Diamond 1875
| Name | No | Yard No | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Comp | Fate |
| Encounter | Sheerness DYd | 19.6.1871 | 1.1.1873 | 7.1873 | sold 10.1888 | ||
| Amethyst | Devonport DYd | 28.7.1871 | 19.4.1873 | 7.1873 | sold 11.1887 | ||
| Modeste | Devonport DYd | 27.11.1871 | 23.5.1873 | 1.1874 | sold 1.1888 | ||
| Diamond | Sheerness DYd | 1873 | 26.8.1874 | 7.1875 | sold 8.1889 | ||
| Sapphire | Devonport DYd | 17.6.1873 | 24.9.1874 | 8.1875 | sold 9.1892 |
|
Displacement normal, t |
1934 |
|
Displacement full, t |
|
|
Length, m |
67.1 pp |
|
Breadth, m |
11.3 |
|
Draught, m |
5.48 hold depth |
|
No of shafts |
1 hoisting |
|
Machinery |
sails + 1 2-cyl HC, 6 cylindrical boilers |
|
Power, h. p. |
Encounter: 2031 Amethyst: 2144 Modeste: 2068 Diamond: 2140 Sapphire: 2364 |
|
Max speed, kts |
Encounter: 13 Amethyst: 13.2 Modeste: 12.5 Diamond: 12.6 Sapphire: 13.6 |
|
Fuel, t |
coal 270 |
| Endurance, nm(kts) | 2060(10) - 2500(10) |
|
Armament |
Encounter, Modeste: 14 x 1 - 160/16 64pdr 71cwt MLR Mk III Amethyst, Diamond, Sapphire: 12 x 1 - 160/16 64pdr 71cwt MLR, 2 x 1 - 64pdr 64cwt MLR |
|
Complement |
225 |
Project history: Designed by Nathaniel Barnaby who reintroduced the knee-bow and square frigate type of stern. The first three were similar to Briton, having heavy, rounded sterns, the last pair having the outward sloping frigate-type stern. They were the first complete class of their size to be fitted with compound engines. All were ship-rigged with 1700m² sail area, except Encounter which was barque-rigged. They were excellent seaboats, being the only class of small cruisers able to sail or steam at just over 13kts. In hull form, their lines were rather full towards the extremities, but they did not have the bulbous ram bow. They were deeply embrasured, the use of embrasures aft overcoming the difficulty of combining the hoisting screw with stern fire. They had neither quarter galleries nor bilge keels, nor watertight bulkheads. All except Encounter had a heavy knee added to their stems. Sapphire was the last wooden cruiser built for the Royal Navy, and Diamond was the last wooden hull to be built at Sheerness Dockyard.
Modernizations: 1880s, Amethyst, Diamond, Sapphire: all were re-rigged as barques; - 12 x 1 - 160/16 64pdr 71cwt MLR; + 10 x 1 - 160/16 64pdr 64cwt MLR
Naval service: No significant events.
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