Camelion-class sloop

(Redirected from HMS Camelion (1860))

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.

HMS Rinaldo
Class overview
NameCamelion class
Operators
Built1860–1866
Planned16
Completed8
Cancelled8
General characteristics
Displacement1,365 tons
Length185 ft (56 m)
Beam33 ft (10 m)
Draught14 ft 8 in (4.47 m)
Installed power200 hp (150 kW)
Propulsion
  • 2-cylinder horizontal single-expansion steam engine[Note 1]
  • Single screw
Sail planBarque-rigged
Speed9 knots (17 km/h; 10 mph)
Complement180
Armament

Design

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

Construction

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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

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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 (17 km/h; 10 mph).[1]

Armament

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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-pounder guns.[1]

Ships

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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.

Name Ship Builder Laid down Launched Completed Fate
Camelion Deptford Dockyard 8 November 1858 23 February 1860 30 July 1861 Sold for breaking up 1883
Pelican Pembroke Dockyard 16 June 1859 19 July 1860 25 September 1861 Sold in February 1867 as mercantile Hawk, then resold to the Portuguese Navy and renamed Infanta Dom Henrique
Rinaldo Portsmouth Dockyard 1 March 1858 26 March 1860 8 June 1861 Sold for breaking up April 1884
Zebra Deptford Dockyard 4 July 1859 13 November 1860 23 May 1861 Sold in the Far East for breaking up 20 August 1873
Perseus Pembroke Dockyard 20 July 1860 21 August 1861 September 1862 Became training ship in 1886, renamed Defiance II in March 1904, sold for breaking up 26 June 1931
Chanticleer Portsmouth Dockyard 2 February 1860 9 February 1861 December 1861 02.10.1862 paddle ship Iona of David Hutcheson & Co wrecked off Gourock following a collision with the newly launched Chanticleer.[2]

April 1866, accompanied Lord John Hervey and Henry Strutt, 2nd Baron Belper on a trip to Astakos to pay ransom for their captured friend Mr Coore[3]
23 January 1875: Sold for breaking up.

Reindeer Chatham Dockyard 1 May 1860[Note 3] 29 March 1866 October 1866 Sold for breaking up 28 August 1873
Rattler Deptford Dockyard 28 August 1860 18 March 1862 July 1862 Wrecked off Japan 24 September 1868
Harlequin Portsmouth Dockyard 13 February 1861 Cancelled 16 December 1864
Tees Chatham Dockyard February 1861 Cancelled on 12 December 1863
Sappho Deptford Dockyard 1 May 1861 Cancelled on 12 December 1863
Trent Pembroke Dockyard 3 September 1861 Completed as the ironclad sloop HMS Research
Circassian Deptford Dockyard 5 May 1862 Completed as the ironclad sloop HMS Enterprise
Diligence Chatham Dockyard 1862 Cancelled on 12 December 1863
Imogene Portsmouth Dockyard Cancelled on 12 December 1863
Success Pembroke Dockyard Cancelled on 12 December 1863

Notes

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  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

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Citations

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  1. ^ a b c d Winfield p.216
  2. ^ "J & G Thomson Ships". acumfaegovan.com. Archived from the original on 23 October 2014. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  3. ^ "Lord John Hervey Amongst the Philistines". No. 4 April 1866. The Mercury, Hobart. 1866.

Bibliography

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