HMAS Psyche

For other ships of the same name, see HMS Psyche.

HMAS Psyche in 1916 HMAS Psyche at Hong Kong in 1916
Career (Australia (RAN))
Builder:	HM Devonport Dockyard
Laid down:	1897
Launched:	19 July 1898
Acquired:	1 July 1915
Commissioned:	2 May 1899 (RN) 1 July 1915 (RAN)
Decommissioned:	March 1918
Fate:	Sold for scrap
General characteristics
Displacement:	2135 tons
Length:	95.7 metres (314 ft)
Beam:	11.2 metres (37 ft)
Draught:	5.18 metres (17.0 ft)
Speed:	20.5 knots (38.0 km/h) (design speed)
Complement:	230
Armament:	8 x QF 4-inch (101.6 mm) guns 8 x 3-pounder guns 2 x 14-inch torpedo tubes
Armour:	50 millimetres (2.0 in) deck

HMAS Psyche was a Pelorus class cruiser laid down for the Royal Navy as HMS Psyche by HM Devonport Dockyard at Plymouth on November 1897, launched on 19 July 1898 and completed in 1900.

There were eleven ""Third class"" protected cruisers in the Pelorus class, which were designed by Sir William White. While well armed for their size, they were primarily workhorses for the overseas fleet on “police” duties and did not serve with the main battlefleet.

They displaced 2,135 tons, had a crew complement of 224 men and were armed with eight QF 4 inch (102 mm) (25 pounder) guns, eight 3 pounder guns, three machine guns, and two 18 inch (457 mm) torpedo tubes. With reciprocating triple expansion engines and a variety of boilers, the top speed was 20 knots (37 km/h).

In 1914 she formed part of the escort for the New Zealand Force which occupied German Samoa (now Samoa). Late in 1914 she was laid up in Sydney. On 1 July 1915 she was commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy.

HMAS Psyche paid off on 26 March 1918 and was sold on 21 July 1922, ending up as a timber lighter (AWMM).

References

• HMAS Psyche Australian War Memorial webpage
• World War I Naval Combat webpage