HMS Africa (1862)

Last updated

HMS Africa
History
Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
NameHMS Africa
Namesake Africa
Builder Devonport Dockyard
Launched14 February 1862
Acquired29 March 1862 (Completed)
FateSold, 13 August 1862
Lay-Osborn Flotilla
Name
  • China
  • I T'ung
Namesake China
Acquired13 August 1862
FateSold, 30 December 1865
General characteristics
Class and type Rosario-class sloop
Displacement913 long tons (928 t)
Tons burthen669 bm
Length160 ft 0 in (48.76 m)
Beam30 ft 3 in (9.23 m)
Draught16 ft 0 in (4.87 m)
Installed power
  • Steam engine, 2 boilers
  • 530 ihp (400 kW)
PropulsionSingle shaft
Speed9.5 knots (17.6 km/h; 10.9 mph)
Complement140
Armament

HMS Africa was a Victorian screw sloop launched in 1862 and sold to China later that year.

Contents

History

HMS Africa was purchased by Horatio Nelson Lay, Inspector General of the Qing Dynasty Chinese Maritime Customs Service, on 13 August 1862, as part of an effort to bolster the Qing Dynasty naval force in response to the ongoing Taiping Rebellion. [1] [2] Thereafter she was renamed China (Chinese :中國; pinyin :Zhōngguó; Wade–Giles :Chung Kuo), and became part of the Lay-Osborn Flotilla commanded by Sherard Osborn. [1] She was put under the command of Lieut. Noel Osborn. [3] Upon her arrival in China, the Qing government ordered the ship to be renamed as I T'ung (Chinese :一統; pinyin :Yītǒng; lit.'Unification'). [1] [4]

However, disagreements between the Qing government and Lay over the command and composition of the Lay-Osborn Flotilla arose soon after her arrival, and during negotiations Osborn took China and Thule to Taku to get away from the Chinese treatment. The disagreements eventually led to its disbandment, and China returned to the United Kingdom. She was originally intended for sale, but an embargo on sales, due to the concurrent American Civil War and fear of the vessel joining the Confederate States Navy, prevented any sales. [5] When the American Civil War ended in 1865, she, along with Pekin and Tientsin , were sold in an auction to Egypt on 30 December 1865 for £20,500. [1] [4]

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 4 Chen 2013, p. 11.
  2. ↑ Wright 2000, p. 16.
  3. ↑ Clowes 1903.
  4. 1 2 Chen 2002, p. 142.
  5. ↑ Wright 2000, pp. 18–19.

Related Research Articles

Japanese corvette <i>Kasuga</i>

Kasuga Maru was a Japanese wooden paddle steamer warship of the Bakumatsu and early Meiji period, serving with the navy of Satsuma Domain, and later with the Imperial Japanese Navy. She was originally named Keangsoo, and was a wooden dispatch vessel built for the Imperial Chinese Navy. She was constructed in 1862 by Whites at Cowes, she formed part of the Lay-Osborn Flotilla during the Taiping Rebellion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sherard Osborn</span> English rear admiral and polar explorer

Sherard Osborn was a Royal Navy admiral and Arctic explorer.

USS Dai Ching was a steam gunboat in commissioned into service in the United States Navy in 1863. She served in the Union Navy during the American Civil War until her loss in 1865.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Imperial Chinese Navy</span> Military unit

The Imperial Chinese Navy was the modern navy of the Qing dynasty of China established in 1875. An Imperial naval force in China first came into existence from 1132 during the Song dynasty and existed in some form until the end of the Qing dynasty in 1912. However, the name "Imperial Chinese Navy" usually only refers to the Qing navy that existed between 1875 and 1912, with "Imperial Chinese Navy" as its official English name.

USS Tulip was a 183-ton steamer acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War.

USS <i>Fuchsia</i> Gunboat of the United States Navy

USS Fuchsia was a steamer acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. She was used by the Navy to patrol navigable waterways of the Confederacy to prevent the South from trading with other countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flag of the Qing dynasty</span>

The flag of the Qing dynasty was an emblem adopted in the late 19th century (1889) featuring the Azure Dragon on a plain yellow field with the red flaming pearl in the upper left corner. It became the first national flag of China and is usually referred to as the "Yellow Dragon Flag".

Chinese cruiser <i>Nan Chen</i> Chinese lead ship of Nan-Chen class

Nan Chen was an unprotected cruiser built for the Imperial Chinese Navy. She was built by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft, Kiel, Germany, while her armament was installed by Armstrong Whitworth, Elswick, England. She was the lead ship of the Nan Chen class, alongside her sister vessel Nan Shui, which was based on the design of the cruiser Kai Chi. Nan Chen was considered to be obsolete by the Western Powers even at the time of her construction.

Confucius was an early armed riverboat of the Qing dynasty, and one of the earliest modern vessels of China.

Chun Ho is an early gunboat of the Qing Dynasty.

Hyson is an early gunboat of the Qing dynasty.

HMS Mohawk was a British Vigilant-class gunvessel launched in 1856.

Tientsin was a British-made dispatch boat launched in 1863.

Kwangtung was a British-made dispatch boat launched in 1863.

HMS <i>Jasper</i> (1857) British Algerine-class gunboat

HMS Jasper was a British Algerine-class gunboat launched in 1857.

Chinese cruiser <i>Nan Shui</i>

Nan Shui was an unprotected cruiser built for the Imperial Chinese Navy. She was built by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft, Kiel, Germany, while her armament was installed by Armstrong Whitworth, Elswick, England. She, alongside her sister vessel Nan Chen, which was based on the design of the cruiser Kai Chi. Nan Shui was considered to be obsolete by the Western Powers even at the time of her construction.

Fei Lung was an early gunboat of the Qing Dynasty.

HMS <i>Desperate</i> (1849) Sloop of the Royal Navy

HMS Desperate was originally slated to be built to the Sampson designed steam vessel rated as a Steam Vessel First Class (SV1); however, the Admiralty, first rerated the vessels as First Class Sloops on 19 April 1845 then on the 9 May 1845, she was ordered as First-Class screw sloops to be built from a design of Sir William Symonds, Surveyor of the Navy. She would be a 10-gun vessel with 400 NHP engines. She served in the Baltic during the Crimean war, and as a store ship to Edward Augustus Inglefield's Arctic expedition. She was broken up by 1865.

HMS Vesuvius was initially a Steam Vessel second class designed by Sir William Symonds, Surveyor of the Navy, and built at Sheerness. She was commissioned and participated in the bombardment of Acre in 1840, during the Russian War she was in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov in 1855. Her last overseas posting was in the West Indies. She was sold for breaking in June 1865.

HMS Alecto was an Alecto-class sloop designed by Sir William Symonds, Surveyor of the Navy. Originally classed as a steam vessel (SV3), her classification would be changed to a Third Class Sloop. She initially served in the Mediterranean, prior to her tug of war with the Rattler. She spent her time in the Americas and mainly on the anti-slavery patrol off the west coast of Africa. She was broken up in November 1865

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.