HMS Highflyer ( 1898 ) HMS " Highflyer " was the lead ship of the " Highflyer " class cruiser which served with the Royal Navy . She was built at the yards of Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company , Govan , being laid down in June 1897 , launched on 4 June 1898 and commissioned on 7 December 1899 . Career . Technical details . Like her sisters she was a development of the earlier " Eclipse " class with an uprated 6 inch main armament , water tube boilers and slightly more powerful engines . She carried out trials for the new Belleville boilers . Early service history . HMS " Highflyer " was commissioned in late 1899 by Captain F . E . E . Brock for the Training squadron . In February 1900 she was re - commissioned to serve in the Indian Ocean as the flagship of Rear - Admiral Day Bosanquet , Commander - in - Chief East Indies Station . From November 1902 to March 1903 " Highflyer " was commanded by Captain Arthur Christian as the flagship of Rear - Admiral Sir Charles Drury , was at the head of the squadron of six ships which took part in the Somaliland Campaign in various coastal capacities . The ships assisted in landing troops and stores , in transport work , and in the prevention of delivery of munitions to the enemy . Three officers attached to " Highflyer " were landed , and assisted the progress of the campaign with a wireless telegraphy apparatus . Wartime service . In the year before the start of the war , she had been serving as the training ship for Special Entry Cadets , but in August 1914 she was allocated to the 9th Cruiser Squadron , under Admiral John de Robeck , on the Finisterre station . She left Plymouth on 4 August , in the company of the admiral on HMS " Vindictive " . They then captured the liner , which was carrying German reservists and gold . " Highflyer " escorted her to Britain , before returning to her station . She was then transferred to the Cape Verde station , to support Admiral Stoddart ’ s 5th Cruiser Squadron in the hunt for the German commerce raider " Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse " . She had been sighted at Río de Oro , a Spanish anchorage on the Saharan coast . At the Battle of Río de Oro , on 26 August " Highflyer " found the German ship taking on coal from three colliers . The " Highflyer " demanded that she surrender . The captain of the " Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse " claimed the protection of neutral waters , but as he was breaking that neutrality himself by taking on coal and supplies for more than a week , his claim was denied . Fighting broke out at 3 . 10pm , and lasted until 4 . 45pm , when the crew of the " Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse " abandoned ship and escaped to the shore . The " Kaiser Wilhelm de Grosse " was sunk , the " Highflyer " losing one man killed , and six injured in the engagement . In mid - 1916 the Prize Court awarded the crew of Highflyer ₤2 , 680 for the sinking of the German ship . On 15 October " Highflyer " briefly became the flagship of the Cape Verde station , when Admiral Stoddard was ordered to Pernambuco . Later in the same month she was ordered to accompany the transport ships carrying the Cape garrison back to Britain . Towards the end of the month she was ordered to search the Atlantic coast of North Africa for the cruiser SMS " Karlsruhe " . After the Battle of Coronel " Highflyer " came back under the control of Admiral de Robeck , as part of a squadron formed to guard West Africa against Admiral Maximilian von Spee . This squadron , consisting of HMS " Warrior " , HMS " Black Prince " , HMS " Donegal " and " Highflyer " was in place off Sierra Leone from 12 November , but was soon dispersed after the battle of the Falklands . " Highflyer " then took part in the search for the commerce raider " Kronprinz Wilhelm " , coming close to catching her in January 1915 . She remained on the West Africa station until 1917 , making up part of the Cape Verde division . In 1917 she was transferred to the North America and West Indies Squadron . This was the period of unrestricted submarine warfare , and it was eventually decided to operate a convoy system in the North Atlantic . On 10 July 1917 HMS " Highflyer " provided the escort for convoy HS 1 , the first convoy to sail from Canada to Britain . She was at Halifax for the Halifax Explosion on 6 December 1917 , and assisted rescue efforts in the aftermath . She survived to become the last Victorian cruiser in service with the Royal Navy , remaining in commission until 1921 as flagship of the East Indies station in Bombay when she was sold there for scrap on 10 June of that year .