Camelion-class sloop

HMS Rinaldo
Class overview
Name: Camelion-class sloop
Operators:  Royal Navy
 Portuguese Navy
Built: 18601866
Planned: 16
Completed: 8
Cancelled: 8
General characteristics
Displacement:1,365 tons
Length:185 ft (56 m)
Beam:33 ft (10 m)
Draught:14 ft 8 in (4.47 m)
Installed power:200 hp (150 kW)
Propulsion:2-cylinder horizontal single-expansion steam engine [Note 1]
Single screw
Sail plan:Barque-rigged
Speed:9 knots (17 km/h)
Complement:180
Armament:5 × 40-pounder breech-loading guns
12 × 32-pounder muzzle-loading guns[Note 2]

The Camelion class was a class of screw-driven sloops of wood construction, designed by Isaac Watts and operated by the Royal Navy. Eight ships of the class were built from 1858 to 1866 with another eight cancelled. They were initially rated as second-class sloops, but were later reclassified as corvettes.

Design

The class was designed by Issac Watts as second-class sloops of 17 guns, and were a lengthened version of the Cruizer-class sloop.[1]

Construction

Built of a traditional wood structure, they were 185 feet (56 m) long at the gundeck, 33 feet (10 m) in beam and displaced 1,365 tons. A barque rig was fitted to allow easy sail handling with a relatively small crew of 180.[1]

Propulsion

They were fitted with a two-cylinder horizontal single-expansion steam engine (although Perseus and Reindeer received single trunk steam engines) driving a single screw. These engines generated 200 nominal horsepower, giving a speed of approximately 9 knots.[1]

Armament

They were armed with five 40-pounder breech-loading guns and twelve 32-pounder muzzle-loading smoothbore guns, although Reindeer was completed with a single 110-pounder and five 64-pounders.[1]

Ships

The first two vessels were ordered on 3 April 1854, although neither was laid down for several years. Another three were ordered on 1 April 1857 and a further three on 27 March 1858. The final eight ships were ordered in two batches on 5 March 1860 and 25 March 1861, but were either cancelled, or in the case of Circassian and Trent, completed as ironclad sloops under new names.

NameShip BuilderLaid downLaunchedCompletedFate
CamelionDeptford Dockyard8 November 185823 February 186030 July 1861Sold for breaking up 1883
PelicanPembroke Dockyard16 June 185919 July 186025 September 1861Sold in February 1867 as mercantile Hawk, then resold to the Portuguese Navy and renamed Infanta Dom Henrique
RinaldoPortsmouth Dockyard1 March 185826 March 18608 June 1861Sold for breaking up April 1884
ZebraDeptford Dockyard4 July 185913 November 186023 May 1861Sold in the Far East for breaking up 20 August 1873
PerseusPembroke Dockyard20 July 186021 August 1861September 1862Became training ship in 1886, renamed Defiance II in March 1904, sold for breaking up 26 June 1931
ChanticleerPortsmouth Dockyard2 February 18609 February 1861December 186102.10.1862 paddle ship Iona of David Hutcheson & Co wrecked off Gourock following a collision with the newly launched Chanticleer.[2] Sold for breaking up 23 January 1875
ReindeerChatham Dockyard1 May 1860[Note 3]29 March 1866October 1866Sold for breaking up 28 August 1873
RattlerDeptford Dockyard28 August 186018 March 1862July 1862Wrecked off Japan 24 September 1868
HarlequinPortsmouth Dockyard13 February 1861 Cancelled 16 December 1864
TeesChatham DockyardFebruary 1861 Cancelled on 12 December 1863
SapphoDeptford Dockyard1 May 1861 Cancelled on 12 December 1863
TrentPembroke Dockyard3 September 1861 Completed as the ironclad sloop HMS Research
CircassianDeptford Dockyard5 May 1862 Completed as the ironclad sloop HMS Enterprise
DiligenceChatham Dockyard1862 Cancelled on 12 December 1863
ImogenePortsmouth Dockyard Cancelled on 12 December 1863
SuccessPembroke Dockyard Cancelled on 12 December 1863

Notes

  1. Except Perseus & Reindeer which had single trunk steam engines.
  2. Reindeer was completed with one 110-pounder and five 64-pounders.
  3. Work was suspended in 1862 but subsequently restarted in May 1863

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Winfield p.216
  2. "J & G Thomson Ships". acumfaegovan.com.

External links

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