ClassIris class
NavyRoyal Navy
CountryUnited Kingdom
Launched1877
What is known about this ship
Lead ship of the two-ship Iris class.
Service history
Iris served in the fast despatch/cruiser role during the Royal Navy’s transition toward protected cruisers.
Class context: Iris class
Iris and Mercury were fast Royal Navy despatch vessels later categorized as second-class protected cruisers.
Class relationship
This ship is recorded as a member of Iris class. Shared design history belongs on the class page; this page concentrates on the individual hull where evidence is available.
Sources and further reading
- Specifications for Iris (1877) and Mercury (1878) ↗Royal Museums Greenwich · accessed 2026-09-18
- British War Vessels Photograph Book — Admiralty Intelligence Department, March 1892 ↗Royal Museums Greenwich · accessed 2026-09-18
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