Albacore-class gunboat (1883)
The Albacore-class gunboat was a class of three gunboats built for the Royal Navy in 1883. The name had already been used for a class of 98 gunboats built during the Great Armament of the Crimean War.
.jpg.webp) HMS Watchful | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Albacore class |
| Builders: | Laird Brothers, Birkenhead |
| Operators: |
 Royal Navy |
| Preceded by: | Banterer class |
| Succeeded by: | Bramble class |
| Built: | 1883 |
| In commission: | 1884–1907 |
| Completed: | 3 |
| Retired: | 3 |
| General characteristics [1] | |
| Type: | Composite screw gunboat |
| Displacement: | 560 tons standard |
| Length: | 135 ft 0 in (41.1 m) pp |
| Beam: | 26 ft 6 in (8.1 m) |
| Draught: | 10 ft 3 in (3.1 m) |
| Depth of hold: | 11 ft 6 in (3.5 m) |
| Installed power: | 650 ihp (480 kW) |
| Propulsion: |
|
| Speed: | 10.7 kn (19.8 km/h) |
| Crew: | 60 |
| Armament: |
|
Design
The Albacore class was designed by Nathaniel Barnaby, the Admiralty Director of Naval Construction. The ships were of composite construction, meaning that the iron keel, frames, stem and stern posts were of iron, while the hull was planked with timber. This had the advantage of allowing the vessels to be coppered, thus keeping marine growth under control, a problem that caused iron-hulled ships to be frequently docked. They were 135 feet (41 m) in length and displaced 560 tons.[1] They were a slightly larger version of the Forester and Banterer classes that preceded them. They pioneered the use of modern breech-loading guns as the main armament, but were the last gunboats to mount their weapons on traversing mountings.[1]
Propulsion
Two-cylinder compound-expansion steam engines built by the builder, Laird Brothers of Birkenhead, provided 650 indicated horsepower through a single screw, sufficient for 10.7 knots (19.8 km/h; 12.3 mph).[1]
Armament
Ships of the class were armed with two 5-inch/50-pdr (38cwt) breech-loading guns and two 4-inch/20-pdr breech-loading guns. A pair of machine guns was also fitted.[1]
Ships
| Name | Ship builder | Launched | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albacore | Laird Brothers, Birkenhead | 13 January 1883 | Sold on 18 May 1906.[2] |
| Mistletoe | Laird Brothers, Birkenhead | 7 February 1883 | Boom defence in 1903. Sold to Shipbreaking Company, London on 14 May 1907.[2] |
| Watchful | Laird Brothers, Birkenhead | 13 February 1883 | Boom defence in 1903. Sold to Shipbreaking Company, London on 14 May 1907.[2] |
Notes
- Watchful received the 40cwt Mk III version of the same gun.[1]
References
- Winfield (2004), p.298
- Preston, Major (2007), pp.176–177
- Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.
- Preston, Antony; Major, John (2007). Send a Gunboat: The Victorian Navy and Supremacy at Sea, 1854–1904 (2nd ed.). London: Conway. ISBN 978-0-85177-923-2.
- Winfield, R.; Lyon, D. (2004). The Sail and Steam Navy List: All the Ships of the Royal Navy 1815–1889. London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-032-6.