26 November 1897

At sea. Bombay to Trincomalee. Course N72E at 3.2 knots with slight / smooth sea. Wind north force 2 with broken cloud. Barometer 30.05 inches falling to 30.02 at 1600 where it remained until midnight. Temperature at noon 89F. 0020. Great Bass light abeam. Altered course to NE at 6.3 knots. 0100. Little Basses n30£. Put clock on 11 minutes. 0250. Little Basses abeam. 0300. Altered course to NNE. Exercised sea boats crews. Exercised close watertight doors. 0400. Little Basses S70W. 0530. Lost sight of Little Basses S46W. 0600. Sunrise. 0710. Altered course to N7W. Wind calm. 0800. Divisions and prayers. Read stations for General Quarters. 1000. Exercised General Quarters.1100. Friars Hood N60W. Employed as requisite.

Walimbe Hela  (Friars Hood) is next to Metigamahola and is located in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka.

Noon. Position 7.15N. 81.59E. wind light. 1400. Employed as requisite. 1620. Altered course to N28W. 1700. Quarters. Unbent forward trysail and spanker. . 1750. Sunset. S68W. 1900. Ordinary seamen and Boys in chains.

The chains were small platforms, built on either side of the hull of a ship, used to provide a wide purchase for the shrouds, and to assist in the practice of depth sounding. The chains provided a platform for a ‘leadsman’, the sailor assigned to swing the sounding line, or ‘lead’ into the water.

  1. Stopped. Sounded in 110 fathoms. 2245. Proceeded at 85 revolutions. 23oo. Exercised sea boats crews. Exercised close watertight doors. Midnight. Stopped. Sounded in 110 fathoms. Coal expended 21 tons 6 cwt. Number on sick list 11.
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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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