View source for H.M.S. Blenheim (1890)

<div name=fredbot:career>{{ShipCareer|fullname=H.M.S. ''Blenheim'' (1890)|fate2=
|comm=1 Jan, 1891<ref>''Naval & Military intelligence'' The Times (London). Friday, 28 December, 1900.  p. 5.</ref><ref>''Naval & Military intelligence'' The Times (London). Thursday, 7 March, 1901. p. 11</ref>
|fatedate=13 Jul, 1926{{Conways1860|p. 66}}
|order=
|name=Blenheim
|launch=5 Jul, 1890{{Conways1860|p. 66}}
|builder=[[Thames Iron Works]]{{Conways1860|p. 66}}
|laid=Oct, 1888{{Conways1860|p. 66}}
|fate=Sold
|pend=
|fg=white|bg=crimson}}</div name=fredbot:career>
Britain's protected cruiser '''H.M.S. ''Blenheim''''' was converted to a destroyer depot ship after fifteen years of service, and served in this capacity throughout the Great War.

==Service==
''Blenheim'' completed conversion to a depot ship in May of 1906.{{DittColl|p. 293}}

She served as a depot ship for the ''Beagles'' of the {{UK-DF|3}} in the Mediterranean through much of the war, even printing a newspaper for their information and amusement, the "Tenedos Times".{{HardLying|p. 112}}

She recommissioned at Malta on 28 June, 1919.{{NLJan21|p. 735}}

==Captains==
Dates of appointment are provided when known.
<div name=fredbot:officeCapt otitle="Captain of H.M.S. ''Blenheim''">{{TenureListBegin|Captain of {{UK-Blenheim|f=p}}}}
{{Tenure|rank={{CaptRN}}|name=Frank Hannam Henderson|nick=Frank H. Henderson|appt=1 January, 1891<ref>''Naval & Military intelligence'' The Times (London). Friday, 28 December, 1900.  p. 5.</ref><ref>''Naval & Military intelligence'' The Times (London). Thursday, 7 March, 1901. p. 11</ref>|precBy=New Command}}
{{Tenure|rank={{CaptRN}}|name=William Henry Hall|nick=William H. Hall|appt=11 July, 1893<ref>Hall Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/36.}}  f. 246/566.</ref>|end=22 August, 1893<ref>Hall Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/36.}}  f. 246/566.</ref>|note=lent for manoeuvres}}
{{Tenure|rank={{CaptRN}}|name=Frederic William Fisher|nick=Frederic W. Fisher|appt=15 June, 1898<ref>Fisher Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/18.}}  f. 281.</ref>|end=30 September, 1898<ref>Fisher Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/18.}}  f. 281.</ref>}}
{{Tenure|rank={{CaptRN}}|name=Reginald Neville Custance|nick=Reginald N. Custance|appt=1 October, 1898<ref>Custance Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/17.}}  f. 51.</ref>|end=25 November, 1898<ref>Custance Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/17.}}  f. 51.</ref>}}
{{Tenure|rank={{CaptRN}}|name=Henry Harvey Bruce|nick=Henry Harvey Bruce|appt=8 June, 1906<ref>Bruce Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/42.}} f. 85.</ref>|end=8 June, 1908<ref>Bruce Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/42.}} f. 85.</ref>}}
{{Tenure|rank=Captain|name=Hubert George Brand|nick=The Hon. Hubert G. Brand|appt=8 June, 1908{{NLOct08|p. 285}}|end=12 January, 1909<ref>Brand Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/43.}} f. 118.</ref>}}
{{Tenure|rank={{CaptRN}}|name=Brian Herbert Fairbairn Barttelot|nick=Brian H. F. Barttelot|appt=12 January, 1909<ref>Barttelot Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/42.|D7579100}} f. 238.</ref>|end=31 March, 1910<ref>Barttelot Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/42.|D7579100}} f. 238.</ref>}}
{{Tenure|rank={{CaptRN}}|name=Douglas Lionel Dent|nick=Douglas L. Dent|appt=31 March, 1910<ref>Dent Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/43.}} f. 50.</ref>|end=2 April, 1912<ref>Dent Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/43.}} f. 50.</ref>|note=and as Captain (D)}}
{{Tenure|rank=Captain|name=Cecil Foley Lambert|nick=Cecil F. Lambert|appt=31 July, 1912{{NLJul13|p. 285}}|note=and as {{Com2RN}} in Command of Destroyer Flotillas of First Fleet}}
{{Tenure|rank={{CaptRN}}|name=Charles Penrose Rushton Coode|nick=Charles P. R. Coode|appt=1 February, 1914{{NLApr14|p. 287}}|note=and as Captain (D) of the {{UK-DF|5}}}}
{{Tenure|rank={{CaptRN}}|name=Charles Penrose Rushton Coode|nick=Charles P. R. Coode|appt=5 May, 1914{{NLDec16|p. 392''m''}}|note="temporarily" detached, leaving command with [[Percy Pitts]]}}
{{Tenure|rank=Acting Captain|name=Percy Pitts|nick=Percy Pitts|appt=18 March, 1914{{NLFeb19|p. 742}}}}
{{Tenure|rank=Captain|name=Gilbert Cyril William Crispin|nick=Gilbert C. W. Crispin|appt=1 April, 1919{{NLDec20|p. 734}}}}
{{TenureListEnd}}
</div name=fredbot:officeCapt>

[[Vernon Harry Stuart Haggard]] may also have held this command.{{FC}}

==Torpedoes==
In 1904, in a competition to investigate how rapidly submerged tubes could be fired four times sequentially, starting with the tube loaded and the bar out, the ship's crew was able to do this in 4 minutes, 45 seconds.  The best time was achieved by [[H.M.S. Cressy (1899)|''Cressy'']] at 50.75 seconds, though times of 3-5 minutes were more typical.{{ARTS1904|pp. 45-7}}

==See Also==
{{refbegin}}
{{WP|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Blenheim_(1890)}}
{{refend}}

==Footnotes==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
{{refbegin}}
*{{Conways1860}}
{{refend}}

{{Footer Blake Class Cruiser (1889)}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Blenheim}}

{{CatShipFirstClassProtectedCruiser|UK}}
{{CatShipDepot|UK}}