Aetna-class ironclad floating battery

Last updated

French floating battery Lave.jpg
Lave, one of the Aetna class's French half-sisters.
Class overview
NameAetna class
OperatorsNaval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy
Succeeded by Erebus class
Built1854–1856
In service1855–1873
Planned5
Building6
Completed5
Lost2
Retired4
General characteristics
Type Ironclad floating battery
Tons burthen
  • 1,469 BOM
  • 1,535 BOM broad beam
  • 1,588 BOM lengthened Aetna [1]
Length
  • Overall
  • 172 ft 6 in (52.58 m)
  • 186 ft 0 in (56.69 m) lengthened Aetna
  • Keel
  • 146 ft 0 in (44.50 m)
  • 157 ft 9 in (48.08 m) lengthened Aetna [1]
Beam
  • 43 ft 11 in (13.39 m)
  • 45 ft 2.5 in (13.780 m) broad beam
  • 43 ft 11 in (13.39 m) lengthened Aetna
  • For tonnage
  • 43 ft 6 in (13.26 m)
  • 44 ft 9.5 in (13.653 m) broad beam
  • 43 ft 6 in (13.26 m) lengthened Aetna [1]
Draught
  • 8 ft 8 in (2.64 m)
  • 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) lengthened Aetna [1]
Propulsion
  • 1 × screw propeller
  • 2 × cylinder horizontal single expansion 150 nhp engines [1] generating 530 ihp (400 kW) on Meteor's trials. [2]
  • (200 nhp for lengthened Aetna) [1]
Sail plan3 masts, 885 m2 (9,530 sq ft) sail [3]
Speed
  • 4.5–5.5 knots (8.3–10.2 km/h)
  • 4 knots (7.4 km/h) lengthened Aetna [1]
Complement200 [1]
Armament
Armour
  • 3.5–4 in (89–102 mm) wrought iron
  • 4 in (100 mm) wrought iron lengthened Aetna [1] [2]
HM Floating Battery Glatton in 1855 HM Floating Battery 'Glatton' - ILN 1855.jpg
HM Floating Battery Glatton in 1855

The Aetna-class ironclad floating batteries were built during the Crimean War for the attack of Russian coastal fortifications.

Contents

Britain and France each laid down five of these coastal attack vessels in 1854. The French used three of their batteries in 1855 against the defences at Kinburn on the Black Sea, where they were effective against Russian shore defences. The British plan to use theirs in the Baltic Sea against Kronstadt in 1856 was influential in causing the Russians to sue for peace. [4] The development of such iron-armoured batteries was a step towards the development of ironclad warships. "These armoured batteries were among the most revolutionary ships ever built and provided British and French designers with the germ of the battleship." [2]

One of the British batteries, Trusty, was used for trials in 1861 with a prototype rotating turret, based on Captain Cowper Phipps Coles' designs.

Genesis

Emperor Napoleon III initiated the design of armoured steam-powered batteries for the French Navy. The original idea was to protect the sides with boxes of cannonballs, but the British engineer Thomas Lloyd suggested using thick wrought iron plates instead. Trials at Vincennes showed that Lloyd's idea was more effective, so it was adopted. [2]

Napoleon wanted ten floating batteries built in time for the 1855 campaign, but as French industry could only build five in time, France's British allies were asked to build the other five. [2] Unfortunately the First Lord, Sir James Graham, confused this concept with the unsuccessful iron-hulled frigates built in the late 1840s, and asked for further trials, [5] so the British armoured batteries were not ordered until 4 October 1854. [2]

Design

These vessels were copies of the French Dévastation-class batteries. The French batteries carried 16 guns, but had 24 gun ports. The British Aetna class were also intended to carry 16 guns, but the first four completed only carried 14 guns to reduce draught to 8 feet 8 inches (2.64 m). [1] [2] The Admiralty design drawing showed them with 32 gunports. [1] These ports were very large – 34 by 40 inches (0.86 by 1.02 m). [2]

The wooden-hulled Aetna class had "straight vertical sides and a flat bottom with a very bluff bow and stern. Their armour plates, nominally 4 inches (102 mm), but in many cases were rolled 0.25–0.5 inches (6.4–12.7 mm) under thickness, were locked together with tongue and groove joints." [2] The iron armour was supported by 20-inch-thick (510 mm) oak sides. [6] The wooden upper deck was 9 inches (229 mm) thick. [2] There were two conning towers protected by 58 inch (16 mm) wrought iron plate. [2]

In October 1858, experimental firing trials were undertaken against Meteor and one of the follow-on class of iron-hulled armoured batteries, Erebus. These demonstrated the importance of wooden backing for the armour, as Meteor put up far better resistance than Erebus, where the frames were displaced by concussion. [6]

Machinery

The first four completed had two-cylinder 25.5 in (0.65 m) diameter 24 in (0.61 m) stroke horizontal single expansion engines of 150 nhp, which operated at 62 psi (430 kPa). [1] Although they were completed as single screw vessels, Meteor was altered to triple screw with wing-shafts; [1] her trials with triple screw were 12 days after her trials with single screw. [2] The most likely method of driving the wing shafts was a belt arrangement, which was common practice at the time. [2] It is unclear whether any of the others were also altered to triple-screw. [1]

On trials with a single 6 ft (1.8 m) diameter, 12 ft 6 in (3.81 m) pitch screw, Meteor reached 5.7 kn (10.6 km/h) at 139 rpm with the safety valve set at 60 psi, and engine power was recorded as 530 ihp (400 kW). [2] On her trials fitted as triple screw, Meteor reached 5.25 knots (9.72 km/h) at 139 rpm. Engine power was recorded as 498 indicated horsepower (371 kW). [2] The two wing screws on this trial were 6 ft (1.8 m) diameter, 7 ft 6 in (2.29 m) pitch. [2]

The second Aetna had two-cylinder 27 in (0.69 m) diameter 30 in (0.76 m) stroke horizontal single expansion engines of 200 nhp. Her boilers were salvaged from the first Aetna. [1]

Building programme

Ships of the class [1]
Ship(a) Hull builder
(b) Main machinery manufacturers
OrderedLaid downLaunchedCompletedInitial costTotal
initial
cost
HullMachineryto
complete
for sea
Aetna class
Aetna (i)(a) J Scott Russell, Millwall
(b) J Scott Russell
4 Oct 18549 Oct 18543 May 1855NeverNever delivered, caught fire during construction
Meteor (a) CJ Mare & Co, Limehouse
(b) Maudslay, Sons & Field
4 Oct 18549 Oct 185417 Apr 18554 Jul 1855£43,799£10,123£7,468£61,390
Thunder (a) CJ Mare & Co, Limehouse
(b) Miller, Ravenshill & Co
4 Oct 18549 Oct 185417 Apr 185521 Jul 1855£43,784£10,343£8,210£62,337
Broad beam Aetna class
Glatton (a) R & H Green, Limehouse (no 314)
(b) Miller, Ravenshill & Co
4 Oct 18549 Oct 185418 Apr 18553 Aug 1855£43,479£11,244£5,858£60,581
Trusty (a) R & H Green, Limehouse (no 315)
(b) Miller, Ravenshill & Co
4 Oct 18549 Oct 18543 May 185513 Jun 1855£43,491£10,446£10,004£63,941
Lengthened Aetna class
Aetna (ii)(a) Chatham Dockyard
(b) Maudslay, Sons & Field
16 Nov 185525 Nov 18555 Apr 18561866
Harbour service
£38,357£11,000£495£49,852

Admiralty records for Meteor, Thunder, Glatton and Trusty state that both the Mare and the Green yards were at Limehouse, other vessels built by Mare and by Green were built at Blackwall. It is possible that there is an error in the records, and they were actually built at Blackwall. [1]

Service

The first Aetna was to have been launched on 5 May 1855, but caught fire on the building slip, and launched herself two days early. Her remains were broken up on the river-bank. [1] Her replacement, the second Aetna was finished too late for the Crimean War, and was fitted for harbour service in 1866. She burnt out at Sheerness in 1873 and was broken up in 1874. [1]

Meteor and Glatton were ready in 1855 but reached the Black Sea too late for action. Both were laid up in theatre for the winter, and in the Spring, when peace was signed, they returned home for the great review of April 1856. Thunder and Trusty also took part in the review. [2]

Meteor was used in experimental firing trials in October 1858. [6] She was broken up in 1861. [1]

Trusty was used in trials of the new Armstrong 40-pounder BL in January 1859 and the 100-pounder BL in September 1859; contrary to expectations, hits on her armour from the 40-pounder and 100-pounder had no serious effect. [6] She was used in trials with a prototype Coles turret in 1861 and in so doing became the first warship to be fitted with a turret. [1] She was broken up by Castle at Charlton in 1864. [1] Glatton was also broken up in 1864. [1]

Thunder was broken up at Chatham in June 1874. [1]

Footnotes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Lyon, David & Winfield, Rif The Sail and Steam Navy List, all the ships of the Royal Navy 1815–1889 , pub Chatham, 2004, ISBN   1-86176-032-9 pages 240–2.
    Note that there is a typographical error on page 241, where it says that the Aetna was launched on 3 May 1854, which should read 3 May 1855.
    Lyon & Winfield state that the armour thickness was 3.5–4.5 inches for the Aetna class, and 4.5 inches for Aetna (ii). The other sources referenced give the maximum hull thickness as 4 in. The details in Lyon & Winfield are within the 0.5 inch tolerance for rolled armour of the period.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Brown, David K Before the Ironclad, development of ship design, propulsion and armament in the Royal Navy, 1815–60, pub Conway, 1990, ISBN   0-85177-532-2 pages 156–8.
  3. Brown, David K Before the Ironclad, development of ship design, propulsion and armament in the Royal Navy, 1815–60, pub Conway, 1990, ISBN   0-85177-532-2 page 5 has a drawing of Thunderer at sea with three masts and sails.
  4. Lambert A. "Iron Hulls and Armour Plate"; Gardiner Steam, Steel and Shellfire p. 47-55
  5. Brown says that these trials were in September 1856 – Before the Ironclad page 156.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Parkes, Oscar British Battleships, first published Seeley Service & Co, 1957, published United States Naval Institute Press, 1990. ISBN   1-55750-075-4 page 12-4.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ironclad warship</span> Steam-propelled warship protected by iron or steel armor plates

An ironclad is a steam-propelled warship protected by iron or steel armor plates, constructed from 1859 to the early 1890s. The ironclad was developed as a result of the vulnerability of wooden warships to explosive or incendiary shells. The first ironclad battleship, Gloire, was launched by the French Navy in November 1859 – narrowly pre-empting the British Royal Navy, though Britain built the first completely iron-hulled warships.

HMS <i>Enterprise</i> (1864) Armoured sloop from UK

The seventh HMS Enterprise of the Royal Navy was an armoured sloop launched in 1864 at Deptford Dockyard. Originally laid down as a wooden screw sloop of the Camelion class, she was redesigned by Edward Reed and completed as a central battery ironclad. The ship spent the bulk of her career assigned to the Mediterranean Fleet before returning to England in 1871 where she was paid off. Enterprise was sold for scrap in 1885.

HMS <i>Warrior</i> (1860) Warrior-class ironclad steamship of the Royal Navy (in service 1861–83)

HMS Warrior is a 40-gun steam-powered armoured frigate built for the Royal Navy in 1859–1861. She was the name ship of the Warrior-class ironclads. Warrior and her sister ship HMS Black Prince were the first armour-plated, iron-hulled warships, and were built in response to France's launching in 1859 of the first ocean-going ironclad warship, the wooden-hulled Gloire. Warrior conducted a publicity tour of Great Britain in 1863 and spent her active career with the Channel Squadron. Obsolescent following the 1873 commissioning of the mastless and more capable HMS Devastation, she was placed in reserve in 1875, and was "paid off" – decommissioned – in 1883.

<i>Warrior</i>-class ironclad Class of ironclads of the Royal Navy

The Warrior-class ironclads were a class of two warships built for the Royal Navy between 1859 and 1862, the first ocean-going ironclads with iron hulls ever constructed. The ships were designed as armoured frigates in response to an invasion scare sparked by the launch of the French ironclad Gloire and her three sisters in 1858. They were initially armed with a mix of rifled breech-loading and muzzle-loading smoothbore guns, but the Armstrong breech-loading guns proved unreliable and were ultimately withdrawn from service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Turret ship</span> 19th century warship type

Turret ships were a 19th-century type of warship, the earliest to have their guns mounted in a revolving gun turret, instead of a broadside arrangement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pre-dreadnought battleship</span> Battleships built from the 1880s to 1905

Pre-dreadnought battleships were sea-going battleships built from the mid- to late- 1880s to the early 1900s. Their designs were conceived before the appearance of HMS Dreadnought in 1906 and their classification as "pre-dreadnought" is retrospectively applied. In their day, they were simply known as "battleships" or else more rank-specific terms such as "first-class battleship" and so forth. The pre-dreadnought battleships were the pre-eminent warships of their time and replaced the ironclad battleships of the 1870s and 1880s.

HMS <i>Audacious</i> (1869) British lead ship of Audacious-class

HMS Audacious was the lead ship of the Audacious-class ironclads built for the Royal Navy in the late 1860s. They were designed as second-class ironclads suitable for use on foreign stations and the ship spent the bulk of her career on the China Station. She was decommissioned in 1894 and hulked in 1902 for use as a training ship. The ship was towed to Scapa Flow after the beginning of the First World War to be used as a receiving ship and then to Rosyth after the war ended. Audacious was sold for scrap in 1929.

HMS <i>Resistance</i> (1861) British defence-class ironclads

HMS Resistance was the second of two Defence-class ironclads built for the Royal Navy in the 1860s. She was the first capital ship in the Royal Navy to be fitted with a ram and was given the nickname of Old Rammo. Resistance was initially assigned to the Channel Fleet upon commissioning, but was transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet in 1864, the first ironclad to be assigned to that fleet. She was rearmed in 1867 and became a guardship when recommissioned in 1869. The ship was reassigned to the Channel Fleet in 1873 before reverting to her former duties in 1877. Resistance was decommissioned in 1880 and was used for gunnery and torpedo trials beginning in 1885. The ship was sold for scrap in 1898 and foundered in 1899 en route to the breaker's yard. She was salvaged and later scrapped.

<i>Prince Consort</i>-class ironclad

The Prince Consort class of ironclad battleship were four Royal Navy wooden-hulled broadside ironclads: HMS Royal Oak, HMS Prince Consort, HMS Ocean, and HMS Caledonia. They were originally laid down as Bulwark-class battleship, but were converted to ironclads. Royal Oak was Britain's fifth ironclad battleship completed.

HMS <i>Research</i> (1863) Sloop of the Royal Navy

HMS Research was a small ironclad warship, converted from a wooden-hulled sloop and intended as an experimental platform in which to try out new concepts in armament and in armour. She was launched in 1863, laid up in 1878 and sold for breaking in 1884, having displayed serious limitations as a warship.

HMS <i>Lord Warden</i> Ship of the Lord Clyde class of armoured frigates

HMS Lord Warden was the second and last ship of the wooden-hulled Lord Clyde class of armoured frigates built for the Royal Navy (RN) during the 1860s. She and her sister ship, Lord Clyde, were the heaviest wooden ships ever built and were also the fastest steaming wooden ships. They were also the slowest-sailing ironclads in the RN.

HMS <i>Bellerophon</i> (1865)

HMS Bellerophon was a central battery ironclad built for the Royal Navy in the mid-1860s.

HMS <i>Penelope</i> (1867) British central-battery ironclad

HMS Penelope was a central-battery ironclad built for the Royal Navy in the late 1860s and was rated as an armoured corvette. She was designed for inshore work with a shallow draught, and this severely compromised her performance under sail. Completed in 1868, the ship spent the next year with the Channel Fleet before she was assigned to the First Reserve Squadron in 1869 and became the coast guard ship for Harwich until 1887. Penelope was mobilised as tensions with Russia rose during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78 and participated in the Bombardment of Alexandria during the Anglo-Egyptian War of 1882. The ship became a receiving ship in South Africa in 1888 and then a prison hulk in 1897. She was sold for scrap in 1912.

HMS <i>Vixen</i> (1865) Armoured composite gunboat

HMS Vixen was an armoured composite gunboat, the only ship of her class, and the third ship of the Royal Navy to bear the name. She was the first Royal Navy vessel to have twin propellers.

HMS <i>Collingwood</i> (1882) Admiral-class battleship

HMS Collingwood was the lead ship of her class of ironclad battleships built for the Royal Navy during the 1880s. The ship's essential design became the standard for most of the following British battleships. Completed in 1887, she spent the next two years in reserve before she was assigned to the Mediterranean Fleet for the next eight years. After returning home in 1897, the ship spent the next six years as a guardship in Ireland. Collingwood was not significantly damaged during an accidental collision in 1899 and was paid off four years later. The ship was sold for scrap in 1909 and subsequently broken up.

French ironclad <i>Friedland</i> French ironclad ship

The French ironclad Friedland was originally intended to be an iron-hulled version of Océan-class armoured frigate built for the French Navy during the 1870s, but she was much altered during her prolonged construction. Named after the French victory at the Battle of Friedland in 1807, the ship spent the bulk of her career assigned to the Mediterranean Squadron and supported the French occupation of Tunisia in 1881. She was condemned in 1902.

<i>Océan</i>-class ironclad French Navys Océan-class of three wooden-hulled armored frigates

The Océan-class ironclads were a class of three wooden-hulled armored frigates built for the French Navy in the mid to late 1860s. Océan attempted to blockade Prussian ports in the Baltic Sea in 1870 during the Franco-Prussian War and Marengo participated in the French conquest of Tunisia in 1881. Suffren was often used as the flagship for the Cherbourg Division, the Channel Division, Mediterranean Squadron and the Northern Squadron during her career. The ships were discarded during the 1890s.

French ironclad <i>Marengo</i> French Navys Océan-class ironclad

Marengo was a wooden-hulled, Océan class, armored frigate, built for the French Navy in the mid to late 1860s. The ship was running her sea trials in July 1870 when the Franco-Prussian War began and was immediately placed in reserve until after the war was over. Marengo participated in the French occupation of Tunisia in 1881 and was flagship of the Northern Squadron in 1891 when it made port visits in Britain and Russia. She was sold for scrap in 1896.

<i>Devastation</i>-class ironclad

The two British Devastation-class battleships of the 1870s, HMS Devastation and HMS Thunderer, were the first class of ocean-going capital ship that did not carry sails, and the first which mounted the entire main armament on top of the hull rather than inside it.