 The ship was christened on 27 April 1907 by Lady Carrington and commissioned on 19 March 1908 at the cost of £1,415,135.While fitting out in Portsmouth, "Shannon" was accidentally struck on 5 December 1907 by the battleship which had broken loose from her anchorage; both ships were only lightly damaged.Upon commissioning, the ship became the flagship of the 5th Cruiser Squadron of Home Fleet and was later transferred to the 2nd Cruiser Squadron as a private ship when the fleet reorganized in April 1909.