HMS Polyphemus (1840)

HMS Polyphemus was an Alecto-class sloop designed by Sir William Symonds, Surveyor of the Navy. Originally classed as a steam vessel (SV3), her classification would be changed to a Third Class Sloop.[1] She initially served in the Mediterranean, west coast of Africa and the Baltic. She was wrecked on the Baltic side Jutland on 29 January 1856.[2]

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Polyphemus.

History
RN EnsignUnited Kingdom
NameHMS Polyphemus
Ordered25 February 1839
BuilderRoyal Dockyard, Sheerness
Cost£27,596
Laid downFebruary 1840
Launched28 September 1840
Completed24 April 1841
Commissioned25 February 1841
FateWrecked 29 January 1856
General characteristics
Type
  • Steam Vessels (SV3)
  • Third Class Sloop
Displacement1,283 tons
Tons burthen800+80⁄94 bm
Length
  • 164 ft 0 in (50.0 m) gundeck
  • 142 ft 6.5 in (43.4 m) keel for tonnage
Beam
  • 32 ft 8 in (10.0 m) maximum
  • 32 ft 6 in (9.9 m) for tonnage
Draught
  • 6 ft 5 in (2.0 m)forward
  • 7 ft 6 in (2.3 m) forward
Depth of hold18 ft 7 in (5.7 m)
Installed power200 nominal horsepower
Propulsion
  • 2-cylinder VSE direct acting steam engine
  • Paddles
Armament
  • 2 x 32-pdr (42 cwt) MLSB guns on pivot mounts
  • 2 x 32-pdr (25 cwt) MLSB guns on broadside trucks

Polyphemus was the second named vessel since it was used for a 64-gun third rate, launched at Sheerness Dockyard on 27 April 1782, converted to a powder hulk in September 1813 and her breaking was completed at Chatham on 15 September 1827.[3]

Construction

She was ordered on 25 February 1839 from Chatham Dockyard with her keel laid in February 1840.[4] She was launched on 28 September. Following her launch she was towed to Limehouse to have her boilers and machinery fitted.[5] She returned to Chatham and was completed for sea on 24 April 1841 at an initial cost of £27,596 including the hull cost of £13,198 and machinery cost of £10,700.[Note 1]

Commissioned Service

First Commission

Her first commission started on 25 February 1841 under the command of Lieutenant John Evans, RN for service in the Mediterranean. Lieutenant Evans died on 21 February 1843.[6] Lieutenant Thomas Spark, RN took command two days later on the 23rd. The 23rd of April 1846 a new commander, Commander James Johnstone M'Cleverty, RN took and command and was assigned to the Channel Squadron.[7] She was later returned to the Mediterranean where she rescued the brig Three Sisters from Rif Tribesmen on 8 November 1846.[8] She changed commanders on 28 December 1848 to Commander Richard Borough Crawford, RN. She paid off on 11 April 1849 upon her return to Home Waters. She was repaired at Deptford and Woolwich at a cost of £16,601.[9]

Second Commission

She was commissioned on 16 February 1852 under Commander Charles Gerrans Phillips for service on the west coast of Africa,[10] She returned and paid off at Portsmouth on 23 September 1854.[11]

Third Commission

She was commissioned under Commander Frederick Pelham Warren, RN for service in the Baltic on 22 October 1855.[12]

Disposition

She was wrecked on a steep sandy beach seven miles from Hansholme on the Baltic Coast of Jutland on 29 January 1856. She lost 27 members of her crew in the mishap. Her wreck was sold for £467.[13]

Notes
  1. A total cost accounting for inflation of approximately £2,552,800 in today's money.

Citations
  1. Winfield
  2. Winfield
  3. Colledge, Polyphemus
  4. Lyon Winfield, page 159
  5. Winfield
  6. Winfield
  7. The New Navy List, January 1847, page 236
  8. Winfield
  9. Winfield
  10. The Navy List, January 1853, page 159
  11. winfield
  12. The Navy List, January 1856, page 167
  13. Winfield

References
  • Lyon Winfield, The Sail & Steam Navy List, All the Ships of the Royal Navy 1815 to 1889, by David Lyon & Rif Winfield, published by Chatham Publishing, London © 2004, ISBN 1-86176-032-9
  • Winfield, British Warships in the Age of Sail (1817 – 1863), by Rif Winfield, published by Seaforth Publishing, England © 2014, eISBN 9781473837430, Chapter 11 Steam Paddle Vessels, Vessels acquired since November 1830, Alecto Class
  • Colledge, Ships of the Royal Navy, by J.J. Colledge, revised and updated by Lt Cdr Ben Warlow and Steve Bush, published by Seaforth Publishing, Barnsley, Great Britain, © 2020, e ISBN 978-1-5267-9328-7 (EPUB)
  • The New Navy List, conducted by Joseph Allen, Esq., RN, London: Parker, Furnivall, and Parker, Military Library, Whitehall, MDCCCXLVII
  • The Navy List, published by His Majesty's Stationery Office, London
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.