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HMS Prince of Wales (1860)
Encyclopedia
HMS Prince of Wales was one of six 121-gun screw-propelled
first-rate
three-decker line-of-battle ships
of the Royal Navy
. She was launched on 25 January 1860. In 1869 she was renamed HMS Britannia and under that name served at Dartmouth
as a cadet training ship until 1905.
sailing line-of-battle ship. She was laid down at Portsmouth on 10 June 1848, though she was not formally ordered until 29 June, and the design was approved on 28 July 1848.
In 1849, the Royal Navy started ordering screw line-of-battle ships starting with the Agamemnon
. It is possible that construction of Prince of Wales was suspended, as screw line-of-battle ships laid down after her, were completed before her. Prince of Wales was reordered to complete as a 121 gun screw line-of-battle ship on 9 April 1856, conversion work started on 27 October 1856. Her half-sisters Duke of Wellington
and Royal Sovereign
were lengthened with an extra 23 ft amidships and 8 ft in the run, and originally it was intended that Marlborough
and Prince of Wales would be converted to the same plans, but they were further lengthened during construction.
Her engines were 800 nhp Penn two-cylinder (82 inch diameter, 4 ft stroke) horizontal single expansion trunk engines.
She was launched on 25 January 1860, and did her trials at sea in Stokes Bay
on 31 October 1860 unrigged. She made an average of 12.569 knots (23.293 km/h ).
Prince of Wales was completed towards the end of the unarmoured phase of a naval arms race between Britain and France. In 1860 the Royal Navy had more wooden steam line-of-battle ships than it needed to man in peacetime. The Royal Navy's first armoured line-of-battle ship, Warrior
was commissioned in 1861. Unarmoured screw line-of-battle ships were still of value in the early to mid 1860s, and several new screw line-of-battle ships were commissioned in the 1860s.
In 1867, the Prince of Waless engines were removed so they could be installed in the ironclad Repulse
. In 1869 she was renamed Britannia and began service as a cadet training ship at Dartmouth
, replacing the previous Britannia
in that role. As Britannia, she was a hulk
, and only had her foremast. A shore-based college at Dartmouth was opened in September 1905 and this was named Royal Naval College, Dartmouth
. The Britannia training establishment was closed at the same time.
A new King Edward VII-class battleship
called Britannia
was launched in December 1904. The former Prince of Wales was officially hulked in September 1909, sold to Garnham on 23 September 1914, then resold to Hughes Bolckow arriving at Blyth
in July 1916 for breaking up.
Propeller
A propeller is a type of fan that transmits power by converting rotational motion into thrust. A pressure difference is produced between the forward and rear surfaces of the airfoil-shaped blade, and a fluid is accelerated behind the blade. Propeller dynamics can be modeled by both Bernoulli's...
first-rate
First-rate
First rate was the designation used by the Royal Navy for its largest ships of the line. While the size and establishment of guns and men changed over the 250 years that the rating system held sway, from the early years of the eighteenth century the first rates comprised those ships mounting 100...
three-decker line-of-battle ships
Ship of the line
A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed from the 17th through the mid-19th century to take part in the naval tactic known as the line of battle, in which two columns of opposing warships would manoeuvre to bring the greatest weight of broadside guns to bear...
of 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...
. She was launched on 25 January 1860. In 1869 she was renamed HMS Britannia and under that name served at Dartmouth
Dartmouth, Devon
Dartmouth is a town and civil parish in the English county of Devon. It is a tourist destination set on the banks of the estuary of the River Dart, which is a long narrow tidal ria that runs inland as far as Totnes...
as a cadet training ship until 1905.
History
The Prince of Wales was originally a 3,186 ton 120 gun design by John Edye and Isaac Watts for a modified Queen-classHMS Queen (1839)
HMS Queen was a 110-gun first rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 15 May 1839 at Portsmouth. She was initially ordered in 1827 under the name Royal Frederick, but was renamed on 12 April 1839 while still on the stocks in honour of the recently enthroned Queen Victoria...
sailing line-of-battle ship. She was laid down at Portsmouth on 10 June 1848, though she was not formally ordered until 29 June, and the design was approved on 28 July 1848.
In 1849, the Royal Navy started ordering screw line-of-battle ships starting with the Agamemnon
HMS Agamemnon (1852)
HMS Agamemnon was a Royal Navy 91-gun battleship ordered by the Admiralty in 1849 in response to the perceived threat from France by their possession of ships of the Napoléon class...
. It is possible that construction of Prince of Wales was suspended, as screw line-of-battle ships laid down after her, were completed before her. Prince of Wales was reordered to complete as a 121 gun screw line-of-battle ship on 9 April 1856, conversion work started on 27 October 1856. Her half-sisters Duke of Wellington
HMS Duke of Wellington
HMS Duke of Wellington was a 131-gun first-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy. Launched in 1852, she was symptomatic of an era of rapid technological change in the navy, being powered both by sail and steam...
and Royal Sovereign
HMS Royal Sovereign (1857)
HMS Royal Sovereign was originally laid down as a 120-gun first-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy. She would have mounted sixteen cannon, 114 guns, and a pivot gun. With the rise of steam and screw propulsion, she was ordered to be converted on the stocks to a 131-gun screw ship, with...
were lengthened with an extra 23 ft amidships and 8 ft in the run, and originally it was intended that Marlborough
HMS Marlborough (1855)
HMS Marlborough was a first-rate three-decker 131 gun screw ship built for the Royal Navy in 1855. She was begun as a sailing ship of the line , but was completed to a modified design and converted to steam on the stocks.She served as flagship of the Mediterranean Fleet from 1858-64 HMS...
and Prince of Wales would be converted to the same plans, but they were further lengthened during construction.
Her engines were 800 nhp Penn two-cylinder (82 inch diameter, 4 ft stroke) horizontal single expansion trunk engines.
She was launched on 25 January 1860, and did her trials at sea in Stokes Bay
Stokes Bay
Stokes Bay is an area of the Solent that lies just south of Gosport, between Portsmouth and Lee-on-the-Solent, Hampshire. There is a shingle beach that has a great view of Ryde and East Cowes on the Isle of Wight to the south and also Fawley in the south west. The village of Alverstoke is close by...
on 31 October 1860 unrigged. She made an average of 12.569 knots (23.293 km/h ).
Prince of Wales was completed towards the end of the unarmoured phase of a naval arms race between Britain and France. In 1860 the Royal Navy had more wooden steam line-of-battle ships than it needed to man in peacetime. The Royal Navy's first armoured line-of-battle ship, Warrior
HMS Warrior (1860)
HMS Warrior was the first iron-hulled, armour-plated warship, built for the Royal Navy in response to the first ironclad warship, the French Gloire, launched a year earlier....
was commissioned in 1861. Unarmoured screw line-of-battle ships were still of value in the early to mid 1860s, and several new screw line-of-battle ships were commissioned in the 1860s.
In 1867, the Prince of Waless engines were removed so they could be installed in the ironclad Repulse
HMS Repulse (1868)
HMS Repulse was the last wooden battleship constructed for the Royal Navy.She was laid down as a 90-gun second-rate line-of-battle ship with two decks; having been approved for conversion to a broadside ironclad in 1861, work on her was intentionally delayed until the performance of earlier...
. In 1869 she was renamed Britannia and began service as a cadet training ship at Dartmouth
Dartmouth, Devon
Dartmouth is a town and civil parish in the English county of Devon. It is a tourist destination set on the banks of the estuary of the River Dart, which is a long narrow tidal ria that runs inland as far as Totnes...
, replacing the previous Britannia
HMS Britannia (1820)
HMS Britannia was a 120-gun first-rate ship-of-the-line of the Royal Navy, laid down in 1813 and launched on 20 October 1820.Commissioned in 1823, she saw service in the Mediterranean from 1830-1 and in 1841...
in that role. As Britannia, she was a 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...
, and only had her foremast. A shore-based college at Dartmouth was opened in September 1905 and this was named Royal Naval College, Dartmouth
Britannia Royal Naval College
Britannia Royal Naval College is the initial officer training establishment of the Royal Navy, located on a hill overlooking Dartmouth, Devon, England. While Royal Naval officer training has taken place in the town since 1863, the buildings which are seen today were only finished in 1905, and...
. The Britannia training establishment was closed at the same time.
A new King Edward VII-class battleship
King Edward VII class battleship
The King Edward VII class was a class of pre-dreadnought battleships launched by the Royal Navy between 1903 and 1905.-Armament:By 1901, the 29 British battleships of the Majestic, Canopus, Formidable, London, Queen, and Duncan classes then in service or under construction, all following the same...
called Britannia
HMS Britannia (1904)
The sixth HMS Britannia of the British Royal Navy was a pre-dreadnought battleship of the King Edward VII class. She was named after Britannia, the Latin name of Great Britain under Roman rule.-Technical characteristics:...
was launched in December 1904. The former Prince of Wales was officially hulked in September 1909, sold to Garnham on 23 September 1914, then resold to Hughes Bolckow arriving at Blyth
Blyth, Northumberland
Blyth is a town and civil parish in southeast Northumberland, England. It lies on the coast, to the south of the River Blyth and is approximately 21 kilometres northeast of Newcastle upon Tyne...
in July 1916 for breaking up.