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HMS Neptune (1878)
Encyclopedia
HMS Neptune was an ironclad
turret ship
originally designed and built in Britain for Brazil, but acquired for the Royal Navy
in 1878. Modifications to suit the Royal Navy took three years to complete and the ship did not begin her first commission until 1883 with the Channel Fleet
. She was transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet
in 1885, but refitted in Portsmouth
in 1886–87. Neptune then became the coastguard
ship for the 1st Class Reserve at Holyhead
until 1893 when she was placed in reserve in Portsmouth. While she was being towed to the breakers
in 1903, Neptune unintentionally rammed
, then serving as a training hulk
for the Naval Signal School, collided with , and narrowly missed several other ships. She was scrapped in Germany in 1904.
for the Brazilian Navy
in 1872 as a masted version of , a larger, sea-going version of the breastwork monitor
s, and was given the provisional name Independencia. Adding masts, however, meant adding a forecastle
at the bow and a poop deck
at the stern to provide the space required for the masts and rigging. These blocked the firing arcs of the gun turret
s so that they were deprived of the axial fire which was the original design's greatest virtue. The ship resembled, instead, an enlarged version of .
During the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78 tensions dramatically escalated between Russia and Great Britain as the latter feared that the victorious Russian armies would occupy the Turkish capital of Constantinople
, something that the British were not prepared to tolerate. They mobilized much of the Royal Navy in case war did break out and purchased a number of ironclads under construction, including Independencia, in 1878. The Brazilians sold the ship for £600,000, nearly twice as much as the £370,000 paid for Devastation a few years earlier. Another £89,172 was spent to bring her up to the standards of the Royal Navy. In British service she was deemed "a white elephant
, being a thoroughly bad ship in most respects—unlucky, full of inherent faults and small vices, and at times a danger to her own consorts".
HMS Neptune was 300 feet (91.4 m) long between perpendiculars. She had a beam
of 63 feet (19.2 m) and a draft
of 25 feet (7.6 m). The ship normally displaced 8964 long tons (9,107.9 t) and 9311 long tons (9,460.4 t) at deep load.
Neptune proved a poor seakeeper
as she was wet, difficult to manoeuvre and a heavy roller. She had a 12 feet (3.7 m) skylight over the wardroom
, which as a result often flooded while the ship was at sea.
, driving a single 26 feet (7.9 m) propeller. Eight rectangular boiler
s provided steam to the engine at a working pressure of 32 pound per square inch. The engine had a total designed output of 8000 ihp, but produced a total of 8832 ihp during sea trial
s in February 1878 which gave Neptune a maximum speed of 14.65 knots (8 m/s). The ship carried 670 long tons (680.8 t) of coal, enough to steam 1480 nmi (2,741 km) at 10 knots even though Sir George Tryon
described her as "a weak ship in her engines and consuming a coal-mine daily".
Neptune was barque
-rigged, but her twin funnels were so close to the mainmast that the sails and rigging rapidly deteriorated in service. The mast was eventually stripped of sails and yard
s so that the ship only used the fore and mizzen masts; an unsightly combination described as "like a half-dressed harlot". During her 1886 refit the ship's masts and rigging were replaced by simple pole masts with fighting tops
at the fore and mizzen positions only.
12 inches (304.8 mm) for the gun turret
s and a pair of 8 inches (203.2 mm) breech-loading guns as chase gun
s, but these were replaced in British service. HMS Neptune mounted a pair of 12.5 inches (317.5 mm)
muzzle-loading rifles in each turret and two 9 inches (228.6 mm) rifled muzzle-loading guns
in the forecastle as chase guns. These guns only traverse 45° to the side. The ship also had six 20-pounder Armstrong guns for use as saluting guns. Two 14 inches (36 cm) torpedo tubes were mounted on the main deck, one on each side, for Whitehead torpedos.
The shell of the 16-calibre
12.5-inch gun weighed 809 pounds (367 kg) while the gun itself weighed 38 long tons (38.6 t). It had a muzzle velocity
of 1575 ft/s (480.1 m/s) and was credited with the ability to penetrate a nominal 18.4 inches (467 mm) of wrought iron
armour at the muzzle. The 14-calibre 9-inch gun weighed 12 long tons (12.2 t) and fired a 254 pounds (115.2 kg) shell at a muzzle velocity of 1420 ft/s (432.8 m/s). It was credited with the nominal ability to penetrate 11.3 inches (287 mm) armour. The muzzle blast of the main guns was more than the deck immediately below the muzzles could stand and the full charge for the guns was reduced from 200 to 180 lb (90.7 to 81.6 kg) of powder to minimize the damage.
belt
of wrought iron that was 12 inches (305 mm) thick amidships and thinned to 10 inches (254 mm) and then to 9 inches (229 mm) in steps at the ends of the ship. The armour extended 5 inch above the waterline and 3 foot (0.9144 m) below it. An armoured citadel 112 feet (34.1 m) long protected the bases of the gun turret
s, the funnel uptakes and the ventilation shafts for the engines and boilers. The sides of the citadel were 10 inches thick and it was closed off by transverse bulkhead
s 8 inches (20 cm) thick. The chase guns at the bow were protected by a patch of 6 inches (15 cm) armour.
The faces of the turrets were 13 inches (33 cm) thick while the sides were 11 inches (28 cm) thick. They were backed by 13–15 in (33–38.1 ) of teak
. The armoured deck
was 2–3 in (5.1–7.6 ) outside the citadel and 2 inches thick inside it. Neptune was provided with an conning tower
protected by 6–8 inches of armour situated right in front of the foremast. It could "be regarded as the first adequately installed conning position installed in a British" ironclad.
in Cubitt Town
, London
. The shipyard attempted to launch
her on 16 July 1874, but she stuck fast and did not budge. A second attempt was made on 30 July during which the ship got about one-third down the slipway and stuck, extensively damaging her bottom plating. She was finally launched on 10 September, after she had been lightened, and she was towed to Samuda Brothers
for repairs and fitting out. The cost of the accident resulted in the bankruptcy of Dudgeons in 1875.
Independencia ran her sea trials in December 1877 and purchased by the Royal Navy in March 1878 and renamed Neptune, after the Roman god of the sea
. She was then taken to Portsmouth
for alterations to her armament and other equipment that took until 3 September 1881 to complete.
Neptune was commissioned on 28 March 1883 for service with the Channel Fleet
. She was transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet
in 1885, but returned to Portsmouth in July 1886 for a refit. The ship was assigned as the guard ship
for the 1st Class Reserve at Holyhead
in May 1887. Neptune paid off
into reserve
in November 1893 in Portsmouth. The ship was sold for £18,000 on 15 September 1903 for scrap. While under tow by the tug Rowland and another at her side out of Portsmouth on 23 October 1903, Neptune broke the cables connecting her to the tugs in a storm. With the winds and a strong flood tide pushing her, she was pushed back into the harbour and narrowly missed the training ship for Osborne College, . Neptune struck the training brig Sunflower anchored beside Racer a glancing blow and then hit the port side of , making a hole at her orlop deck. Neptune then was pushed by the tides and winds toward and came to rest against the bow ram of Hero. She was finally broken up in Lemwerder
, Germany
, in 1904.
Ironclad warship
An ironclad was a steam-propelled warship in the early part of the second half of the 19th century, protected by iron or steel armor plates. The ironclad was developed as a result of the vulnerability of wooden warships to explosive or incendiary shells. The first ironclad battleship, La Gloire,...
turret ship
Turret ship
Turret ships were a 19th century type of warship, the earliest to have their guns mounted in a revolving gun turret, instead of a broadside arrangement....
originally designed and built in Britain for Brazil, but acquired for the Royal Navy
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...
in 1878. Modifications to suit the Royal Navy took three years to complete and the ship did not begin her first commission until 1883 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...
. She was transferred 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...
in 1885, but refitted in Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
in 1886–87. Neptune then became the coastguard
Guard ship
A guard ship is a warship stationed at some port or harbour to act as a guard, and in former times in the Royal Navy to receive the men impressed for service...
ship for the 1st Class Reserve at Holyhead
Holyhead
Holyhead is the largest town in the county of Anglesey in the North Wales. It is also a major port adjacent to the Irish Sea serving Ireland....
until 1893 when she was placed in reserve in Portsmouth. While she was being towed to the breakers
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 1903, Neptune unintentionally rammed
Ramming
In warfare, ramming is a technique that was used in air, sea and land combat. The term originated from battering ram, a siege weapon used to bring down fortifications by hitting it with the force of the ram's momentum...
, then serving as a training hulk
Hulk (ship)
A hulk is a ship that is afloat, but incapable of going to sea. Although sometimes used to describe a ship that has been launched but not completed, the term most often refers to an old ship that has had its rigging or internal equipment removed, retaining only its flotational qualities...
for the Naval Signal School, collided with , and narrowly missed several other ships. She was scrapped in Germany in 1904.
Design and description
HMS Neptune was designed by Sir Edward ReedEdward 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...
for the Brazilian Navy
Brazilian Navy
The Brazilian Navy is a branch of the Brazilian Armed Forces responsible for conducting naval operations. It is the largest navy in Latin America...
in 1872 as a masted version of , a larger, sea-going version of the breastwork monitor
Breastwork monitor
A breastwork monitor was one of a number of ships designed by Sir Edward Reed, the Chief Constructor of the Royal Navy between 1863 and 1870....
s, and was given the provisional name Independencia. Adding masts, however, meant adding a forecastle
Forecastle
Forecastle refers to the upper deck of a sailing ship forward of the foremast, or the forward part of a ship with the sailors' living quarters...
at the bow and a poop deck
Poop deck
In naval architecture, a poop deck is a deck that forms the roof of a cabin built in the rear, or "aft", part of the superstructure of a ship.The name originates from the French word for stern, la poupe, from Latin puppis...
at the stern to provide the space required for the masts and rigging. These blocked the firing arcs of the gun turret
Gun turret
A gun turret is a weapon mount that protects the crew or mechanism of a projectile-firing weapon and at the same time lets the weapon be aimed and fired in many directions.The turret is also a rotating weapon platform...
s so that they were deprived of the axial fire which was the original design's greatest virtue. The ship resembled, instead, an enlarged version of .
During the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78 tensions dramatically escalated between Russia and Great Britain as the latter feared that the victorious Russian armies would occupy the Turkish capital of Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
, something that the British were not prepared to tolerate. They mobilized much of the Royal Navy in case war did break out and purchased a number of ironclads under construction, including Independencia, in 1878. The Brazilians sold the ship for £600,000, nearly twice as much as the £370,000 paid for Devastation a few years earlier. Another £89,172 was spent to bring her up to the standards of the Royal Navy. In British service she was deemed "a white elephant
White elephant
A white elephant is an idiom for a valuable but burdensome possession of which its owner cannot dispose and whose cost is out of proportion to its usefulness or worth...
, being a thoroughly bad ship in most respects—unlucky, full of inherent faults and small vices, and at times a danger to her own consorts".
HMS Neptune was 300 feet (91.4 m) long between perpendiculars. She had a beam
Beam (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 63 feet (19.2 m) and a draft
Draft (hull)
The draft of a ship's hull is the vertical distance between the waterline and the bottom of the hull , with the thickness of the hull included; in the case of not being included the draft outline would be obtained...
of 25 feet (7.6 m). The ship normally displaced 8964 long tons (9,107.9 t) and 9311 long tons (9,460.4 t) at deep load.
Neptune proved a poor seakeeper
Seakeeping
Seakeeping ability is a measure of how well-suited a watercraft is to conditions when underway. A ship or boat which has good seakeeping ability is said to be very seaworthy and is able to operate effectively even in high sea states....
as she was wet, difficult to manoeuvre and a heavy roller. She had a 12 feet (3.7 m) skylight over the wardroom
Wardroom
The wardroom is the mess-cabin of naval commissioned officers above the rank of Midshipman. The term the wardroom is also used to refer to those individuals with the right to occupy that wardroom, meaning "the officers of the wardroom"....
, which as a result often flooded while the ship was at sea.
Propulsion
Neptune had one 2-cylinder trunk steam engine, made by John Penn and SonsJohn Penn (engineer)
John Penn FRS, was a marine engineer, whose firm was pre-eminent in the middle of the nineteenth century due to his innovations in engine and propeller systems, which led his firm to be the major supplier to the Royal Navy as it made the transition from sail to steam power...
, driving a single 26 feet (7.9 m) propeller. Eight rectangular boiler
Boiler (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 provided steam to the engine at a working pressure of 32 pound per square inch. The engine had a total designed output of 8000 ihp, but produced a total of 8832 ihp during sea trial
Sea trial
A sea trial is the testing phase of a watercraft . It is also referred to as a "shakedown cruise" by many naval personnel. It is usually the last phase of construction and takes place on open water, and can last from a few hours to many days.Sea trials are conducted to measure a vessel’s...
s in February 1878 which gave Neptune a maximum speed of 14.65 knots (8 m/s). The ship carried 670 long tons (680.8 t) of coal, enough to steam 1480 nmi (2,741 km) at 10 knots even though Sir George Tryon
George Tryon
Vice-Admiral Sir George Tryon, KCB was a British admiral who died when his flagship HMS Victoria collided with HMS Camperdown during manoeuvres off Tripoli, Lebanon.-Early life:...
described her as "a weak ship in her engines and consuming a coal-mine daily".
Neptune 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, but her twin funnels were so close to the mainmast that the sails and rigging rapidly deteriorated in service. The mast was eventually stripped of sails and yard
Yard (sailing)
A yard is a spar on a mast from which sails are set. It may be constructed of timber, steel, or from more modern materials, like aluminium or carbon fibre. Although some types of fore and aft rigs have yards , the term is usually used to describe the horizontal spars used with square sails...
s so that the ship only used the fore and mizzen masts; an unsightly combination described as "like a half-dressed harlot". During her 1886 refit the ship's masts and rigging were replaced by simple pole masts with fighting tops
Top (sailing ship)
On a traditional square rigged ship, the top is the platform at the upper end of each mast. This is not the masthead "crow's nest" of the popular imagination – above the mainmast is the main-topmast, main-topgallant-mast and main-royal-mast, so that the top is actually about 1/4 to 1/3 of the way...
at the fore and mizzen positions only.
Armament
The Brazilians had ordered four WhitworthArmstrong 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,...
12 inches (304.8 mm) for the gun turret
Gun turret
A gun turret is a weapon mount that protects the crew or mechanism of a projectile-firing weapon and at the same time lets the weapon be aimed and fired in many directions.The turret is also a rotating weapon platform...
s and a pair of 8 inches (203.2 mm) breech-loading guns as chase gun
Chase gun
The chase guns, usually distinguished as bow chasers and stern chasers were cannons mounted in the bow or stern of a sailing ship...
s, but these were replaced in British service. HMS Neptune mounted a pair of 12.5 inches (317.5 mm)
RML 12.5 inch 38 ton gun
The RML 12.5 inch guns were large rifled muzzle-loading guns designed for British battleships and were also employed for coast defence.-Design:The gun originated from a desire for a longer 12-inch gun than the existing RML 12 inch 35 ton gun...
muzzle-loading rifles in each turret and two 9 inches (228.6 mm) rifled muzzle-loading guns
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:...
in the forecastle as chase guns. These guns only traverse 45° to the side. The ship also had six 20-pounder Armstrong guns for use as saluting guns. Two 14 inches (36 cm) torpedo tubes were mounted on the main deck, one on each side, for Whitehead torpedos.
The shell of the 16-calibre
Caliber (artillery)
In artillery, caliber or calibredifference in British English and American English spelling is the internal diameter of a gun barrel, or by extension a relative measure of the length....
12.5-inch gun weighed 809 pounds (367 kg) while the gun itself weighed 38 long tons (38.6 t). 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 1575 ft/s (480.1 m/s) and was credited with the ability to penetrate a nominal 18.4 inches (467 mm) 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...
armour at the muzzle. The 14-calibre 9-inch gun weighed 12 long tons (12.2 t) and fired a 254 pounds (115.2 kg) shell at a muzzle velocity of 1420 ft/s (432.8 m/s). It was credited with the nominal ability to penetrate 11.3 inches (287 mm) armour. The muzzle blast of the main guns was more than the deck immediately below the muzzles could stand and the full charge for the guns was reduced from 200 to 180 lb (90.7 to 81.6 kg) of powder to minimize the damage.
Armour
Neptune had a complete waterlineWaterline
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...
belt
Belt 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 that was 12 inches (305 mm) thick amidships and thinned to 10 inches (254 mm) and then to 9 inches (229 mm) in steps at the ends of the ship. The armour extended 5 inch above the waterline and 3 foot (0.9144 m) below it. An armoured citadel 112 feet (34.1 m) long protected the bases of the gun turret
Gun turret
A gun turret is a weapon mount that protects the crew or mechanism of a projectile-firing weapon and at the same time lets the weapon be aimed and fired in many directions.The turret is also a rotating weapon platform...
s, the funnel uptakes and the ventilation shafts for the engines and boilers. The sides of the citadel were 10 inches thick and it was closed off by 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 8 inches (20 cm) thick. The chase guns at the bow were protected by a patch of 6 inches (15 cm) armour.
The faces of the turrets were 13 inches (33 cm) thick while the sides were 11 inches (28 cm) thick. They were backed by 13–15 in (33–38.1 ) of teak
Teak
Teak is the common name for the tropical hardwood tree species Tectona grandis and its wood products. Tectona grandis is native to south and southeast Asia, mainly India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Burma, but is naturalized and cultivated in many countries, including those in Africa and the...
. The armoured deck
Deck (ship)
A deck is a permanent covering over a compartment or a hull of a ship. On a boat or ship, the primary deck is the horizontal structure which forms the 'roof' for the hull, which both strengthens the hull and serves as the primary working surface...
was 2–3 in (5.1–7.6 ) outside the citadel and 2 inches thick inside it. Neptune was provided with an conning tower
Conning tower
A conning tower is a raised platform on a ship or submarine, often armored, from which an officer can con the vessel; i.e., give directions to the helmsman. It is usually located as high on the ship as practical, to give the conning team good visibility....
protected by 6–8 inches of armour situated right in front of the foremast. It could "be regarded as the first adequately installed conning position installed in a British" ironclad.
Service
HMS Neptune was laid down in 1873 for the Brazilian Navy under the name of Independencia by J & W DudgeonJ & W Dudgeon
J & W Dudgeon was a Victorian shipbuilding and engineering company based in Cubitt Town, London, founded by John and William Dudgeon.John and William Dudgeon had established the Sun Iron Works in Millwall in the 1850s, and had a reputation for advanced marine engines. In 1862 they set up as...
in Cubitt Town
Cubitt Town
Cubitt Town is an area on the Isle of Dogs in Tower Hamlets in London, England. It is on the east of the Isle, facing Greenwich across the River Thames. To the west is Millwall, to the northwest Canary Wharf and to the north, across the Blue Bridge, Blackwall...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The shipyard attempted to launch
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...
her on 16 July 1874, but she stuck fast and did not budge. A second attempt was made on 30 July during which the ship got about one-third down the slipway and stuck, extensively damaging her bottom plating. She was finally launched on 10 September, after she had been lightened, and she was towed to Samuda Brothers
Samuda Brothers
Samuda Brothers was an engineering and ship building firm at Cubitt Town on the Isle of Dogs in London, founded by Jacob and Joseph d'Aguilar Samuda. The site is now occupied by Samuda Estate....
for repairs and fitting out. The cost of the accident resulted in the bankruptcy of Dudgeons in 1875.
Independencia ran her sea trials in December 1877 and purchased by the Royal Navy in March 1878 and renamed Neptune, after the Roman god of the sea
Neptune (mythology)
Neptune was the god of water and the sea in Roman mythology and religion. He is analogous with, but not identical to, the Greek god Poseidon. In the Greek-influenced tradition, Neptune was the brother of Jupiter and Pluto, each of them presiding over one of the three realms of the universe,...
. She was then taken to Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
for alterations to her armament and other equipment that took until 3 September 1881 to complete.
Neptune was commissioned on 28 March 1883 for service 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...
. She was transferred 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...
in 1885, but returned to Portsmouth in July 1886 for a refit. The ship was assigned as the guard ship
Guard ship
A guard ship is a warship stationed at some port or harbour to act as a guard, and in former times in the Royal Navy to receive the men impressed for service...
for the 1st Class Reserve at Holyhead
Holyhead
Holyhead is the largest town in the county of Anglesey in the North Wales. It is also a major port adjacent to the Irish Sea serving Ireland....
in May 1887. Neptune 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 reserve
Reserve fleet
A reserve fleet is a collection of naval vessels of all types that are fully equipped for service but are not currently needed, and thus partially or fully decommissioned. A reserve fleet is informally said to be "in mothballs" or "mothballed"; an equivalent expression in unofficial modern U.S....
in November 1893 in Portsmouth. The ship was sold for £18,000 on 15 September 1903 for scrap. While under tow by the tug Rowland and another at her side out of Portsmouth on 23 October 1903, Neptune broke the cables connecting her to the tugs in a storm. With the winds and a strong flood tide pushing her, she was pushed back into the harbour and narrowly missed the training ship for Osborne College, . Neptune struck the training brig Sunflower anchored beside Racer a glancing blow and then hit the port side of , making a hole at her orlop deck. Neptune then was pushed by the tides and winds toward and came to rest against the bow ram of Hero. She was finally broken up in Lemwerder
Lemwerder
Lemwerder is a municipality in the district of Wesermarsch, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the left bank of the Weser, approx. 27 km east of Oldenburg, and 17 km northwest of the centre of Bremen....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, in 1904.
External links
- http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/hms_neptune1.htm HMS Neptune Photo Gallery