Caledonia-class ship of the line

Launching of Trafalgar
Class overview
Name	Caledonia
Operators	Royal Navy
Succeeded by	Nelson class
In service	25 June 1808 – 1918
Planned	10
Completed	9
General characteristics
Type	Ship of the line
Length	205 ft (62 m) (gundeck) 170 ft 11 in (52.10 m) (keel) Broadened: 205 ft 5+1⁄2 in (62.624 m) (gundeck) 170 ft 6 in (51.97 m) (keel)
Beam	53 ft 6 in (16.31 m) 54 ft 6 in (16.61 m) (broadened)
Depth of hold	23 ft 2 in (7.06 m)
Propulsion	Sails
Armament	120 guns (original): Gundeck: 32 × 32-pounders Middle gundeck: 34 × 24-pounders Upper gundeck: 34 × 18-pounders Quarterdeck: 6 × 12-pounders, 10 × 32-pounder carronades Forecastle: 2 × 12-pounders, 2 × 32-pounder carronades Poop deck: 2 × 18-pounder carronades In 1847: Lower deck: 4 × 8" 65 cwt 9', 28 × 32-pdr 56 cwt Middle deck: 2 × 8" 65 cwt 9', 32 × 32-pdr 50 cwt Main deck: 34 × 32-pdr 42 cwt QD FC: 6 × 32-pdr 45 cwt, 14 × 32-pdr 17 cwt

The Caledonia-class ships of the line were a class of nine 120-gun first rates, designed for the Royal Navy by Sir William Rule. A tenth ship (Royal Frederick) was ordered on 29 October 1827 to the same design, but was launched in 1833 as Queen to a fresh design by Sir William Symonds. The lead ship of the class, Caledonia, had "superb sailing qualities" ^[1] and was chosen by the Board of Admiralty to serve as the model for all future three-decker ships of the line.

Armament

In the original configuration, the armament of the Caledonia class was consistent for the first three ships of the class. The exception was an increase in firepower on the poop deck from 2 to 6 18-pounder carronades.

Starting with the fourth ship, the armament of the class was significantly modified to adhere to the principle of a unified caliber of 32 pound. All guns on the middle and upper gun decks were replaced with the same number of 32-pounders, except for two 24-pounders on the middle deck that were replaced by two 8-inch-shell guns. Four of the 12-pounder guns on the quarterdeck were replaced with 32-pounder carronades. The remaining two were increased to 18-pounders, along with the two 12-pounders on the forecastle, and the carronades on the poop deck were removed.

By 1847 the armament had been brought to the 32-pounder standard.

Size

The last five ships of the class were built to a slightly broadened version of the draught, and this sub-class was armed in the same way as the last of the standard Caledonias, HMS Royal George. Except for Caledonia herself, all these ships were converted into steam-powered screw battleships during the 1850s.

Ships

Standard group

• HMS Caledonia

Builder: Plymouth Dockyard

Ordered: 19 January 1797

Laid down: 1 January 1805

Launched: 25 June 1808

Fate: Broken up, 1875

• HMS Britannia

Builder: Plymouth Dockyard

Ordered: 11 June 1812

Laid down: December 1813

Launched: 20 October 1820

Fate: Broken up, 1869

• HMS Prince Regent

Builder: Chatham Dockyard

Ordered: 6 January 1812

Laid down: 17 July 1815

Launched: 12 April 1823

Fate: Broken up, 1873

• HMS Royal George

Builder: Chatham Dockyard

Ordered: 2 June 1819

Laid down: June 1823

Launched: 22 September 1827

Fate: Sold out of the service, 1875

Broadened group

• HMS Neptune

Builder: Portsmouth Dockyard

Ordered: 12 February 1823

Laid down: January 1827

Launched: 22 September 1832

Fate: Sold out of the service, 1875

• HMS Royal William

Builder: Pembroke Dockyard

Ordered: 30 December 1823

Laid down: October 1825

Launched: 2 April 1833

Fate: Burnt, 1899

• HMS Waterloo

Builder: Chatham Dockyard

Ordered: 9 September 1823

Laid down: March 1827

Launched: 10 June 1833

Fate: Burnt, 1918

• HMS St George

Builder: Plymouth Dockyard

Ordered: 2 June 1819

Laid down: May 1827

Launched: 27 August 1840

Fate: Sold out of the service, 1883

• HMS Trafalgar

Builder: Woolwich Dockyard

Ordered: 22 February 1825

Laid down: November 1829

Launched: 21 June 1841

Fate: Sold out of the service, 1906

Citations

1. Winfield 2010, p. 90

References

• Duckers, Peter (2011) The Crimean War at Sea: The Naval Campaigns against Russia, 1854-56. Pen & Sword Maritime. ISBN   1-84884-267-8.
• Lambert, Andrew D. (1984). Battleships in Transition: The Creation of the Steam Battlefleet 1815-1860. Conway Maritime Press. ISBN   0-85177-315-X.
• Lambert, Andrew D. (1991). The Last Sailing Battlefleet: Maintaining Naval Mastery 1815 - 1850. Conway Maritime Press. ISBN   0-85177-591-8.
• Lavery, Brian (1984). The Ship of the Line. Vol. 1: The Development of the Battlefleet 1650-1850. Naval Institute Press. ISBN   0-85177-252-8.
• Winfield, Rif (2014). British Warships in the Age of Sail, 1817–1863: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth Publishing. ISBN   978-1-84832-169-4.
• Winfield, Rif (2010). First Rate: The Greatest Warships of the Age of Sail. Naval Institute Press. ISBN   978-1-59114-264-5.