HMS Caroline

HMS Caroline is a First World War light cruiser moored in Alexandra Dock, Belfast’s Titanic Quarter. Built in 1914 by Cammell Laird, she served in the Grand Fleet and fought at the Battle of Jutland under Captain Henry R. Crooke. The ship later became a headquarters for the Royal Navy in Belfast Harbour during the Second World War. After decommissioning in 2011, she was converted into a museum ship and reopened to the public in 2017. She remains afloat and is the last survivor of the Battle of Jutland still in existence. The cruiser is the last British First World War light cruiser in service and one of only two surviving Royal Navy warships from that conflict. Her main armament included two six-inch guns and eight four-inch guns, with a speed of 28.5 knots and a range of 3,680 nautical miles. In 1917, she was refitted with a tripod mast and an additional six-inch gun. The ship also carried a flying-off platform for fighters to intercept German airships over the North Sea. Visitors board the ship to explore her restored interiors, including the engine room and officers’ quarters. The museum displays artefacts from her wartime service and interactive exhibits about naval history. Views from the deck look across Belfast Harbour towards the Harland and Wolff cranes. The ship is part of the National Historic Fleet and remains a rare example of early 20th-century naval engineering.