Flat-iron gunboat
Encyclopedia
Flat-iron gunboats were a number of classes of coastal gunboats generally characterised by small size, low freeboard
and the absence of masts.Some Rendel-type gunboats were fitted with masts (the British Medina class, the Russian Sivutch class and at least some of the Chinese alphabeticals); they are included in the article for completeness They acquired their nickname from the physical similarity with the flat iron used for ironing
clothes during the 19th century.
The first flat-iron gunboat was launched in 1867, and the last in 1894, with the vast majority being built in the years 1870 - 1880. They were designed as an offensive coastal bombardment weapon, but some international customers used them as a cheap coastal defence. Strongly built, they lasted in some cases into the late 20th century, and saw action in both World Wars. The Norwegian flat-iron Tyr was afloat as recently as October 2009 under the name Bjorn West.
signed an agreement with a local shipbuilder, Dr. Charles Mitchell, whereby Mitchell’s shipyard would build warships and Armstrong’s company would provide the armaments. George Rendel
was put in charge of the new venture, and the vessels designed under his leadership were based on a small craft used by the Armstrong factory to test heavy guns. With the assistance of the leading gunnery expert Admiral Sir Astley Cooper-Key
, he turned these craft into a gunboat optimised for offensive coastal operations.
). No rigging of any sort was provided, and twin screws were fitted, allowing for a much reduced draught while at the same time making them highly manoeuvrable. Top speed would have been less than 9 knots (17.6 km/h), but they were designed to be towed at considerably higher speeds than they were capable of making under their own power. The crew would have numbered about 30 men. Larger variations were built, with the German Wespe class displacing as much as 1157 tons. Masted versions were produced, particularly for navies with inadequate coaling facilities and long coastlines, and commensurate with an increase in displacement, armament and rigging, crews increased to match, with the Wespe class needing 76 men.
The original design was optimised for offensive coastal bombardment operations by the Royal Navy, and in this sense was a natural successor to the Crimean gunboats of the "Great Armament" and the bomb vessel
s of the Napoleonic Wars
. Operations of this nature require command of the sea
, a situation which the Royal Navy could impose by virtue of its battlefleet throughout the period.
Few other navies of the time could hope to exercise much more than local sea control for limited periods, making these vessels of limited use for their intended purpose in the hands of smaller or less effective operators. Nevertheless, these small vessels with their powerful punch were clearly attractive to the small and medium-size navies of the late 19th century, since they offered the status of big guns without the price tag associated with contemporary cruisers and battleships. This may account for some of the later vessels carrying monstrous 15- and 16-inch guns; flat-irons armed in this fashion were not long lived, probably because their weapons were all but useless except in a flat calm, and none at all against a moving target. The defining failure of flat-iron gunboats as coastal defence weapons was in China, where British-built gunboats were used against both the French (at the Battle of Fuzhou) and the Japanese (at the Battle of Weihaiwei
). In general the flat-iron gunboats found themselves outmanoeuvred and smothered by shellfire from the more stable enemy cruisers; many failed to get off more than one or two shots.
In contrast to their failure as coastal defence gunboats, the occasions when they were used for coastal bombardment were more successful; Argentinian gunboats were used in 1890 to bombard rebels during the Revolution of the Park
, and both HMS Bustard and HMS Excellent (the former HMS Handy) were part of the force that bombarded the Belgian coast during World War I
. Professor Andrew Lambert argues that the Royal Navy flat-irons succeeded in their task of deterrence, and that they were a key asset to the capability of coastal offensive operations.
purchased a number of gunboats for coastal defence during the 1880s, and while they were described as "flat-irons", they were masted and Protector was almost the size of a light cruiser.
, Greenwich, in 1875. Described as bombarderas (literally: bombers) in Argentina, they were variously employed in later life as tankers, transports and pontoons, lasting in some cases into the 1950s.
. After the two Chien Sheng class, the British-built boats were given names from the Greek alphabet
, from Alpha through to Lambda, thus becoming known as the "alphabetical" gunboats. Although quickly given Chinese names, the class names seem to have stuck. A further pseudo-Rendel gunboat (Hoi Tung Hung) was built locally to the lines of the "alphabetical" flat-irons, but constructed from wood sheathed in iron. Fusheng and Jiansheng were lost in the Battle of Fuzhou in 1884 at the beginning of the Sino-French War
. Four Chinese Rendel gunboats also took part in the Battle of the Yalu River against the Japanese in 1894. Eight Chinese flat-iron gunboats were sunk or captured by Japan at the battle of Weihaiwei
in 1895.
) built a single class of eleven large Rendel gunboats (Panzerkanonenboot) at AG Weser
, Bremen
in 1875. One, SMS Salamander, was lost in 1910.
for the shallow waters of the Ambracian Gulf
. They saw action in the Greco-Turkish War of 1897
and Balkan Wars
, served the Piraeus
and Keratsini
net barrage during World War I and were scrapped after World War I.
.By coincidence, the manager of the Armstrong's Pozzuoli works was George Rendel, who had taken on the position in the hope that the warm Italian weather would improve his health.
on 1 May 1940. She was scuttled by her German-held sister, Tyr. they survived WWII. Gradually decommissioned by the Royal Norwegian Navy after World War II, nevertheless, the Gor-class gunboat Tyr was still operating as the civilian ferry Bjørn West 100 years after she was built.
A class of 2 Sivutch-class gunboats were also constructed which had a brig rig (later replaced by a ship rig). They were armed with a single 9-inch gun and a single 6-inch gun aft. Visually they were very similar to the British Medina class.
had two classes of flat-iron gunboats built in the 1870s and 1880s, as well as several one-off prototypes. As built they were equipped with a single 9-inch or 10-inch gun muzzle-loading rifled gun (MLR). Their sound construction meant that many stayed in service in support roles with a number ending up as gunnery tenders, lighters, tank vessels and dredgers. One notable gunnery tender was Bustard which went on to be rearmed prior to World War One. During World War One it became the first and last Royal Navy flat-iron gunboat to use its guns in battle when it took part in a bombardment of the Belgian coast. The majority of the flat-iron gunboats had been scrapped before the mid-20th century but Handy survived until she was broken up in 2008 amid safety concerns.
For many years it has been assumed that the Royal Navy flat-irons were a failure at their perceived role of coastal defence. Professor Andrew Lambert
has more recently argued powerfully that they were designed for coastal assault as successors to the gunboats of the Crimean War "Great Armament", and that they succeeded in their deterrence role. He describes them as a "part of a sophisticated, layered approach to the tactical problem of defeating large-scale coastal defence systems." The Royal Navy listed them as "Gunboats for the Attack and Defence of Coasts" in its confidential Pink List. Their lack of speed and limited armament left them of little value in defence of a coast or harbour, but they were ideally suited for bombardment of shore fortifications in a situation where the Royal Navy enjoyed complete command of the sea.
Staunch and Plucky were essentially prototypes built in 1867 and 1870. Handy and Drudge were built in the 1880s for testing the mounting of 13.5-inch guns intended for the Royal Sovereign-class battleships
.
The Medina class were a development of the flat-iron concept which resulted in an iron coastal gunboat fitted with three masts and carrying three 6.3-inch 64-pounder rifled muzzle-loading guns
. The naval historian Anthony Preston
described them as "the most grotesque craft ever seen".
Freeboard (nautical)
In sailing and boating, freeboardmeans the distance from the waterline to the upper deck level, measured at the lowest point of sheer where water can enter the boat or ship...
and the absence of masts.Some Rendel-type gunboats were fitted with masts (the British Medina class, the Russian Sivutch class and at least some of the Chinese alphabeticals); they are included in the article for completeness They acquired their nickname from the physical similarity with the flat iron used for ironing
Ironing
Ironing is the use of a heated tool to remove wrinkles from fabric. The heating is commonly done to a temperature of 180-220 °Celsius, depending on the fabric. Ironing works by loosening the bonds between the long-chain polymer molecules in the fibers of the material...
clothes during the 19th century.
The first flat-iron gunboat was launched in 1867, and the last in 1894, with the vast majority being built in the years 1870 - 1880. They were designed as an offensive coastal bombardment weapon, but some international customers used them as a cheap coastal defence. Strongly built, they lasted in some cases into the late 20th century, and saw action in both World Wars. The Norwegian flat-iron Tyr was afloat as recently as October 2009 under the name Bjorn West.
Origin
In 1867 Sir W G Armstrong & CompanyArmstrong Whitworth
Sir W G Armstrong Whitworth & Co Ltd was a major British manufacturing company of the early years of the 20th century. Headquartered in Elswick, Newcastle upon Tyne, Armstrong Whitworth engaged in the construction of armaments, ships, locomotives, automobiles, and aircraft.-History:In 1847,...
signed an agreement with a local shipbuilder, Dr. Charles Mitchell, whereby Mitchell’s shipyard would build warships and Armstrong’s company would provide the armaments. George Rendel
George Wightwick Rendel
George Wightwick Rendel was a British engineer, and naval architect. He was closely associated with the Tyneside industrialist and armaments manufacturer, William George Armstrong.-Family:...
was put in charge of the new venture, and the vessels designed under his leadership were based on a small craft used by the Armstrong factory to test heavy guns. With the assistance of the leading gunnery expert Admiral Sir Astley Cooper-Key
Astley Cooper Key
Admiral Sir Astley Cooper Key, GCB, ADC, FRS was a Royal Navy officer who became First Naval Lord.-Naval career:Born the son of Charles Aston Key , a well-known surgeon, Key joined the Royal Navy in 1833...
, he turned these craft into a gunboat optimised for offensive coastal operations.
Description
A typical flat-iron gunboat displaced about 250 tons, had a length of less than 100 feet (30.5 m) and drew only 6 feet (1.8 m). It was armed with a single large gun (normally 10 to 12 inches, but in the case of the Italian Castore class, a massive 16-inch weapon). The gun, which was mounted at the bow, was designed to be raised and lowered on a hydraulic mechanism so that stability would not be compromised when making sea passages. The gun was aimed by pointing the whole vessel, since the mounting allowed for elevation but not traversing (in the manner of an enormous punt gunPunt gun
A punt gun is a type of extremely large shotgun used in the 19th and early 20th centuries for shooting large numbers of waterfowl for commercial harvesting operations and private sport. Punt guns were usually custom-designed and so varied widely, but could have bore diameters exceeding and fire...
). No rigging of any sort was provided, and twin screws were fitted, allowing for a much reduced draught while at the same time making them highly manoeuvrable. Top speed would have been less than 9 knots (17.6 km/h), but they were designed to be towed at considerably higher speeds than they were capable of making under their own power. The crew would have numbered about 30 men. Larger variations were built, with the German Wespe class displacing as much as 1157 tons. Masted versions were produced, particularly for navies with inadequate coaling facilities and long coastlines, and commensurate with an increase in displacement, armament and rigging, crews increased to match, with the Wespe class needing 76 men.
The original design was optimised for offensive coastal bombardment operations by the Royal Navy, and in this sense was a natural successor to the Crimean gunboats of the "Great Armament" and the bomb vessel
Bomb vessel
A bomb vessel, bomb ship, bomb ketch, or simply bomb was a type of wooden sailing naval ship. Its primary armament was not cannon —although bomb vessels carried a few cannon for self-defence—but rather mortars mounted forward near the bow and elevated to a high angle, and projecting their fire in a...
s of the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
. Operations of this nature require command of the sea
Command of the sea
A naval force has command of the sea when it is so strong that its rivals cannot attack it directly. Also called sea control, this dominance may apply to its surrounding waters or may extend far into the oceans, meaning the country has a blue-water navy...
, a situation which the Royal Navy could impose by virtue of its battlefleet throughout the period.
Few other navies of the time could hope to exercise much more than local sea control for limited periods, making these vessels of limited use for their intended purpose in the hands of smaller or less effective operators. Nevertheless, these small vessels with their powerful punch were clearly attractive to the small and medium-size navies of the late 19th century, since they offered the status of big guns without the price tag associated with contemporary cruisers and battleships. This may account for some of the later vessels carrying monstrous 15- and 16-inch guns; flat-irons armed in this fashion were not long lived, probably because their weapons were all but useless except in a flat calm, and none at all against a moving target. The defining failure of flat-iron gunboats as coastal defence weapons was in China, where British-built gunboats were used against both the French (at the Battle of Fuzhou) and the Japanese (at the Battle of Weihaiwei
Battle of Weihaiwei
The Battle of Weihaiwei was a 23 day siege with a major land and naval component during the First Sino-Japanese War. It took place between 20 January and 12 February 1895 in Weihai, Shandong Province, China) between the forces of Meiji Japan and Qing China...
). In general the flat-iron gunboats found themselves outmanoeuvred and smothered by shellfire from the more stable enemy cruisers; many failed to get off more than one or two shots.
In contrast to their failure as coastal defence gunboats, the occasions when they were used for coastal bombardment were more successful; Argentinian gunboats were used in 1890 to bombard rebels during the Revolution of the Park
Revolution of the Park
The Revolution of the Park was an uprising against the national government of Argentina that took place on 26 July 1890 and started with the takeover of the Buenos Aires Artillery Park. It was led by members of the Civic Union against the presidency of Miguel Juárez Celman...
, and both HMS Bustard and HMS Excellent (the former HMS Handy) were part of the force that bombarded the Belgian coast during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Professor Andrew Lambert argues that the Royal Navy flat-irons succeeded in their task of deterrence, and that they were a key asset to the capability of coastal offensive operations.
Australia
The Australian colonies of the British EmpireBritish Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
purchased a number of gunboats for coastal defence during the 1880s, and while they were described as "flat-irons", they were masted and Protector was almost the size of a light cruiser.
| Class | Vessels | Tonnage | Guns | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HMVS Albert HMVS Albert HMVS Albert was a gunboat of the Victorian Naval Forces which was requisitioned for service with the Royal Australian Navy during World War I.-Operational history:HMVS Albert was built by Armstrong, Mitchell and Co. of Elswick, United Kingdom... |
8-inch (12.5-ton) BL | Armstrong type B1 | ||
| HMVS Victoria HMVS Victoria (II) HMVS Victoria was a gunboat that served with the Victorian Naval Forces and Western Australia before being sold into private use.-Design:This class was built to a type D flat-iron gunboat design from builders Armstrong Mitchell and Co.... |
10-inch (25-ton) BL & 2 x 13-pdr BLs | Armstrong type D | ||
| HMCS Protector HMAS Protector (1884) HMCS/HMAS Protector was a large flat-iron gunboat commissioned and purchased by the South Australian government in 1884, for the purpose of defending the local coastline against possible attacks in the aftermath of the ‘Russian scare', of 1870s... |
8-inch (12.5-ton) BL, 5 x 6-in (4-ton) BLs, 4 x 3-pdrs | Armstrong type F1 | ||
| Gayundah class HMQS Gayundah HMQS Gayundah was a flat-iron gunboat operated by the Queensland Maritime Defence Force and later the Royal Australian Navy . She entered service in 1884 and was decommissioned and sold in 1921. She then served as sand and gravel barge for Brisbane Gravel Pty Ltd until 1950, when she was scrapped... |
8-inch (12.5-ton) BL & 6-inch (4-ton) BL | Armstrong type B1 |
Argentina
Argentina purchased four flat-iron gunboats from Laird Brothers, Birkenhead and J & G Rennie & CoGeorge Rennie (engineer)
George Rennie was an engineer born in London, England. He was the son of the Scottish engineer John Rennie and the brother of Sir John Rennie.-Early life:...
, Greenwich, in 1875. Described as bombarderas (literally: bombers) in Argentina, they were variously employed in later life as tankers, transports and pontoons, lasting in some cases into the 1950s.
| Class | Vessels | Tonnage | Guns | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pilcomayo class | 9.4 inches (238.8 mm) MLR & 2 x 3 inches (76.2 mm) guns | Scrapped in 1930s | ||
| Constitution class | 9.4 inches (238.8 mm) MLR & 2 x 3 inches (76.2 mm) guns | Scrapped in 1950s |
Chile
The Chilean government entered into talks to purchase two vessels similar to the Argentinian units, but did not see the purchase through.China
Between 1875 and 1880 China purchased 13 flat-iron gunboats from Britain and built another (Tiong Sing) at ShanghaiShanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
. After the two Chien Sheng class, the British-built boats were given names from the Greek alphabet
Greek alphabet
The Greek alphabet is the script that has been used to write the Greek language since at least 730 BC . The alphabet in its classical and modern form consists of 24 letters ordered in sequence from alpha to omega...
, from Alpha through to Lambda, thus becoming known as the "alphabetical" gunboats. Although quickly given Chinese names, the class names seem to have stuck. A further pseudo-Rendel gunboat (Hoi Tung Hung) was built locally to the lines of the "alphabetical" flat-irons, but constructed from wood sheathed in iron. Fusheng and Jiansheng were lost in the Battle of Fuzhou in 1884 at the beginning of the Sino-French War
Sino-French War
The Sino–French War was a limited conflict fought between August 1884 and April 1885 to decide whether France should replace China in control of Tonkin . As the French achieved their war aims, they are usually considered to have won the war...
. Four Chinese Rendel gunboats also took part in the Battle of the Yalu River against the Japanese in 1894. Eight Chinese flat-iron gunboats were sunk or captured by Japan at the battle of Weihaiwei
Battle of Weihaiwei
The Battle of Weihaiwei was a 23 day siege with a major land and naval component during the First Sino-Japanese War. It took place between 20 January and 12 February 1895 in Weihai, Shandong Province, China) between the forces of Meiji Japan and Qing China...
in 1895.
| Class | Vessels | Tonnage | Guns | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jiansheng class | 10 inches (254 mm) | Destroyed at the Battle of Fuzhou in 1884 | ||
| Tiong Sing | 6.7 inches (170.2 mm) | Built at Shanghai. Destroyed at Weihaiwei by the Japanese Navy | ||
| Alpha class | 11 inches (279.4 mm) | Scrapped in 1895 | ||
| Gamma class | 15 inches (381 mm) | Decommissioned in 1905 | ||
| Hoi Tung HungNot strictly a flat-iron. Built of wood sheathed with iron in imitation of the "alphabetical" flat-irons. | 15 inches (381 mm) | Destroyed at Weihaiwei by the Japanese Navy | ||
| Epsilon class | 15 inches (381 mm), 2 x 12-pdr | Captured at Weihaiwei by the Japanese Navy | ||
| Iota class | 15 inches (381 mm), 2 x 12-pdr | Two captured at Weihaiwei by the Japanese Navy |
Denmark
Five boats in three classes were built in Danish shipyards in 1874 to 1876. Three were decommissioned at the turn of the 20th century and the other two were decommissioned after World War I having served as repair ships.| Class | Vessels | Tonnage | Guns | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oresund class | 10 inches (254 mm) & 4 x 1-pdrs | Scrapped between 1912 and 1919 | ||
| Moen class | 10 inches (254 mm), 2 x 2-pdrs, 1 x 1-pdr | Scrapped in 1901 | ||
| Falster class | 10 inches (254 mm), 2 x 2-pdrs, 1 x 1-pdr | Scrapped in 1918 |
Germany
The German Navy (Kaiserliche MarineKaiserliche Marine
The Imperial German Navy was the German Navy created at the time of the formation of the German Empire. It existed between 1871 and 1919, growing out of the small Prussian Navy and Norddeutsche Bundesmarine, which primarily had the mission of coastal defense. Kaiser Wilhelm II greatly expanded...
) built a single class of eleven large Rendel gunboats (Panzerkanonenboot) at AG Weser
AG Weser
Aktien-Gesellschaft Weser was one of the great German shipbuilding companies, located at the Weser River in Bremen. Founded in 1873 it was finally closed in 1983. Altogether, AG Weser built about 1400 ships of different types, including many war ships...
, Bremen
Bremen
The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...
in 1875. One, SMS Salamander, was lost in 1910.
| Class | Vessels | Tonnage | Guns | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wespe class | 12 inches (304.8 mm) | Scrapped 1909 - 1911 |
Greece
In 1881 Greece had 2 Rendel gunboats built at the Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding CompanyThames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company
The Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company, Limited was a shipyard and iron works straddling the mouth of Bow Creek at its confluence with the River Thames, at Leamouth Wharf on the west side and at Canning Town on the east side...
for the shallow waters of the Ambracian Gulf
Ambracian Gulf
The Ambracian Gulf, also known as the Gulf of Arta or the Gulf of Actium, and in some official documents as the Amvrakikos Gulf , is a gulf of the Ionian Sea in northwestern Greece. About long and wide, it is one of the largest enclosed gulfs in Greece...
. They saw action in the Greco-Turkish War of 1897
Greco-Turkish War (1897)
The Greco-Turkish War of 1897, also called the Thirty Days' War and known as the Black '97 in Greece, was a war fought between the Kingdom of Greece and Ottoman Empire. Its immediate cause was the question over the status of the Ottoman province of Crete, whose Greek majority long desired union...
and Balkan Wars
Balkan Wars
The Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe in 1912 and 1913.By the early 20th century, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia, the countries of the Balkan League, had achieved their independence from the Ottoman Empire, but large parts of their ethnic...
, served the Piraeus
Piraeus
Piraeus is a city in the region of Attica, Greece. Piraeus is located within the Athens Urban Area, 12 km southwest from its city center , and lies along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf....
and Keratsini
Keratsini
Keratsini is a suburb in the western part of Piraeus, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Keratsini-Drapetsona, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit.-Geography:...
net barrage during World War I and were scrapped after World War I.
| Class | Vessels | Tonnage | Guns | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spetses | 11 inches (279.4 mm), 1 x 6-inch | Renamed Akteon in 1889. Scrapped in 1919 | ||
| Amvrakia | 11 inches (279.4 mm), 1 x 6-inch | Scrapped in 1931 |
Italy
Two Rendel gunboats were designed and built by Armstrong Mitchell & Co.'s Elswick Works in the late 1880s to a contract by the Italian War Ministry. They were constructed in Elswick's Tyneside yard in the United Kingdom, disassembled and shipped to Italy for reassembly in the Armstrong facility at PozzuoliPozzuoli
Pozzuoli is a city and comune of the province of Naples, in the Italian region of Campania. It is the main city of the Phlegrean peninsula.-History:Pozzuoli began as the Greek colony of Dicaearchia...
.By coincidence, the manager of the Armstrong's Pozzuoli works was George Rendel, who had taken on the position in the hope that the warm Italian weather would improve his health.
| Class | Vessels | Tonnage | Guns | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Castore class Castore class gunboat The Italian Castore class gunboats, Castore and Polluce, were a class of two Rendel gunboats, designed and built by Sir W G Armstrong Mitchell & Co.'s Elswick Works in the late 1880s to a contract by the Italian War Ministry... |
16 inches (406.4 mm), 1 x 1.5-inch | Converted to barges and scrapped in 1911 & 1925 |
Japan
Japan captured 6 Rendel gunboats from China on 12 February 1895 at the Battle of Weihaiwei. They were listed for disposal in 1906 and broken up by 1907.| Class | Vessels | Tonnage | Guns | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Epsilon class | 11 inches (279.4 mm), 2 x 3-inch | Captured from China. Rearmed as shown | ||
| Iota class | 11 inches (279.4 mm), 2 x 3-inch | Captured from China. Rearmed as shown |
Mexico
Two gunboats were commissioned from Armstrongs in 1875. They were scrapped in 1920.| Class | Vessels | Tonnage | Guns | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independence class | 4.7 inches (119.4 mm), 4 x 1.5-inch | Masted flat-irons |
Netherlands
Thirty flat-iron gunboats were built in the Dutch shipyards Christie, Nolet & De Kuyper and Feijenoord Mij in the years 1876 to 1880. The Hydra class were nearly all decommissioned before World War II (Sperwer was retained until 1960 as a training ship, and Brak sank in 1902). Ten of the Wodan class lasted long enough to be sunk or captured by the advancing German army in 1940.| Class | Vessels | Tonnage | Guns | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hydra class | 11 inches (279.4 mm), 1 x 2-inch & 3 x 1-pdrs | Scrapped in 1911 | ||
| Wodan class | 11 inches (279.4 mm) & 3 x 1-pdrs |
Norway
Eight flat-iron gunboats were built to a British design in Norwegian shipyards. They were all refitted as minelayers before World war I. Æger was decommissioned in 1932, but the others were all captured by Germany in 1940 and with the exception of UllerUller was captured by invading German army, used to mine the entrance to the Norwegian-held Sognefjorden, and bombed by a Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service Heinkel He 115Heinkel He 115
The Heinkel He 115 was a World War II Luftwaffe seaplane with three seats. It was used as a torpedo bomber and performed general seaplane duties, such as reconnaissance and minelaying. The plane was powered by two 720 kW BMW 132K nine-cylinder air-cooled radial engines...
on 1 May 1940. She was scuttled by her German-held sister, Tyr. they survived WWII. Gradually decommissioned by the Royal Norwegian Navy after World War II, nevertheless, the Gor-class gunboat Tyr was still operating as the civilian ferry Bjørn West 100 years after she was built.
| Class | Vessels | Tonnage | Guns | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vale class | 10.5 inches (266.7 mm) | Refitted as minelayers before WWI. | ||
| Gor class | 10 inches (254 mm) | Refitted as minelayers before WWI. | ||
| HNoMS Æger | 8.2 inches (208.3 mm) | Decommissioned in 1932 |
Russia
Russia built ten Rendel gunboats in three classes between 1874 and 1881.| Class | Vessels | Tonnage | Guns | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ersh class | 11 inches (279.4 mm) | Scrapped in 1906 | ||
| Nerpa class | 6 inches (152.4 mm) | Scrapped in 1888 | ||
| Burun class | 11 inches (279.4 mm), 2 x 3.4-inch | 3.4-inch guns replaced by 2½-pounders. Scrapped between 1902 and 1907 |
A class of 2 Sivutch-class gunboats were also constructed which had a brig rig (later replaced by a ship rig). They were armed with a single 9-inch gun and a single 6-inch gun aft. Visually they were very similar to the British Medina class.
United Kingdom
The Royal NavyRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
had two classes of flat-iron gunboats built in the 1870s and 1880s, as well as several one-off prototypes. As built they were equipped with a single 9-inch or 10-inch gun muzzle-loading rifled gun (MLR). Their sound construction meant that many stayed in service in support roles with a number ending up as gunnery tenders, lighters, tank vessels and dredgers. One notable gunnery tender was Bustard which went on to be rearmed prior to World War One. During World War One it became the first and last Royal Navy flat-iron gunboat to use its guns in battle when it took part in a bombardment of the Belgian coast. The majority of the flat-iron gunboats had been scrapped before the mid-20th century but Handy survived until she was broken up in 2008 amid safety concerns.
For many years it has been assumed that the Royal Navy flat-irons were a failure at their perceived role of coastal defence. Professor Andrew Lambert
Andrew Lambert
Andrew Lambert BA , MA, PhD, FRHistS is a British naval historian, who is currently Laughton Professor of Naval History in the Department of War Studies at King's College London.-Early life and education:...
has more recently argued powerfully that they were designed for coastal assault as successors to the gunboats of the Crimean War "Great Armament", and that they succeeded in their deterrence role. He describes them as a "part of a sophisticated, layered approach to the tactical problem of defeating large-scale coastal defence systems." The Royal Navy listed them as "Gunboats for the Attack and Defence of Coasts" in its confidential Pink List. Their lack of speed and limited armament left them of little value in defence of a coast or harbour, but they were ideally suited for bombardment of shore fortifications in a situation where the Royal Navy enjoyed complete command of the sea.
| Class | Vessels | Tonnage | Guns | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HMS Staunch | 9-inch (12-ton) MLR RML 9 inch 12 ton gun The RML 9 inch guns Mark I - Mark VI were large rifled muzzle-loading guns used as primary armament on smaller British ironclad battleships and secondary armament on larger battleships, and also ashore for coast defence.-Design:... |
The first flat-iron gunboat. | ||
| HMS Plucky | 9-inch (12-ton) MLR | |||
| Ant class Ant class gunboat The Ant-class gunboat was a class of twenty-four Royal Navy flat-iron gunboats mounting a single 10-inch gun, built between 1870 and 1880. They carried no masts or sails, being among the first Royal Navy vessels not to do so. The last four vessels were ordered separately and are sometimes known as... |
10-inch (18-ton) MLR RML 10 inch 18 ton gun The RML 10 inch guns Mk I - Mk II were large rifled muzzle-loading guns designed for British battleships and monitors. They were also fitted to the Bouncer-class flat-iron gunboats.-Design:... |
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| Gadfly class | 10-inch (18-ton) MLR | Identical to, and sometimes listed as part of the Ant class | ||
| Medina class Medina class gunboat The Medina-class gunboat was a class of 12 Royal Navy Rendel gunboats mounting three 6.3-inch guns, built between 1876 and 1877. Flat-iron gunboats were normally built without masts or rigging, but the Medinas carried a full barquentine rig... |
3 x 6.3-inch MLR | Fitted with a barquentine rig | ||
| Bouncer class | 10-inch MLR | Similar to Ant class, but longer and employing steel instead of iron | ||
| HMS Handy | 7.5-inch & 1 x 4-inch | Transferred to the Royal Navy after trialling a 13.5-inch gun mounting | ||
| HMS Drudge | 9.2-inch BLDrudge and Handy were designed for testing the 13.5-inch main armament of the Royal Sovereign, and after completing trials were taken into the Royal Navy. Their armament in military service may have changed over the years; Drudge was tender to HMS Excellent, the Royal Navy's gunnery school, and was armed at one stage with the 9.2-inch BL Mk IX; it is likely this would have changed to allow training on the latest weapons as they came into service. | Built for the Ordnance Department and transferred to the Royal Navy in 1901 |
Staunch and Plucky were essentially prototypes built in 1867 and 1870. Handy and Drudge were built in the 1880s for testing the mounting of 13.5-inch guns intended for the Royal Sovereign-class battleships
Royal Sovereign class battleship
The Royal Sovereign class was a class of pre-dreadnought battleships of the British Royal Navy. The class comprised seven ships built to the same design: HMS Royal Sovereign, , HMS Ramilles, HMS Repulse, HMS Resolution, HMS Revenge, and HMS Royal Oak, and a half-sister built to a modified design: ....
.
The Medina class were a development of the flat-iron concept which resulted in an iron coastal gunboat fitted with three masts and carrying three 6.3-inch 64-pounder rifled muzzle-loading guns
RML 64 pounder 64 cwt gun
The RML 64 pounder 64 cwt gun was a Rifled, Muzzle Loading naval, field or fortification artillery gun manufactured in England in the 19th century, which fired a projectile weighing approximately...
. The naval historian Anthony Preston
Anthony Preston (naval historian)
Antony Preston was an English naval historian and editor, specialising in the area of 19th and 20th-century naval history and warship design.-Life:...
described them as "the most grotesque craft ever seen".