27 June 1871

Latitude 19.29S. Longitude 58.48E. Course S68W. Wind SSE force 4. Under steam.  Midnight. Wind S by E force 3 to 4. Smooth sea.

0200. In first reef of Fore and main topsails and second reef of Mizzen topsail. )

0800 Out reefs. In Top gallant sails. Read Return of Court Martials.  Set Fore and main top gallant sails. Party at drill.

Noon. Flat Island S69W. 68 nautical miles. Altered course to W by S ¾ S.

1600. Observed Round island W by S.

1700 Wind freshening; in second reef of Fore and main topsails.

1700. Course WSW.

1800. Gunners Quoin W by S. Serpent Island NW 1/2W. Flat Island W ½ N.

1840 Altered course to west. 1920. Cannonier Light SW by W ½ W.

1945. Flat island light bore NE by E ½ S. altered course to SW by W ½ W.

2000. Cannonier Light SSW. Flat island Light NE by E ½ E.

2010 Shortened and furled after sails.

2040 Exercised at Night Quarters  firing blank.

2050 commenced steaming.

2100 Connonier Light bore SE by S. altered course  to SW by S and as requisite for light vessel.. shortened and furled sails. Observed Bel Light on port bow.

2300 Came to of Bell Light in 17 fathoms  with sandy bottom and veered to 45 fathoms. Anchorage bearings. Bel Light  east 2 cables.

 

Remarks

We made a tolerable quick passage from Trincomalee  having accomplished it in under 19 days – a distance of 2910 nautical miles. The Equator was crossed on th 12 June in Longitude 870 15’E with steady wind from SW. When we arrived we commenced steaming under Fore and Aft sails heading south still keeping the SW wind which occasionally hauled to the westward but at times light with rainy and squally weather. This continued until the 15th when we fell in with SE Trades. The heavy swell from the eastward giving us warming. With the Trades generally at SSE we sighted Round island on the 27th at 1600. The weather being very fine and high barometer. Stood in for passage between Flat island and Gunners Quoin on a WSW course until Round Island and Serpent Island were in one and then altered course to W ½ N through the channel. The reefs off round island and Gabriel Island were breaking heavily. The three remarkable pillars of basalt were not to be seen on Round Island.

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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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