Ships in Hong Kong 1899

Interesting and a weird error to make. The ship is dressed overall, so a celebration of some sort. The Prinzess Wilhelm was only part of the German squadron in China waters until mid-1899, when she was relieved by the Herta. She is reported in Hong Kong in February 1899, along with the German flagship Kaiser, the old ironclad Deutschland, and the 2nd class cruiser Gefion. She was one of six German warships in HK at the end of January 1899, all present because of the visit of Prince Henry of Prussia (embarked in the old ironclad Deutschland) and Princess Henry, who arrived on the NDL liner Prinz Heinrich in late December 1898. The 27th January had been the 40th birthday of the Kaiser, Wilhelm II, so that would be a reason for warships in port of all nations to dress overall.

That said, pomp and ceremony were very much part of late 19th century naval life and any occasion for dressing ship was seized upon, especially if that would show courtesy to the nations of visiting warships or dignitaries, so the Kaiser's birthday doesn't actually help pin down a date. It was just one of a number of possibles.

In addition, and I don't intend to be disagreeable, I'm not sure of the correct identification. The 'jizz' is off for a late 1890s German naval vessel and is certainly not like any of the known ships in the East Asia Squadron at the time, including the Prinzess Wilhelm. A close inspection of the profile of the Prinzess Wilhelm with that of this image doesn't make much of a match. The main diagnostics are the absence of the large and very prominent badge all the German ships had at the stemhead (very front top of the bow), the slope and shape of the ram bow, the yardless masts (the PA had two yards on each mast), but above all the low funnels, the number and size of the boiler room and engine room ventilators and, critical, the forecastle break in contrast to the Prinzess Wilhelm's straight sheer. And then there's the paint scheme. This ship is in some sort of variant of battleship grey, which in 1899 wasn't that usual, especially for the East Asia Squadron, which favoured tropical white. For my money she has more of a British/Japanese, Russian or possibly French 'jizz', though sadly I don't have the time to find, then trawl through the first edition of Jane's to see if I can find a match and then see when in 1899, if the image is of 1899, the ship was in Hong Kong.

The ship is at the eastern end of the naval anchorage (East Point and the sugar mill visible), and from the forecastle crew, looks like she is either just come to her allotted berth (the accommodation ladder on the port quarter is already lowered, the jack is hoisted, and she's dressed, so that means the captain is satisfied the ship is no longer under way). That end of the naval anchorage was the 'junior' end and mainly for smaller vessels and my sense is that this ship is smaller than one's first impression might suggest.

Best,

Stephen D