The curious case of the ‘Steam Yacht’ Caroline: An incident from the Russo-Japanese War in 1904

Abstract

In 1903, the shipbuilder Yarrow & Company launched two experimental vessels of torpedo-boat design. During the Russo-Japanese War 1904–1905, Britain’s shipyards were directed not to accept foreign warship orders without authority. Yarrow was approached in mid-1904 by a prospective purchaser for a ‘fast yacht’, ostensibly on behalf of an American client but actually intended for Russian interests. An offer to purchase one of the vessels was accepted and a deposit paid to complete it as a ‘steam yacht’. By October 1904, the vessel, now named Caroline, was on trials when news of its imminent detention prompted a hasty departure from British waters. Suspicions about the ‘yacht’ were aroused further on arrival at Cuxhaven. On leaving the Kiel Canal, orders to stop were ignored, the vessel going to Libau where it was taken into Russian naval service. The affair raised questions about Britain’s neutrality, legal policies and government decision-making.