stopped. 0930. Proceeded.
0940. Stopped made fast to new mole at Gibraltar.
1010. HMS Polyphemus proceeded.

The third HMS Polyphemus was a Royal Navy torpedo ram, serving from 1881 until 1903. A shallow-draft, fast, low-profile vessel, she was designed to penetrate enemy harbours at speed and sink anchored ships. Designed by Nathaniel Barnaby primarily as a protected torpedo boat, the ram was provided very much as secondary armament. Launched at Chatham 15 June 1881. Sold for braking up 7 July 1903.

1055. Commenced coaling.
Noon. Wind SE force 2 with broken cloud. Received 130 lbs of beef and 65 lbs of vegetables plus 270 lbs of bread.
1600. Wind west force 1 with broken cloud.
1620. Finished coaling. Received 120 tons.

Coal expended 8 tons 4 cwt. Number on sick list 4.

1806-1816

This is the account of the first vessel named HMS Cossack, a title that would be passed on to five later ships and commemorated by the Royal Navy in the Cossack Building at HMS Raleigh.

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1854-1875

The second Cossack was originally ordered by Russia for the Black Sea Fleet in December 1852 at a cost of 290,000 silver roubles. However, when relations between Britain and Russia deteriorated, Russia sold the vessels to the Hamburg trading firm Henry Mersk & Co.

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1886-1905

This account covers the third vessel named HMS Cossack. Launched on 3 June 1886 and in service until 1905, she spent the majority of her career in the Far East, calling at India, Aden, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), and other ports.

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1907-1919

The fourth HMS Cossack received the first Battle Honour for participating in operations along the Belgian coast from 17 October to 8 November 1914. This section contains copies of the original construction contract and detailed plans showing her launch, deck arrangements, and machinery.

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1938-1941

Credited with battle honours including Baltic 1855, Witu 1890, Dover Patrol 1914–1919, Narvik 1940, Norway 1940, Atlantic 1940–1941, the Bismarck Action 1941, and the Malta Convoys 1941, the HMS Cossack in service from 1938 to 1941 was a formidable presence.

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1944-1960

During Warship Week in February 1942, the town of Esher raised £1,192,211, contributing to the construction of the warship HMS Cossack. The funds were collected by the public depositing money into a rubber-type float in a pool. Remarkably, the surplus was enough to fund a submarine as well. The story continues.

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