Achilles 1864
|
Name |
No |
Yard No |
Builder |
Laid down |
Launched |
Comp |
Fate |
| Achilles | Chatham DYd | 1.8.1861 | 23.12.1863 | 26.11.1864 | base ship 1902 |
Displacement normal, t |
9820 |
Displacement full, t |
|
Length, m |
115.8 pp |
Breadth, m |
17.8 |
Draught, m |
8.28 |
No of shafts |
1 |
Machinery |
sails + 1 2-cyl HSE, trunk, 10 rectangular boilers |
Power, h. p. |
5722 |
Max speed, kts |
14.3 |
Fuel, t |
coal 740 |
| Endurance, nm(kts) | 1800(6.5) |
| Armour, mm | iron; belt: 114 with 457 - 254mm teak backing, battery: 114, bulkheads: 114 |
Armament |
16 x 1 - 241/15 'Somerset' 100pdr SBML, 4 x 1 - 183/17 110pdr 82cwt BL |
Complement |
705 |
Project history: Modified Warrior with the same basic design and machinery and improved protection. Boiler pressure was 1.8kg/cm2 instead of 1.4kg/cm2 on earlier ironclads.
110pdr BL guns were installed on the upper deck, 'Somerset' guns were at the middle ports of the battery. Later 68pdr guns were added at the end ports of the main battery.
Ship was completed with 4-masted rig, sail area was 4090m2 including stunsails. So, Achilles had the largest sail area ever provided in a British warship with 4 masts. Sail arrangement was unsatisfactory. Ship manoeuvred better than Warrior and steamed and sailed well under most conditions.
Ship protection: 4.0m-high waterline belt over full hull length was 114mm-thick, 63mm beyond the battery. The battery armour was 64.7m long, enclosed at the ends by 114mm bulheads to the full depth of the side armour. The steering gear was fully protected. The stem was of blunt ram form. Achilles became one of the best early ironclads. Ship had double bottom.
Modernizations: 1865: bow mast and bowsprit were removed; + 6 x 1 - 206/15 68pdr 95cwt SBML
1866: foremast was moved fwd 7.6m, bowsprit was replaced, sail area was 2800m2.
1868: ship was completely rearmed with 4 x 1 - 203/15 MLR Mk III, 22 x 1 - 178/16 MLR Mk III
1874: - 4 x 1 - 203/15, 20 x 1 - 178/16; + 14 x 1 - 229/14 MLR Mk IV
1877: three masts were removed, ship was reduced to barque rig
1889: - 2 x 1 - 178/16; + 2 x 1 - 152/26 BL Mk III/IV/VI, 8 x 1 - 47/40 3pdr Hotchkiss Mk I, 16 MGs, 6 x 1 - 11.4/87
Naval service: Sea service of Achilles ended in 1885. She was converted to base ship and renamed Hibernia. In March 1904 ship was renamed Egmont, in June 1916 Egremont, in June 1919 Pemroke and ultimately sold 26.1.1923.
Achilles with three masts.
© Ivan Gogin, 2008-14