HDMS Helgoland (1878)

HDMS Helgoland was a coast defence barbette ironclad bult for the Royal Danish Navy in the late 1870s. The ship was decommissioned in 1907 and subsequently scrapped.

Helgoland
History
Kingdom of Denmark
Name: Helgoland
Namesake: Battle of Heligoland
Builder: Orlogsværftet, Copenhagen
Laid down: 20 May 1876
Launched: 9 May 1878
Commissioned: 20 August 1879
Decommissioned: 29 June 1907
Fate: Scrapped, 1907
General characteristics
Type: Barbette ironclad
Displacement: 5,480 t (5,393 long tons)
Length: 79.17 m (259 ft 9 in)
Beam: 18.05 m (59 ft 3 in)
Draft: 5.9 m (19 ft 4 in)
Installed power:
Propulsion: 2 shafts, 2 compound-expansion steam engines
Speed: 13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph)
Range: 1,400 nmi (2,600 km; 1,600 mi) at 9 knots (17 km/h; 10 mph)
Complement: 350
Armament:
  • 1 × single 305 mm (12 in) gun
  • 4 × single 260 mm (10.2 in) guns
  • 5 × single 120 mm (4.7 in) guns
Armour:

Design and description

Helgoland was 79.12 meters (259 ft 7 in) long overall, had a beam of 18.03 meters (59 ft 2 in) and a draft of 5.89 meters (19 ft 4 in).[1] She displaced 5,480 metric tons (5,393 long tons)[2] and was fitted with a ram bow. Her crew consisted of 350 officers and enlisted men.[3]

The ship was fitted with a pair of Burmeister & Wain compound-expansion steam engines, each engine driving one propeller shaft using steam provided by eight cylindrical boilers. The engines were rated at a total of 4,500 indicated horsepower (3,400 kW) and gave the ship a speed of 13.4 knots (24.8 km/h; 15.4 mph).[3] Helgoland carried a maximum of 224 long tons (228 t) of coal that gave her a range of 1,400 nautical miles (2,600 km; 1,600 mi) at a speed of 9 knots (17 km/h; 10 mph).[2]

The ironclad's main battery consisted of a single 22-caliber 305-millimeter (12 in) rifled breech-loading (RBL) gun mounted in the barbette. She was also armed with four single 22-caliber 260-millimeter (10.2 in) RBL guns in the corners of the armored citadel in the hull. For defense against torpedo boats, the ship was equipped with five 25-caliber 120-millimeter (4.7 in) guns.[1] She was also fitted with two 380-millimeter (15 in) torpedo launchers.[2]

Helogland had a complete waterline belt of wrought iron that ranged in thickness from 315 millimeters (12.4 in) amidships to 152 millimeters (6 in) at the ends of the ship. The barbette and the side of the armored citadel were protected by 260 mm of armor. The deck armor was 52 millimeters (2 in) thick while the conning tower was protected by 33-millimeter (1.3 in) armor plates.[3]

Construction and service

Helgoland, named for the 1864 Danish victory over the combined Prussian and Austro-Hungarian squadron at Battle of Heligoland during the Second Schleswig War,[4] was laid down on 20 May 1875 by the Orlogsværftet in Copenhagen, launched on 9 May 1878 and commissioned on 20 August 1879.[2]

Notes
  1. Gardiner, p. 365
  2. Balsved
  3. Silverstone, p. 56
  4. Silverstone, p. 59

References
  • Balsved, Johnny E. "Helgoland (1879–1907)". Danish Naval History. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  • Gardiner, Robert, ed. (1979). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860-1905. Greenwich: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-8317-0302-4.
  • Silverstone, Paul H. (1984). Directory of the World's Capital Ships. New York: Hippocrene Books. ISBN 0-88254-979-0.
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