HMS Waterloo (1833)

HMS Waterloo was a 120-gun first-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 10 June 1833 at Chatham.[2]

Waterloo, of 120 guns, launched in the Reign of William IV
History
UK
Name:	HMS Waterloo
Ordered:	9 September 1823
Builder:	Chatham Dockyard
Laid down:	March 1827
Launched:	10 June 1833
Decommissioned:	Paid off 1866[1]
Renamed:	HMS Conqueror, 1862 HMS Warspite, 1877[1]
Fate:	Burnt, 1918
Notes:	Converted to steam 89-gun 2-decker, 1 April 1859–12 December 1859[1]
General characteristics [2]
Class and type:	Broadened Caledonia-class ship of the line
Tons burthen:	2,694 bm
Length:	205 ft 5.5 in (62.624 m) (gundeck)
Beam:	54 ft 6 in (16.61 m)
Depth of hold:	23 ft 2 in (7.06 m)
Propulsion:	From 1859, 500 nhp Maudlay engine, single screw[1]
Sail plan:	Full-rigged ship
Armament:	As designed: 120 guns: Gundeck: 30 × 32 pdrs, 2 × 68-pdr carronades Middle gundeck: 34 × 32 pdrs Upper gundeck: 34 × 32 pdrs Quarterdeck: 2 × 18 pdrs, 14 × 32 pdr carronades Forecastle: 2 × 18 pdrs, 2 × 32 pdr carronades As steam line-of-battle ship:[3] Gundeck: 32 × 8 in/65 cwt Main deck: 34 × 32 pdr/56 cwt Upper deck: 22 × 32 pdr/42 cwt 1 × 68 pdr/95 cwt (on a pivot mounting)

Launch of HMS Waterloo at Chatham

Waterloo was cut down to an 89-gun 2-decker and converted to steam at Chatham 1 April 1859 – 12 December 1859. Following the loss of the modern 101-gun steam 2-decker Conqueror in 1861, Waterloo was renamed Conqueror in 1862. In 1864 she served on the China station under the command of Captain William Luard, and was paid off in 1866.[1]

In 1877 she was renamed Warspite and served as a training ship at Greenhithe/Woolwich.[1]

She was destroyed by fire in 1918,[2] with 250 boys embarked at the time.[4] Three teenage boys later claimed to have started the fire deliberately.[5] They were charged for the alleged act and ordered to three years' detention at a reformatory.[4]

Notes

1. Lambert Battleships in Transition, p. 134.
2. Lavery, Ships of the Line, vol. 1, p. 190.
3. Lambert Battleships in Transition p. 132, 134.
4. "The Warspite Fire". The Times (41718): Col B, p. 3. 20 February 1918.
5. "Charge Of Burning The Warspite". The Times (41694): Col E, p. 3. 23 January 1918.

References

• Lambert, Andrew Battleships in Transition, the Creation of the Steam Battlefleet 1815–1860, published Conway Maritime Press, 1984. ISBN 0-85177-315-X.
• Lavery, Brian (2003) The Ship of the Line – Volume 1: The development of the battlefleet 1650–1850. Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-252-8.
• Lyon, David and Winfield, Rif (2004) The Sail and Steam Navy List: All the Ships of the Royal Navy 1815–1889. Chatham Publishing, London. ISBN 1-86176-032-9.