HMS Bellona was one of two Boadicea-class scout cruisers built for the Royal Navy in the first decade of the 20th century.

Designed to provide destroyer flotillas with a command ship, Bellona proved too slow in service from the start of her career.

[1] Her main armament consisted of six breech-loading (BL) four-inch (102 mm) Mk VII guns.

Her secondary armament consisted of four quick-firing (QF) 3-pounder (47-millimetre (1.9 in)) Vickers Mk I guns and two submerged 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes.

The ship was launched on 20 March 1909 by Lady Leonora, wife of John Philips, Baron St Davids.

[5] The ship had been transferred to the 1st Battle Squadron as of 18 June 1913[6] and Captain Percy Royds assumed command on 5 July.

[5] She was still assigned to the 1st Battle Squadron of the Grand Fleet in Scapa Flow at the start of World War I.

[7] On 17 December 1914, Bellona collided with the destroyer leader Broke, although both ships were seriously damaged, there were no deaths.