500:
powder. Amidships were the engine and boiler rooms. These were covered by an armoured deck, 1.5 inches (38 mm) thick and approximately 100 ft (30 m) long. This armour was about 3 ft (90 cm) below the lower deck, and the space between could be used for additional coal bunkerage. The machinery spaces were flanked by coal bunkers, affording the machinery and magazines some protection from the sides. The lower deck was used for berthing of the ship's company; officers aft, warrant and petty officers forward, and ratings amidships, as was traditional. The tops of the coal bunkers, which projected above deck level, were used for seating at the mess tables. The living spaces were well-ventilated and an improvement over prior vessels.
444:
59:
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23:
388:. Among the Royal Navy’s last sailing corvettes, they supplemented an extensive sail rig with powerful engines. Unlike their French rivals, which built fast steamers and needed neither long range nor a full rig of sail, the Royal Navy required their cruisers to be capable of long voyages away from coaling stations. Their ships therefore had a beamy hull to handle their sails, making them slower under steam than their French counterparts.
555:, as well as a pair of torpedo carriages, were also carried. The large guns were in embrasures in the bulwarks of the upper deck; this was a common (and to some extent a differentiating) feature of steam corvettes, as most frigates carried their main armament one deck lower. The details of the main armament varied between the vessels, and during their careers, as all were rearmed after their first commissions.
430:
360:
Great
Britain had a worldwide empire, founded upon and sustained by seaborne commerce. To protect this trade and police its empire, Britain constructed many small and medium-sized cruisers, the latter typically armed with guns up to six inches in calibre. They were designed to serve long periods at
391:
The
British vessels were similar in appearance and layout to the older wooden and composite-hulled small cruisers they were intended to replace, albeit larger and more powerfully armed. The vessels were among the first of the smaller cruisers to be given metal hulls, with frames of iron or steel.
503:
There were some refinements in the design among class members, and the armament in particular changed during their careers. In 1881 an enlarged version of the design was drawn up by
Barnaby, with the hull being lengthened by another 10 ft. Two ships were ordered to this later design, which
499:
contained cabins for the captain, first lieutenant, and navigating officer, with the double wheel sheltered under its forward end. Between these was the open quarterdeck on which the battery was located. Under the lower deck were spaces for water, provisions, coal, and magazines for shell and
426:. This second group differed by carrying a barque rig instead of the ship rig of the first six ships. The compound engines in the new batch were of 4-cylinder type, with two high-pressure cylinders of 36 inches diameter and two low-pressure cylinders of 64 inches diameter.
459:
class, the bow above the waterline was nearly straight, in contrast to that of wooden sailing ships. The corvettes had stern galleries, similar to older frigates, but the ports were false, and there were no
344:
navy. In design, materials, armament, and propulsion the class members resemble their wooden sailing antecedents, but blended with characteristics of the all-metal mastless steam cruisers which followed.
488:, rather than the exterior as in wooden sailing ships. Their sailing rigs enabled them to serve in areas where coaling stations were rare, and to rely on their sails for propulsion.
407:
In an early case of a single builder taking responsibility for building an entire class, contracts for these first six vessels were all awarded to the John Elder & Company at
415:. They were all fitted with 3-cylinder compound engines, with one high-pressure cylinder of 46 inches diameter being flanked by two low-pressure cylinders of 64 inches diameter.
418:
Two to three years later, the
Admiralty ordered an additional three vessels to be built to the same design. Construction of these was awarded to the Royal Dockyards at
539:, but the breech loaders proved unsatisfactory. The rest of the class were provided with four more 64-pounders in place of the 6-inch breech loaders, except for
1292:
742:
1299:
772:
1361:
404:. The timber extended to the upper deck; it was in two layers from the keel to 3 ft (.9 m) above the water line, and one layer above.
348:
Despite their qualities they had relatively short commissions, as they soon were rendered superfluous by the "flood of warships" built under the
628:
400:
over timber beneath the waterline, but that timber simply served to separate the iron hull from the copper sheathing so as to prevent
491:
The vessels had two complete decks, upper and lower, with partial decks at the forecastle and poop. The forecastle was used for the
1387:
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1207:
1137:
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in 1888. All were built between 1878 and 1881. The class exemplifies the transitional nature of the late
663:
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516:
were sometimes called the "C class" of corvettes, an informal term rather than an official designation.
352:. By the turn of the century all were in reserve, relegated to subsidiary duties, or being scrapped.
226:
1336:
536:
220:
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forged from brass, a feature then in vogue. In common with older wooden vessels, their hulls had
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Planning for six metal-hulled corvettes began in 1876. These vessels, which became the
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1110:
Ships of the Royal Navy: The
Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy
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1199:
1176:
1172:
812:
618:
477:
419:
397:
846:
461:
22:
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552:
528:
297:
269:
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235:
214:
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1184:
473:
341:
465:
464:. Boats were carried both amidships and at the stern. The ships flew a
412:
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193:
189:
1244:
563:
1222:
The Sail and Steam Navy List: All the Ships of the Royal Navy 1815–1889
481:
423:
329:
64:
496:
393:
172:
Single screw driven by compound engines of 2,590 ihp ( MW)
1132:. Ipswich: W.S. Cowell, Ltd. for HM Stationery Office. p. 39.
469:
437:
333:
138:
1149:
Osbon, G. A. (1963). "Passing of the steam and sail corvette: the
485:
337:
429:
408:
1067:
547:, which exchanged all the muzzle loaders for ten of the new
365:-class corvettes and their later derivatives – the two
361:
sea, and therefore were equipped with sails. The nine
1362:
List of corvette and sloop classes of the Royal Navy
1072:
The Metal
Fighting Ship in the Royal Navy 1860-1970
1069:
1374:
476:on fore and mainmasts. The masts were stayed by
1068:Archibald, E.H.H.; Ray Woodward (ill.) (1971).
1103:
1028:, p. 172. Naval Institute Press, Annapolis.
1113:(Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing.
1218:
215:7-inch (178 mm) muzzle-loading rifles
1249:
227:64-pounder (160 mm) muzzle-loading rifles
984:
982:
963:
961:
959:
949:
947:
945:
562:
442:
428:
1092:
495:and working space for the cables. The
315:: 1.5 in (38 mm) over engines
221:BL 6-inch (152 mm) 80-pounder guns
1375:
1009:
1248:
1193:
1148:
979:
956:
942:
537:breech-loading 6-inch 80-pounder guns
372:corvettes – were ships of this type.
192:(25.5 km/h) powered; 14.75
1127:
917:
915:
913:
911:
384:-class corvettes, were designed by
13:
1015:Archibald (1971), p. 49 (drawing).
472:of sail on three masts, including
14:
1399:
1240:
908:
1099:. Portsmouth: J. Griffin and Co.
1076:. New York: Arco Publishing Co.
551:. A selection of light guns and
549:6-inch Mk II breech loading guns
533:64-pounder muzzle-loading rifles
261:64-pounder muzzle-loading rifles
57:
21:
1219:Winfield, R.; Lyon, D. (2004).
1048:
1039:
1018:
1388:Ship classes of the Royal Navy
1225:. London: Chatham Publishing.
1177:10.1080/00253359.1963.10657732
1000:
991:
970:
933:
924:
1:
1196:Warships of the World to 1900
1169:Society for Nautical Research
1026:Seamanship in the Age of Sail
484:affixed to the inside of the
289:BL 6-inch (152 mm) Mk II guns
1054:Archibald (1971), pp. 39–42.
921:Winfield, Lyon (2004), p.272
892:Paid off 1898, stricken 1902
734:Training ship; overflow hulk
553:Nordenfelt quick-firing guns
529:7-inch muzzle-loading rifles
255:7-inch muzzle-loading rifles
7:
976:Osbon (1963), pp. 195, 196.
939:Lyon (1980), pp. 35–36, 38.
865:Sold for breaking ca. 1898
785:Humphrys, Tennant and Dykes
725:Humphrys, Tennant and Dykes
664:Humphrys, Tennant and Dykes
519:
10:
1404:
1194:Paine, Lincoln P. (2000).
1130:Steam, Steel and Torpedoes
1061:
737:Sold 1931, broken up 1933
355:
1357:
1331:
1260:
1045:Osbon (1963), pp. 195–98.
1024:Harland, John H. (1985),
375:
350:Naval Defence Act of 1889
128:
36:
20:
967:Archibald (1971), p. 43.
901:
558:
1107:; Warlow, Ben (2006) .
997:Lyon (1980), pp. 35–36.
895:Sold for breaking 1904
831:Sold for breaking 1899
797:Sold for breaking 1899
767:Sold for breaking 1899
707:Sold for breaking 1919
677:Sold for breaking 1904
645:Sold for breaking 1904
480:which were anchored to
148:225 ft (69 m)
129:General characteristics
1093:Brassey, T.A. (1896).
704:Stokers' training ship
572:
452:
440:
402:electrolytic corrosion
156:44 ft (13 m)
1383:Comus-class corvettes
1006:Osbon (1963), p. 196.
988:Osbon (1963), p. 195.
953:Osbon (1963), p. 194.
930:Osbon (1963), p. 193.
566:
446:
432:
302:2 × torpedo carriages
274:2 × torpedo carriages
240:2 × torpedo carriages
164:19 ft (6 m)
31:at Sydney circa. 1890
1128:Lyon, David (1980).
436:when built, showing
338:third-class cruisers
527:was armed with two
392:The forefoot was a
336:, re-classified as
883:J. & G. Rennie
852:J. & G. Rennie
573:
453:
441:
180:Barque or ship rig
1370:
1369:
1232:978-1-86176-032-6
1120:978-1-86176-281-8
899:
898:
818:John Penn and Son
809:14 September 1878
761:15 September 1880
758:26 September 1878
462:quarter galleries
386:Nathaniel Barnaby
319:
318:
84:Succeeded by
1395:
1254:-class corvettes
1246:
1245:
1236:
1213:
1200:Houghton Mifflin
1188:
1160:Mariner's Mirror
1143:
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1100:
1096:The Naval Annual
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671:24 February 1880
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447:Diagrams of the
398:copper sheathing
196:(27.3 km/h)
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1105:Colledge, J. J.
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889:25 January 1887
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862:In reserve 1896
828:In reserve 1889
788:28 October 1878
701:7 December 1880
674:Seagoing tender
639:23 October 1879
561:
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328:was a class of
298:Nordenfelt guns
270:Nordenfelt guns
236:Nordenfelt guns
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1241:External links
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37:Class overview
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764:Paid off 1901
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636:3 April 1878
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567:Painting of
544:
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524:
523:
513:
509:
508:class. The
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134:Displacement
88:
75:
45:
28:
15:
1171:: 193–208.
843:7 July 1879
822:9 June 1880
698:1 July 1878
642:Struck 1902
607:Disposition
578: Ship
504:became the
482:chainplates
206:(As built)
188:13.75
71:Preceded by
1377:Categories
1167:. London:
1157:classes".
880:Portsmouth
859:1 May 1883
847:Portsmouth
782:John Elder
755:John Elder
752:John Elder
722:John Elder
695:John Elder
692:John Elder
660:John Elder
633:John Elder
629:John Elder
424:Portsmouth
330:Royal Navy
296:6-10 × QF
169:Propulsion
65:Royal Navy
1338:Bacchante
1308:Constance
1294:Carysfort
1287:Cleopatra
1185:0025-3359
804:Constance
744:Carysfort
714:Cleopatra
602:Completed
582:Laid down
569:Carysfort
535:and four
497:poop deck
342:Victorian
334:corvettes
248:Constance
177:Sail plan
113:Completed
108:1879–1904
100:1876–1887
76:Bacchante
53:Operators
1322:Cordelia
1301:Conquest
1280:Champion
1155:Calliope
872:Cordelia
774:Conquest
684:Champion
597:Launched
545:Cordelia
531:, eight
520:Armament
514:Calypsos
486:gunwales
470:ship rig
438:ship rig
282:Cordelia
201:Armament
121:Scrapped
1347:Calypso
1273:Curacoa
1062:Sources
813:Chatham
652:Curacoa
587:Builder
571:c. 1887
510:Comuses
506:Calypso
478:shrouds
455:In the
420:Chatham
411:on the
368:Calypso
356:Purpose
268:8 × QF
244:Curacoa
234:8 × QF
161:Draught
89:Calypso
29:Curacoa
1315:Canada
1229:
1206:
1183:
1136:
1117:
1080:
1032:
838:Canada
541:Canada
466:barque
376:Design
370:-class
332:steam
309:Armour
280:&
278:Canada
145:Length
137:2,380
62:
1349:class
1340:class
1266:Comus
1252:Comus
1151:Comus
902:Notes
620:Comus
559:Ships
525:Comus
493:heads
457:Comus
451:class
449:Comus
434:Comus
413:Clyde
409:Govan
382:Comus
363:Comus
326:class
324:Comus
287:10 ×
259:12 ×
208:Comus
185:Speed
97:Built
91:class
78:class
48:class
46:Comus
1227:ISBN
1204:ISBN
1181:ISSN
1153:and
1134:ISBN
1115:ISBN
1078:ISBN
1030:ISBN
612:Fate
543:and
512:and
422:and
321:The
313:Deck
253:2 ×
225:8 ×
219:4 ×
213:2 ×
153:Beam
139:tons
42:Name
27:HMS
1173:doi
468:or
394:ram
246:to
1379::
1202:.
1179:.
1165:49
1163:.
981:^
958:^
944:^
910:^
194:kt
190:kt
1235:.
1212:.
1187:.
1175::
1142:.
1123:.
1086:.
1036:.
284::
250::
210::
124:9
116:9
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