08 May 1898

Moored in Outer Harbour Aden. Wind SW force 1 with broken cloud. Barometer 29.88 inches rising to 29.95 at 0800 and falling to 29.93 at noon  and to 29.87 at 1600 before ending at 29.92 inches at midnight. Temperature at noon 86F.  0330. Lit fires in cutter. 0430. Arrived special mail steamer Tela de Penay (?). Received 162 lbs of soft bread. 0615. Landed Roman Catholics and Wesleyans. 0930 divisions. 0930. RINS Mayo arrived. 1030. Performed divine Service. Noon. Wind south force1. 1400. Gave special leave to starboard watch until 0600 (9th). 1500. Russian Volunteer steamer Orel arrived

The Russian Volunteer Fleet was created in 1878 at St. Petersburg, at the behest of Tsar Alexander III and started sailings from Odessa to Vladivostok in 1880. He called for private donations to create a “Patriotic Squadron” to destroy the British mercantile fleet if war occurred between Russia and Britain over Afghanistan.
By 1890 there were only seven ships in the fleet, but this figure had grown to fifteen by 1900

Source https://www.theshipslist.com/ships/lines/russianv.shtml

  1. Quarters. Landed third range party. 1710. RINS Mayo sailed. 2000. P & O Steamship Oceania carrying outbound mails arrived. 2210. Drew fires in steam cutter. Coal expended 12 cwt. Number on sick list 3.
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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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