31 December 1891

At anchor off Bombay harbour. Wind calm with broken cloud. Barometer 30.05 inches rising to 30.16 at 0800 before falling to 30.03 at 1600 and finishing at midnight at 30.08 inches. Temperature at noon 82F. 0630. Steam up in cutter. 0725. Weighed. Steaming and steering as requisite. 0900. Exercised at General Quarters. Firing annual Pr—- (?) (Unable to read handwriting) Steaming and steering around target as requisite. Noon. Wind clam with blue sky. 1440. Proceeded for harbour with target in tow. At 60 revolutions. Shaped to SE by E ¾ E. 1600. Observed HMS Marathon proceeding up the harbour. 1630. Course as requisite for harbour. 1810. Stopped and made fast to number 5 buoy. Banked fires. Distilling with one boiler. Lost overboard by accident – one hand line of 10 fathoms and one hand line lead. Draught of water forward 12 feet 9 inches. Aft 15 feet 3 inches. Ammunition expended below and on 29 December.

93 x steel case cartridges filled with E. XE 12 lbs
17 x steel cartridges filled P² 21 lbs
64 x Quick firing 3 pounder common shell
16 x Quick firing 3 pounder steel shell
48 x Breech loading Pallister 6 inch
50 x tubes (Unable to read handwriting)

Coal expended 8 tons 3cwt. Number on sick list 17.

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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