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UNITED KINGDOM / LATE 19TH CENTURY / INDIVIDUAL SHIP

HMS Phaeton

Leander-class second-class cruiser.

Leander classRoyal NavyLate 19th centuryVerified subject image
The 1st Light Cruiser Squadron and seaplane carriers at sea, during the operation to bomb the German Zeppelin sheds at Tondern, 4 May 1916.
The 1st Light Cruiser Squadron and seaplane carriers at sea, during the operation to bomb the German Zeppelin sheds at Tondern, 4 May 1916. Visible, from left, are HMS CORDELIA , INCONSTANT , PHAETON , ENGADINE , VINDEX and GALATEA . Phaeton, Galatea and Inconstant are Arethusa class cruisers.This photograph SP 602 comes from the collections of the Imperial War Museums (collection no. 1900-01) · Public domainImage source
ClassLeander class
NavyRoyal Navy
CountryUnited Kingdom
Launched1883

What is known about this ship

Leander-class second-class cruiser.

Service history

Phaeton served as one of four partially protected cruisers of the Leander family.

Class context: Leander class

The four Leander-class cruisers were second-class Royal Navy cruisers built during the transition toward protected cruiser design.

This ship is recorded as a member of Leander class. Shared design history belongs on the class page; this page concentrates on the individual hull where evidence is available.

Sources and further reading

  1. British War Vessels Photograph Book — Admiralty Intelligence Department, March 1892 ↗Royal Museums Greenwich · accessed 2026-09-18
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