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HMS Enterprise (1864)
Encyclopedia
The seventh HMS Enterprise of the Royal Navy
was an armoured sloop
launched in 1864 at Deptford Dockyard. Originally laid down as a wooden screw sloop of the Camelion class
, she was redesigned by Edward Reed
and completed as a central battery ironclad. The ship spent the bulk of her career assigned to the Mediterranean Fleet
before returning to England in 1871 where she was paid off
. Enterprise was sold for scrap
in 1885.
of 36 feet (11 m), and a draught of 15 in 10 in (4.83 m) at deep load. She displaced 1350 long tons (1,371.7 t). Her crew consisted of 130 officers and men.
Enterprises wooden hull was remodeled shortly after she was laid down; she was given a plough-shaped ram
bow and a semi-circular stern. The ship had only two decks: the main deck, very close to the ship's waterline
, and the upper deck which carried her armament, about 6.5 feet (2 m) above the waterline. She was the first ship of composite construction in the Royal Navy, with iron upperworks.
s. The engine produced 690 ihp which gave the ship a maximum speed around 9.9 knots (5.4 m/s). Enterprise carried 95 long tons (96.5 t) of coal. As built, her funnel was mounted in the middle of the battery for protection, which impaired the working of her guns until it was relocated forward of the battery in November 1864. She was barque
-rigged with three masts and had a sail area of 18250 square foot. Her best speed under sail and steam was 9.8 knots (5.3 m/s).
and much was hoped for them. Firing tests carried out in September 1861 against an armoured target, however, proved that the 110-pounder was inferior to the 68-pounder smoothbore gun in armour penetration, and repeated incidents of breech explosions during the Battles for Shimonoseki and the Bombardment of Kagoshima
in 1863–64 caused the navy to withdraw the guns from service shortly afterwards.
In an attempt to provide axial fire the sides of the hull at the upper deck level were cut away in front and behind the battery and covered by a 12 feet (3.7 m) bulwark. The bulwark hinged inwards and covered a gun port though which a gun could traverse and fire. While providing better coverage than the traditional broadside layout this still left a 120° arc fore and another aft on which no gun could bear.
The 9.2 inches (233.7 mm) solid shot of the Somerset gun weighed approximately 113 pounds (51.3 kg) while the gun itself weighed 13514 pounds (6,129.8 kg). The gun had a velocity of 1462 ft/s (445.6 m/s) at 563 feet (171.6 m) and had a range of 5253 yards (4,803.3 m). The 7 inches (177.8 mm) shell of the 110-pounder Armstrong breech-loader weighed 107–110 lb (48.5–49.9 ). It had a muzzle velocity
of 1150 ft/s (350.5 m/s) and, at an elevation of 11.25°, a maximum range of 4000 yards (3,657.6 m). The 110-pounder gun weighed 9520 pounds (4,318.2 kg). All of the guns could fire both solid shot
and explosive shells
. Both guns were mounted on wooden gun carriages with slides "which were difficult to traverse even on an even keel; in a seaway few captains would have run the risk of casting them loose."
Enterprise was rearmed during her 1868 refit with four 7 inches (177.8 mm) rifled muzzle-loading guns. The 16-calibre 7-inch gun
weighed 6.5 long tons (6.6 t) and fired a 112 pounds (50.8 kg) shell. It was credited with the ability to penetrate 7.7 inches (196 mm) armour.
of wrought iron
that was 4.5 inches (114 mm) thick. It protected only the main deck and was shallow, reaching just 3 in 6 in (1.07 m) below the waterline. The guns were protected by a section of 4.5-inch armour, 34 feet (10.4 m) long, and by 4.5-inch transverse bulkhead
s. The armour was backed by 19.5 inches (49.5 cm) of wood. The total weight of her armour was 195 long tons (198.1 t).
, England
, as the 17-gun sloop Circassian. She was renamed Enterprise in July 1862 and reclassified as an armoured corvette. Construction had barely begun before she was redesigned with an iron upper hull as well as armoured sides and battery. The ship was launched
on 9 February 1864, commissioned on 5 May 1864 and completed on 3 June 1864. She cost £62,474Adjusted for inflation to 20 pounds, £. to build. Enterprise initially served with the Channel Fleet
, but was transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet where she remained until 1871 when she returned to England. She was refitted and rearmed at Malta
in 1868. Upon her return the ship was paid off
into 4th Class Reserve in August 1871 at Sheerness
. Enterprise was sold for scrap in 1885 for £2,072.In 20 pounds, she sold for £.
Royal 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...
was an armoured sloop
Sloop-of-war
In the 18th and most of the 19th centuries, a sloop-of-war was a warship with a single gun deck that carried up to eighteen guns. As the rating system covered all vessels with 20 guns and above, this meant that the term sloop-of-war actually encompassed all the unrated combat vessels including the...
launched in 1864 at Deptford Dockyard. Originally laid down as a wooden screw sloop of the Camelion class
Camelion class sloop
The Camelion class was a class of screw-driven sloops of wood construction, designed by Isaac Watts and operated by the Royal Navy. Eight ships of the class were built from 1858 to 1866 with another eight cancelled...
, she was redesigned by Edward Reed
Edward James Reed
Sir Edward James Reed , KCB, FRS, was a British naval architect, author, politician, and railroad magnate. He was the Chief Constructor of the Royal Navy from 1863 until 1870...
and completed as a central battery ironclad. The ship spent the bulk of her career assigned to the Mediterranean Fleet
Mediterranean Fleet
Several countries have or have had a Mediterranean Fleet in their navy. See:* Mediterranean Fleet * French Mediterranean Fleet* Mediterranean Squadron * United States Sixth Fleet...
before returning to England in 1871 where she was paid off
Ship decommissioning
To decommission a ship is to terminate her career in service in the armed forces of her nation. A somber occasion, it has little of the elaborate ceremony of ship commissioning, but carries significant tradition....
. Enterprise was sold for scrap
Ship breaking
Ship breaking or ship demolition is a type of ship disposal involving the breaking up of ships for scrap recycling. Most ships have a lifespan of a few decades before there is so much wear that refitting and repair becomes uneconomical. Ship breaking allows materials from the ship, especially...
in 1885.
Design and description
The ship had a length between perpendiculars of 180 feet (54.9 m), a beamBeam (nautical)
The beam of a ship is its width at the widest point. Generally speaking, the wider the beam of a ship , the more initial stability it has, at expense of reserve stability in the event of a capsize, where more energy is required to right the vessel from its inverted position...
of 36 feet (11 m), and a draught of 15 in 10 in (4.83 m) at deep load. She displaced 1350 long tons (1,371.7 t). Her crew consisted of 130 officers and men.
Enterprises wooden hull was remodeled shortly after she was laid down; she was given a plough-shaped ram
Naval ram
A naval ram was a weapon carried by varied types of ships, dating back to antiquity. The weapon consisted of an underwater prolongation of the bow of the ship to form an armoured beak, usually between six and twelve feet in length...
bow and a semi-circular stern. The ship had only two decks: the main deck, very close to the ship's waterline
Waterline
The term "waterline" generally refers to the line where the hull of a ship meets the water surface. It is also the name of a special marking, also known as the national Load Line or Plimsoll Line, to be positioned amidships, that indicates the draft of the ship and the legal limit to which a ship...
, and the upper deck which carried her armament, about 6.5 feet (2 m) above the waterline. She was the first ship of composite construction in the Royal Navy, with iron upperworks.
Propulsion
Enterprise had a simple horizontal 2-cylinder direct acting steam engine driving a single propeller. Steam was provided by a pair of tubular boilerBoiler (steam generator)
A boiler or steam generator is a device used to create steam by applying heat energy to water. Although the definitions are somewhat flexible, it can be said that older steam generators were commonly termed boilers and worked at low to medium pressure but, at pressures above this, it is more...
s. The engine produced 690 ihp which gave the ship a maximum speed around 9.9 knots (5.4 m/s). Enterprise carried 95 long tons (96.5 t) of coal. As built, her funnel was mounted in the middle of the battery for protection, which impaired the working of her guns until it was relocated forward of the battery in November 1864. She was barque
Barque
A barque, barc, or bark is a type of sailing vessel with three or more masts.- History of the term :The word barque appears to have come from the Greek word baris, a term for an Egyptian boat. This entered Latin as barca, which gave rise to the Italian barca, Spanish barco, and the French barge and...
-rigged with three masts and had a sail area of 18250 square foot. Her best speed under sail and steam was 9.8 knots (5.3 m/s).
Armament
Enterprise was armed with two 100-pounder smoothbore, muzzle-loading Somerset cannon and two rifled 110-pounder breech-loading guns. The breech-loading guns were of a new design from ArmstrongArmstrong 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,...
and much was hoped for them. Firing tests carried out in September 1861 against an armoured target, however, proved that the 110-pounder was inferior to the 68-pounder smoothbore gun in armour penetration, and repeated incidents of breech explosions during the Battles for Shimonoseki and the Bombardment of Kagoshima
Bombardment of Kagoshima
The Bombardment of Kagoshima, also known as the , took place on 15–17 August 1863 during the Late Tokugawa shogunate. The British Royal Navy was fired on from the coastal batteries near town of Kagoshima and in retaliation bombarded the town...
in 1863–64 caused the navy to withdraw the guns from service shortly afterwards.
In an attempt to provide axial fire the sides of the hull at the upper deck level were cut away in front and behind the battery and covered by a 12 feet (3.7 m) bulwark. The bulwark hinged inwards and covered a gun port though which a gun could traverse and fire. While providing better coverage than the traditional broadside layout this still left a 120° arc fore and another aft on which no gun could bear.
The 9.2 inches (233.7 mm) solid shot of the Somerset gun weighed approximately 113 pounds (51.3 kg) while the gun itself weighed 13514 pounds (6,129.8 kg). The gun had a velocity of 1462 ft/s (445.6 m/s) at 563 feet (171.6 m) and had a range of 5253 yards (4,803.3 m). The 7 inches (177.8 mm) shell of the 110-pounder Armstrong breech-loader weighed 107–110 lb (48.5–49.9 ). It had a muzzle velocity
Muzzle velocity
Muzzle velocity is the speed a projectile has at the moment it leaves the muzzle of the gun. Muzzle velocities range from approximately to in black powder muskets , to more than in modern rifles with high-performance cartridges such as the .220 Swift and .204 Ruger, all the way to for tank guns...
of 1150 ft/s (350.5 m/s) and, at an elevation of 11.25°, a maximum range of 4000 yards (3,657.6 m). The 110-pounder gun weighed 9520 pounds (4,318.2 kg). All of the guns could fire both solid shot
Round shot
Round shot is a solid projectile without explosive charge, fired from a cannon. As the name implies, round shot is spherical; its diameter is slightly less than the bore of the gun it is fired from.Round shot was made in early times from dressed stone, but by the 17th century, from iron...
and explosive shells
Shell (projectile)
A shell is a payload-carrying projectile, which, as opposed to shot, contains an explosive or other filling, though modern usage sometimes includes large solid projectiles properly termed shot . Solid shot may contain a pyrotechnic compound if a tracer or spotting charge is used...
. Both guns were mounted on wooden gun carriages with slides "which were difficult to traverse even on an even keel; in a seaway few captains would have run the risk of casting them loose."
Enterprise was rearmed during her 1868 refit with four 7 inches (177.8 mm) rifled muzzle-loading guns. The 16-calibre 7-inch gun
RML 7 inch gun
The RML 7 inch guns were various designs of medium-sized rifled muzzle-loading guns used to arm small-medium sized British warships in the late 19th century, and some were used ashore for coast defence.-Design and history:...
weighed 6.5 long tons (6.6 t) and fired a 112 pounds (50.8 kg) shell. It was credited with the ability to penetrate 7.7 inches (196 mm) armour.
Armour
Enterprise had a complete waterline beltBelt armor
Belt armor is a layer of heavy metal armor plated on to or within outer hulls of warships, typically on battleships, battlecruisers and cruisers, and on aircraft carriers converted from those types of ships....
of wrought iron
Wrought iron
thumb|The [[Eiffel tower]] is constructed from [[puddle iron]], a form of wrought ironWrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon...
that was 4.5 inches (114 mm) thick. It protected only the main deck and was shallow, reaching just 3 in 6 in (1.07 m) below the waterline. The guns were protected by a section of 4.5-inch armour, 34 feet (10.4 m) long, and by 4.5-inch transverse bulkhead
Bulkhead (partition)
A bulkhead is an upright wall within the hull of a ship or within the fuselage of an airplane. Other kinds of partition elements within a ship are decks and deckheads.-Etymology:...
s. The armour was backed by 19.5 inches (49.5 cm) of wood. The total weight of her armour was 195 long tons (198.1 t).
Service
The ship was laid down on 5 May 1862 at the Royal Dockyards in DeptfordDeptford
Deptford is a district of south London, England, located on the south bank of the River Thames. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne, and from the mid 16th century to the late 19th was home to Deptford Dockyard, the first of the Royal Navy Dockyards.Deptford and the docks are...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, as the 17-gun sloop Circassian. She was renamed Enterprise in July 1862 and reclassified as an armoured corvette. Construction had barely begun before she was redesigned with an iron upper hull as well as armoured sides and battery. The ship was launched
Ship naming and launching
The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch:There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely...
on 9 February 1864, commissioned on 5 May 1864 and completed on 3 June 1864. She cost £62,474Adjusted for inflation to 20 pounds, £. to build. Enterprise initially served with the Channel Fleet
Channel Fleet
The Channel Fleet was the Royal Navy formation of warships that defended the waters of the English Channel from 1690 to 1909.-History:The Channel Fleet dates back at least to 1690 when its role was to defend England against the French threat under the leadership of Edward Russell, 1st Earl of...
, but was transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet where she remained until 1871 when she returned to England. She was refitted and rearmed at Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
in 1868. Upon her return the ship was paid off
Ship decommissioning
To decommission a ship is to terminate her career in service in the armed forces of her nation. A somber occasion, it has little of the elaborate ceremony of ship commissioning, but carries significant tradition....
into 4th Class Reserve in August 1871 at Sheerness
Sheerness
Sheerness is a town located beside the mouth of the River Medway on the northwest corner of the Isle of Sheppey in north Kent, England. With a population of 12,000 it is the largest town on the island....
. Enterprise was sold for scrap in 1885 for £2,072.In 20 pounds, she sold for £.