HMS Ajax (1880)

Last updated

HMS Ajax - ILN 1887.jpg
Ajax at the Queen's Jubilee Naval Review 1887, Spithead
History
Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svgUnited Kingdom
NameAjax
Namesake Ajax
Builder Pembroke Dockyard
Laid down21 March 1876
Launched10 March 1880
Completed30 March 1883
Commissioned30 April 1885
Out of serviceNovember 1901
FateSold for scrap, March 1904
General characteristics
Class and type Ajax-class ironclad battleship
Displacement8,510 long tons (8,650  t)
Length
  • 280 ft (85.3 m) (pp)
  • 300 ft 9 in (91.7 m) (oa)
Beam66 ft (20.1 m)
Draught23 ft 6 in (7.2 m)
Installed power
Propulsion2 shafts; 2 compound-expansion steam engines
Speed13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph)
Range2,100  nmi (3,900 km; 2,400 mi) @ 9 knots (17 km/h; 10 mph)
Complement345
Armament
Armour
Right elevation and plan from Brassey's Naval Annual, 1886 AjaxBrasseysDrawing.jpg
Right elevation and plan from Brassey's Naval Annual, 1886

HMS Ajax was the name ship of her class of ironclad battleships built for the Royal Navy during the 1870s. Completed in 1883, she was immediately placed in reserve until 1885 when the ship was commissioned for the first time. Later that year, Ajax was assigned as a coast guard ship in Scotland and remained there for the next six years. She was reduced to reserve again in 1891 and was taken out of service a decade later. The ship was sold for scrap in 1904 and subsequently broken up.

Contents

Design and description

The Ajax class was designed as a shallow-draught version of the preceding Inflexible that was also smaller and cheaper; unfortunately the need, imposed by budgetary constraints, to produce a smaller ship produced a vessel with all of the shortcomings of Inflexible but with none of her virtues. [1] The ships had a length between perpendiculars of 280 feet (85.3 m) and were 300 feet 9 inches (91.7 m) long overall, some 44 feet (13.4 m) shorter than Inflexible. They had a beam of 66 feet (20.1 m), and a draught of 23 feet 6 inches (7.2 m) and displaced 8,510 long tons (8,650  t ). Their crew consisted of 345 officers and ratings, over 3,000 long tons (3,048 t) less than Inflexible. The Ajax-class ships were bad seaboats and steered very erratically, especially at high speed. More deadwood was added to their sterns in 1886 in a partially successful attempt to rectify the problem. [2]

The Ajax class was powered by a pair of inverted, vertical, compound-expansion steam engines. These were built by John Penn and Sons and each drove a single propeller using steam provided by 10 cylindrical boilers. The engines were designed to produce a total of 6,000 indicated horsepower (4,500 kW) for a speed of 13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph). The ships carried a maximum of 970 long tons (986 t) of coal, enough to steam 2,100 nautical miles (3,900 km; 2,400 mi) at 9 knots (17 km/h; 10 mph). [3]

They copied the main armament layout of Inflexible with their turrets arranged en echelon so that both turrets could fire directly ahead and to each side, although this was more theoretical than practical due to damage from muzzle blast. Each turret mounted a pair of rifled muzzle-loading RML 12.5-inch (318 mm) guns. [4] Their shells weighed 809 pounds (367.0 kg) while the gun itself weighed 38 long tons (39 t). The guns had a muzzle velocity of 1,575 ft/s (480 m/s) and were credited with the ability to penetrate a nominal 18.4 inches (470 mm) of wrought iron armour at the muzzle. [5] To attack the unarmoured portion of their opponents, the Ajax class was fitted with a pair of rifled breech-loading BL 6-inch (152 mm), 80-pounder guns. [6] For defence against torpedo boats, they carried six quick-firing QF 6-pdr 2.2 in (57 mm) Nordenfelt guns. The ships also mounted a pair of above-water 14-inch (356 mm) torpedo launchers [3] and could carry a 60-foot (18.3 m) torpedo boat. [7]

The Ajax class copied Inflexible's armour scheme of a heavily armoured citadel with unamoured ends and sides, but unlike their predecessor, they lacked enough buoyancy to remain afloat if their ends were flooded. The citadel was 104 feet (31.7 m) long and the armour was composed of wrought iron plates 10 and 8 inches (254 and 203 mm) thick, separated and backed by 10 inches of teak at the waterline, reducing above and below the waterline to an armoured thickness of 15 inches (381.0 mm) in a similar sandwich. The citadel was closed off by fore and aft transverse bulkheads that were 16.5 inches (419 mm) thick above water and 13.5 inches (343 mm) below. The armoured deck was 3 inches (76 mm) thick from bow to stern. The turrets were protected by compound armour plates 16 to 14 inches (406 to 356 mm) thick and 12-inch (305 mm) plates defended the conning tower. [8]

Construction and career

Ajax, the fourth ship of her name to serve in the Royal Navy, [9] was named for the mythological hero. [10] The ship was laid down on 21 March 1876 in No. 4 Slipway, Pembroke Dockyard, Wales, and was launched on 10 March 1880 by Mrs. George Parkin, wife of the dockyard's Captain-Superintendent. [11] She was completed on 30 March 1883 at a cost of £548,393. [1]

Ajax was not commissioned until 30 April 1885 and was assigned to the Particular Service Squadron commanded by Admiral Geoffrey Hornby. [12] That summer, the squadron evaluated the weapons and defences of a fortified harbour, Berehaven (now Castletownbere), Ireland, against torpedo boats and other threats. [13] In August 1885, when tensions with Russia had subsided, she was posted as guard ship at Greenock. Ajax accidentally collided with the turret ship Devastation in 1887 off Portland. [14] The latter had one compartment below water holed, but Ajax only received two holes in her bow. [15]

The Burst Gun on board HMS Ajax. Illustrated London News 1889 The Burst Gun on board HMS 'Ajax' - ILN 1889.jpg
The Burst Gun on board HMS Ajax. Illustrated London News 1889

The ship participated in the annual manoeuvres in August 1889 and a shell exploded in one of her 12.5-inch gun barrels on 2 September, wounding one man. [16] The ship was reduced to reserve at Chatham Dockyard in 1891. Her BL six-inch, 80-pounder guns were replaced by QF six-inch guns in 1897. She was further reduced to Dockyard Reserve in November 1901, and was sold to Castles for scrap in March 1904 [14] and subsequently broken up at Charlton. [17]

Notes

  1. 1 2 Parkes, p. 262
  2. ↑ Chesneau & Kolesnik, p. 26
  3. 1 2 Burt, p. 25
  4. ↑ Gardiner, pp. 85, 96
  5. ↑ Chesneau & Kolesnik, p. 6
  6. ↑ Parkes, p. 265
  7. ↑ Branfill-Cook, p. 86
  8. ↑ Chesneau & Kolesnik, p. 26; Parkes, p. 265
  9. ↑ Colledge, p. 7
  10. ↑ Silverstone, p. 209
  11. ↑ Phillips, pp. 217–18
  12. ↑ Parkes, p. 266
  13. ↑ Brown, location 3317
  14. 1 2 Parkes, pp. 265–66
  15. ↑ Hazard, p. 213
  16. ↑ Brassey, pp. 16, 367
  17. ↑ Winfield & Lyon, p. 257

Related Research Articles

<i>Majestic</i>-class battleship Pre-dreadnought battleship class of the British Royal Navy

The Majestic class of nine pre-dreadnought battleships were built for the Royal Navy in the mid-1890s under the Spencer Programme, named after the First Lord of the Admiralty, John Poyntz Spencer. With nine units commissioned, they were the most numerous class of battleships. The nine ships, HMS Majestic, Caesar, Hannibal, Illustrious, Jupiter, Magnificent, Mars, Prince George, and Victorious, were built between 1894 and 1898 as part of a programme to strengthen the Royal Navy versus its two traditional rivals, France and Russia. This continued the naval re-armament initiatives begun by the Naval Defence Act 1889.

HMS <i>Hood</i> (1891) Royal Sovereign-class battleship of the Royal Navy scuttled in Portland Harbour

HMS Hood was a modified Royal Sovereign-class pre-dreadnought battleship built for the Royal Navy in the early 1890s. She differed from the other ships of the class in that she had cylindrical gun turrets instead of barbettes and a lower freeboard. She served most of her active career in the Mediterranean Sea, where her low freeboard was less of a disadvantage. The ship was placed in reserve in 1907 and later became the receiving ship at Queenstown, Ireland. Hood was used in the development of anti-torpedo bulges in 1913 and was scuttled in late 1914 to act as a blockship across the southern entrance of Portland Harbour after the start of World War I.

HMS <i>Dreadnought</i> (1875) 1875 ironclad turret ship of the Royal Navy

HMS Dreadnought was an ironclad turret ship built for the Royal Navy during the 1870s. Construction was halted less than a year after it began and she was redesigned to improve her stability and buoyancy. Upon completion in 1879, the ship was placed in reserve until she was commissioned in 1884 for service with the Mediterranean Fleet. Upon her return 10 years later, she became a coast guard ship in Ireland for two years. The ship then became a depot ship in 1897 before she was reclassified as a second-class battleship in 1900. Dreadnought participated in the annual fleet manoeuvres for the next two years before she became a training ship in 1902. The ship was taken out of service three years later and sold for scrap in 1908.

HMS <i>Colossus</i> (1882) 1886 Colossus-class ironclad battleship

The fourth HMS Colossus was a Colossus class second-class British battleship, launched in 1882 and commissioned in 1886. She had a displacement of 9,520 tons, and an armament of 4 × 12-inch breechloaders, 5 × 6-inch guns and had a respectable speed of 15.5 knots.

<i>Victoria</i>-class ironclad

The Royal Navy's Victoria class of the 1880s was the first class of ironclad warship which used triple expansion steam engines, previous classes having used compound engines.

HMS <i>Thunderer</i> (1872) Royal Navy Devastation-class turret ship

HMS Thunderer was one of two Devastation-class ironclad turret ships built for the Royal Navy in the 1870s. She suffered two serious accidents before the decade was out and gained a reputation as an unlucky ship for several years afterward. The ship was assigned to the Mediterranean Fleet in 1878 and was reduced to reserve in 1881 before being recommissioned in 1885. Thunderer returned home in 1887 and was again placed in reserve. She rejoined the Mediterranean Fleet in 1891, but was forced to return to the UK by boiler problems the following year. The ship became a coast guard ship in Wales in 1895 and was again placed in reserve in 1900. Thunderer was taken out of service in 1907 and sold for scrap in 1909.

<i>Drake</i>-class cruiser Class of early 20th-century British armoured cruisers

The Drake class was a four-ship class of armoured cruisers built around 1900 for the Royal Navy.

<i>Devonshire</i>-class cruiser (1903)

The Devonshire-class cruiser was a group of six armoured cruisers built for the Royal Navy in the first decade of the 20th century. All ships of the class served in World War I. Argyll was wrecked, and Hampshire was sunk by a naval mine. The four survivors were disposed of soon after the war.

<i>Duke of Edinburgh</i>-class cruiser British class of armoured cruisers

The Duke of Edinburgh-class cruiser was a class of two armoured cruisers built for the Royal Navy in the first decade of the 20th century. They were the first British armoured cruisers designed to work with the battlefleet rather than protect merchant shipping. After commissioning, they were assigned to the Atlantic, Channel and Home Fleets until 1913 when they were transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet. After the start of World War I in August 1914, the sister ships participated in the pursuit of the German battlecruiser SMS Goeben and light cruiser SMS Breslau. After the German ships reached their refuge in Ottoman Turkey, the ships were ordered to the Red Sea for convoy escort duties. They captured three German merchant ships before they returned to home at the end of the year.

HMS <i>Achilles</i> (1863) Armoured frigate of the Royal Navy

HMS Achilles was an armoured frigate built for the Royal Navy in the 1860s. Upon her completion in 1864 she was assigned to the Channel Fleet. The ship was paid off in 1868 to refit and be re-armed. When she recommissioned in 1869, she was assigned as the guard ship of the Fleet Reserve in the Portland District until 1874. Achilles was refitted and re-armed again in 1874 and became the guard ship of the Liverpool District in 1875. Two years later, she was rejoined the Channel Fleet before going to the Mediterranean in 1878. The ship returned to the Channel Fleet in 1880 and served until she was paid off in 1885.

HMS <i>Swiftsure</i> (1903) British lead ship of Swiftsure-class

HMS Swiftsure, originally known as Constitución, was the lead ship of the Swiftsure-class pre-dreadnought battleships. The ship was ordered by the Chilean Navy, but she was purchased by the United Kingdom as part of ending the Argentine–Chilean naval arms race. In British service, Swiftsure was initially assigned to the Home Fleet and Channel Fleets before being transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet in 1909. She rejoined Home Fleet in 1912 and was transferred to the East Indies Station in 1913, to act as its flagship.

HMS <i>Inflexible</i> (1876) Royal Navy turret ironclad

HMS Inflexible was a Victorian ironclad battleship carrying her main armament in centrally placed turrets. The ship was constructed in the 1870s for the Royal Navy to oppose the perceived growing threat from the Italian Regia Marina in the Mediterranean.

<i>Colossus</i>-class ironclad 1882 class of British ironclads

The Colossus-class battleships were British ironclad warships, carrying their main armament in turrets, which served in the Victorian Royal Navy from 1882. They were the first British warships to carry large rifled breech-loading main guns.

HMS <i>Edinburgh</i> (1882) Colossus-class ironclad

HMS Edinburgh was an ironclad battleship of the Colossus class which served in the Royal Navy of the Victorian era. She was the sister ship of HMS Colossus, being started before her but being completed after.

HMS <i>Nile</i> (1888) British Trafalgar-class battleship

HMS Nile was one of two Trafalgar-class ironclad battleships built for the Royal Navy during the 1880s. Late deliveries of her main guns delayed her commissioning until 1891 and she spent most of the decade with the Mediterranean Fleet. Nile returned home in 1898 and became the coast guard ship at Devonport for five years before she was placed in reserve in 1903. The ship was sold for scrap in 1912 and broken up at Swansea, Wales.

<i>Eclipse</i>-class cruiser

The Eclipse-class cruisers were a class of nine second-class protected cruisers constructed for the Royal Navy in the mid-1890s.

<i>Swiftsure</i>-class battleship Pre-dreadnought battleship class of the British Royal Navy

The Swiftsure class was a group of two British pre-dreadnought battleships. Originally ordered by Chile as the Constitución class during a period of high tension with Argentina, they were intended to defeat a pair of armoured cruisers ordered by the latter country and were optimized for this role. This meant that they were smaller and more lightly armed than most battleships of the time. They were purchased by the United Kingdom in 1903 prior to their completion to prevent their purchase by the Russian Empire as tensions were rising between them and the Japanese Empire, a British ally. Completed the following year, Swiftsure and Triumph had roughly similar careers for the first decade of their service careers. They were initially assigned to the Home Fleet and Channel Fleets before being transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet in 1909. Both ships rejoined the Home Fleet in 1912 and were transferred abroad in 1913, Swiftsure to the East Indies Station as its flagship, and Triumph to the China Station.

<i>Centurion</i>-class battleship Class of British predreadnought battleships

The Centurion-class battleships were a pair of pre-dreadnought battleships built for the Royal Navy in the 1890s. They were rated as second-class battleships because they were less heavily armed and armoured than the first-class battleships. They were designed for service abroad and were given higher speed and longer range to counter the armoured cruisers then being built as commerce raiders.

<i>Shikishima</i>-class battleship Japanese battleship class

The Shikishima class was a two-ship class of pre-dreadnought battleships built for the Imperial Japanese Navy in the late 1890s. As Japan lacked the industrial capacity to build such warships itself, they were designed and built in the UK. The ships participated in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–1905, including the Battle of Port Arthur on the second day of the war. Hatsuse sank after striking two mines off Port Arthur in May 1904. Shikishima fought in the Battles of the Yellow Sea and Tsushima and was lightly damaged in the latter action, although shells prematurely exploded in the barrels of her main guns in each battle. The ship was reclassified as a coast defence ship in 1921 and served as a training ship for the rest of her career. She was disarmed and hulked in 1923 and finally broken up for scrap in 1948.

<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.

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.