02 June 1869

Latitude 1.45S Longitude 54.54E.Course ENE. Wind SSE Force 4 to 5 decreasing to 3 to 4. Equator bearing 58EN by E 218 miles. A heavy swell from SE.

0600 Out reefs.

0730 Set Foretop stud sail.

0900 Prayers and exercised at General Quarters. Set lower stud sails.

1315 In lower stud sails. Trimmed. Training party of watch at drill. Fitting of spare Foretop yard.

1650 Mustered at Quarters. Exercised at fire quarters.

23.37 latitude by Antares 1.10S. (Antares is a red supergiant star that is nearing the end of its life. Once there is no more fuel left to burn, the star will collapse and explode into a supernova).

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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