22 April 1871

Latitude 10.58N. Longitude 97.57E.  Wind SE force 2 becoming southerly force 1. Barometer 29.85 inches. Maximum temperature 87F.

0400. Fletcher island NW by W.

0430 Altered course to S ¼ E. 0800. Black Rock NW by W ½ W. Steering for Lord Loughborough Island.

1740 Came to of Lord Loughborough Island in 14 fathoms with sandy bottom. Veered to 65 fathoms. Anchorage South Sentinel N15W and centre Sir W James island E 12 N. Sent cutter and gig away armed to examine village which was found deserted with only the sticks or poles that form their hut left. We have come here (Archipelago0 for the purpose of taking the pirates that frequent these islands during the fine monsoons. Their business appears to be to stop trading vessels (dhows chiefly) and demand the most valuable things but if resistance is shown they will use force and the consequence is people have been killed. These pirates are from Singapore. Four or five men are at present under sentence of death. Most of the islands we passed between were thickly wooded down to the water sedge.  The natives in the fine weather inhabit the outer islands and go in when the SW monsoon commences.. The Black Rock shows a very perpendicular face to the northward and not a vestige of shrub or anything but rock.  Once or twice small rocks were mistaken for sail. We gave chase until we saw our error.

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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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