Ordered under the Naval Defence Act of 1889, which established the "Two-Power Standard", the class was contemporary with the first torpedo boat destroyers.

On 6 November 1898, the last Ottoman forces on Crete, supervised by members of the crews of the British battleships HMS Revenge and HMS Empress of India, embarked on Hussar for transportation to Salonica, bringing 229 years of Ottoman occupation of Crete to an end.

In early February 1900 she left Malta homeward bound,[4] and later that month arrived at Devonport,[5] where she paid off on 12 March.

[9] In 1907 Hussar had her armament removed and was converted to become the yacht and despatch vessel for the Royal Navy's Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean.

For the landing at Cape Helles on 25 April 1915, Unwin took command of the steamer SS River Clyde.