On the morning of August 14, 1899, the English torpedo boat HMS Polyphemus arrived at the port of Barcelona on a courtesy visit. Apparently, she was a warship like any other, but the difference lay below the waterline. Instead of a bulbous bow, the 2,640-ton, 73-meter-long HMS Polyphemus was equipped with an armored ram that also featured a torpedo tube at the nose.