HMS Drake
HMS Drake was an armoured cruiser of the Royal Navy, the lead ship of her class of 4, of 14,100 tons and a speed of 23½ knots. Designed by William Henry White
1901 Built at Pembroke Dockyard and launched on 5 March 1901.
Took part in a transatlantic race with several other cruisers - HMS Cornwall, HMS Essex, HMS Bedford, HMS Berwick, HMS Cumberland[1]. Despite the handicap of using partly American coal (rather than Welsh coal), the Drake reached the finish line at Gibraltar 1600 yards ahead of the Berwick, at average speed of 18.5 knots. All ships had to use almost all of their reserves as well as normal bunkers having ignored normal rules for economical firing.
1917 torpedoed by the German submarine U-79, on 2 October 1917 in Rathlin Sound.