HMS Centurion (1844)

Last updated

History
Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
NameCenturion
Ordered18 March 1839
Builder Pembroke Dockyard
Laid downJuly 1839
Launched2 May 1844
Completed10 June 1844 (in ordinary)
FateSold for scrap, 19 March 1870
General characteristics
Class and type Vanguard-class ship of the line
Tons burthen2589 94⁄94 bm
Length190 ft (57.9 m) (gundeck)
Beam57 ft 1 in (17.4 m)
Draught18 ft 10 in (5.7 m)
Depth of hold23 ft 4 in (7.1 m)
Sail plan Full-rigged ship
Complement720 (wartime)
Armament

HMS Centurion was a 80-gun second rate Vanguard-class ship of the line built for the Royal Navy in the 1840s.

Contents

Description

The Vanguard class was designed by Sir William Symonds, Surveyor of the Navy, with each ship built with a slightly different hull shape to evaluate their speed and handling characteristics. Centurion had a length at the gundeck of 190 feet 8 inches (58.1 m) and 153 feet 5 inches (46.8 m) at the keel. She had a beam of 57 feet 1 inch (17.4 m), a draught of 18 feet 10 inches (5.7 m) and a depth of hold of 23 feet 4 inches (7.1 m). The ship's tonnage was 2,589 83⁄94 tons burthen. [1] The Vanguards had a wartime crew of 720 officers and ratings. [2]

The Vanguard class ships of the line were armed with twenty 32-pounder (56 cwt) [Note 1] cannon and two 68-pounder carronades on her lower gundeck, twenty-eight 32-pounder (50 cwt) cannon and another pair of 68-pounder carronades on the upper gundeck. On her quarterdeck were fourteen 32-pounder (42 cwt) cannon and on the forecastle deck were eight more 32-pounder (42 cwt) cannon. [2]

Modifications

When Centurion was ordered to be modified for steam propulsion in 1854, she was fitted with a two-cylinder horizontal steam engine of 400 nominal horsepower that drove a single propeller shaft. On trials the engine produced 1,255 indicated horsepower (936  kW ) which gave the ship a speed of 8.5 knots (15.7 km/h; 9.8 mph). [3]

Construction and career

Centurion and HMS Royal Albert attempt to save a man overboard, during the passage to Corfu, circa 1857-58, as sketched by Capt. Egerton of the Royal Albert H.M.S Centurion and H.M.S. Royal Albert trying to save a man overboard, during the passage to Corfu - 2011 CSK 02362 0382 (030133).jpg
Centurion and HMS Royal Albert attempt to save a man overboard, during the passage to Corfu, circa 1857-58, as sketched by Capt. Egerton of the Royal Albert

Centurion was ordered from Pembroke Dockyard on 18 March 1839 and laid down the following July. She was launched on 2 May 1844 and completed on 10 June. The ship was not fitted out and Centurion was placed in ordinary. Her construction cost £57,386. Between September 1854 and November 1855, she was fitted with steam propulsion. [1]

Centurion was sold for scrap on 19 March 1870, [4] for a price of £8200. [5]

Notes

  1. ↑ "Cwt" is the abbreviation for hundredweight, 56 cwt referring to the weight of the gun.

Citations

  1. 1 2 Winfield, p. 173
  2. 1 2 Lyon & Winfield, p. 97
  3. ↑ Lyon & Winfield, p. 190
  4. ↑ Lavery, p. 191
  5. ↑ Lecky, p. 45

Related Research Articles

HMS <i>Cornwall</i> (1812) Vengeur-class ship of the line

HMS Cornwall was a 74-gun third-rate Vengeur-class ship of the line built for the Royal Navy in the 1810s. She spent most of her service in reserve and was converted into a reformatory and a school ship in her later years. The ship was broken up in 1875.

HMS <i>Gloucester</i> (1812) Vengeur-class ship of the line

HMS Gloucester was a 74-gun, third rate Vengeur-class ship of the line built for the Royal Navy in the 1810s. She played a minor role in the Napoleonic Wars and was cut down into a 50-gun fourth rate frigate in 1831–32. The ship was converted into a receiving ship and broken up in 1884.

HMS <i>Valorous</i> (1851)

HMS Valorous was one of two 16-gun, steam-powered Magicienne-class second-class paddle frigates built for the Royal Navy in the 1850s. Commissioned in 1853 she played a small role in the Crimean War of 1854–1855 and was sold for scrap in 1891.

HMS <i>Superb</i> (1842) Vanguard-class ship of the line

HMS Superb was a 80-gun second rate Vanguard-class ship of the line built for the Royal Navy in the 1840s. She was broken up in 1869.

HMS <i>Lion</i> (1847) Vanguard-class ship of the line

HMS Lion was a 80-gun second rate Vanguard-class ship of the line built for the Royal Navy in the 1840s. She was fitted with steam propulsion in 1858–1859. In 1871 Lion was converted into a training ship at HM Dockyard, Devonport. The ship was sold for scrap in 1905.

HMS <i>Colossus</i> (1848) 1948 Vanguard-class ship of the line of the Royal Navy

HMS Colossus was a 80-gun second rate Vanguard-class ship of the line built for the Royal Navy in the 1840s. The ship was fitted with steam propulsion in 1854–1855, and was sold for scrap in 1867.

HMS <i>Magicienne</i> (1849)

HMS Magicienne was the lead ship of her class of two 16-gun, steam-powered second-class paddle frigates built for the Royal Navy in the 1850s. Commissioned in 1853 she played a small role in the Crimean War of 1854–1855 and was sold for scrap in 1866.

<i>Hermes</i>-class sloop

The Hermes class were a class of four paddlewheel steam sloops built for the British Royal Navy in the 1830s. Megaera was wrecked in Jamaica in 1843, but the other three survived to be broken up, with Volcano surviving in Portsmouth as a floating engineers' workshop until 1894, giving the best part of 60 years of service.

HMS <i>Thetis</i> (1817) 46-gun Leda-class fifth-rate frigate built for the Royal Navy during the 1810s

HMS Thetis was a 46-gun Leda-class fifth-rate frigate built for the Royal Navy during the 1810s. She was first commissioned in 1823 and was assigned to the South America Station three years later. The ship was wrecked in 1830 off Cape Frio, Brazil, with the loss of 22 crewmen; most of her cargo of bullion was successfully salvaged.

HMS <i>Arethusa</i> (1817)

HMS Arethusa was a 46-gun Leda-class fifth-rate frigate built for the Royal Navy during the 1810s. The ship was never commissioned and was converted into a lazarette in 1836. She was renamed HMS Bacchus in 1844 and was further converted into a coal hulk in 1851–52. The ship was sold for scrap in 1883.

HMS <i>Melampus</i> (1820) fifth-rate frigate of the Royal Navy

HMS Melampus was a 46-gun modified Leda-class fifth-rate frigate built for the Royal Navy during the 1810s. Completed in 1820, she was not commissioned until 1845 for the South America Station and was converted into a store and receiving ship in 1855. The ship was briefly assigned as a coast guard ship before being paid off in 1858. Melampus was converted into a Roman Catholic chapel ship in 1866 and then became a store ship twenty years later. The ship was sold for scrap in 1906.

HMS Nereus was a 46-gun modified Leda-class fifth-rate frigate built for the Royal Navy during the 1810s. She was never commissioned and was converted into a store ship in 1843 for service in South America. The ship was sold for into civilian service in 1879.

HMS Druid was a 46-gun Seringapatam-class fifth-rate frigate built for the Royal Navy during the 1820s, the name ship of her sub-class.

HMS <i>Nemesis</i> (1826)

HMS Nemesis was a 46-gun Seringapatam-class fifth-rate frigate built for the Royal Navy during the 1820s, one of four ships of the Druid sub-class.

HMS <i>Leda</i> (1828)

HMS Leda was a 46-gun Seringapatam-class fifth-rate frigate built for the Royal Navy during the 1820s, one of seven ships of the Druid sub-class.

HMS <i>Stag</i> (1830)

HMS Stag was a 44-gun Seringapatam-class fifth-rate frigate built for the Royal Navy during the 1820s, one of three ships of the Andromeda sub-class.

HMS Seahorse was a 44-gun Seringapatam-class fifth-rate frigate built for the Royal Navy during the 1820s, one of three ships of the Andromeda sub-class. After completion in 1830, she was ordered to be converted into a steam-powered ship in 1845, but this did not happen for another decade.

HMS Forth was a 44-gun Seringapatam-class fifth-rate frigate built for the Royal Navy during the 1820s, one of three ships of the Andromeda sub-class. After completion in 1833, she was ordered to be converted into a steam-powered ship in 1845, but this did not happen for another decade.

HMS <i>Talbot</i> (1824) British ship

HMS Talbot was a 28-gun Atholl-class sixth-rate frigate built for the Royal Navy during the 1820s.

HMS Persian was a sixteen-gun Acorn-class brig-sloop built for the Royal Navy during the 1830s.

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.