HMS Valiant (1863)

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Career RN Ensign
Laid down: February 1861
Launched: 14 October 1863
Completed: 15 September 1868
Fate: Broken up 1957
General characteristics
Class and type: Hector class battleship
Displacement: 6,710 tons
Length: 280 ft 2 in (85.4 m)
Beam: 56 ft 3 in (17.1 m)
Draught: 25 ft (7.6 m)
Propulsion: Maudslay connecting-rod
3,560 IHP
Speed: 12 knots (22.2 km/h)
Complement: 530
Armament: 2 × 8 inch muzzle-loading rifles
16 × 7 inch muzzle-loading rifles
Armour:

4.5 inch main belt and bulkheads
Battery

4.5 inch amidships and 2.5 inch fore and aft
For other ships of the same name, see HMS Valiant.

HMS Valiant was an ironclad battleship of the Hector class, in service with the Royal Navy from 1868 to 1885.

Construction was initially undertaken by the firm of Westwood, Baillie and Co. This company went into liquidation during the building of the ship, which was ultimately completed by Thames Ironworks. This, together with delay in the production of her armament, explains the great disparity in completion times between her and her sister, Hector.

[edit] Service history

She was commissioned in 1868 as guardship Southern Ireland, in which post she remained until 1885 with one break to have new boilers installed. From June to August 1878 she formed part of the Particular Service Squadron at the time of the Russian war scare, and sailed up the Dardanelles under the command of Admiral Hornby. She paid off in 1885, and saw no further front line service, lying for thirteen years in a partially dismantled state at Devonport. In 1898 she was converted to become part of the HMS Indus stoker training establishment; in 1915 her name was changed to HMS Valiant III, and she was converted to a kite balloon storeship. In 1926 she was converted into a floating oil tank and moved to Hamoaze, where she remained until 1955. She was broken up two years later.

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