HMS Waterloo was a 120-gun first-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 10 June 1833 at Chatham.[2]

Waterloo, of 120 guns, launched in the Reign of William IV
History
United Kingdom
NameHMS Waterloo
Ordered9 September 1823
BuilderChatham Dockyard
Laid downMarch 1827
Launched10 June 1833
DecommissionedPaid off 1866[1]
Renamed
  • HMS Conqueror, 1862
  • HMS Warspite, 1877[1]
FateBurnt, 1918
Notes
  • Converted to steam 89-gun 2-decker,
  • 1 April 1859–12 December 1859[1]
General characteristics [2]
Class and typeBroadened Caledonia-class ship of the line
Tons burthen2,694 bm
Length205 ft 5.5 in (62.624 m) (gundeck)
Beam54 ft 6 in (16.61 m)
Depth of hold23 ft 2 in (7.06 m)
PropulsionFrom 1859, 500 nhp Maudlay engine, single screw[1]
Sail planFull-rigged ship
Armament
  • As designed:
  • 120 guns:
    • Gundeck: 30 × 32 pdrs, 2 × 68-pdr carronades
    • Middle gundeck: 34 × 32 pdrs
    • Upper gundeck: 34 × 32 pdrs
    • Quarterdeck: 2 × 18 pdrs, 14 × 32 pdr carronades
    • Forecastle: 2 × 18 pdrs, 2 × 32 pdr carronades
  • As steam line-of-battle ship:[3]
    • Gundeck: 32 × 8 in/65 cwt
    • Main deck: 34 × 32 pdr/56 cwt
    • Upper deck: 22 × 32 pdr/42 cwt
    • 1 × 68 pdr/95 cwt (on a pivot mounting)

Waterloo was cut down to an 89-gun 2-decker and converted to steam at Chatham 1 April 1859 – 12 December 1859. Following the loss of the modern 101-gun steam 2-decker Conqueror in 1861, Waterloo was renamed Conqueror in 1862. In 1864 she served on the China station under the command of Captain William Luard, and was paid off in 1866.[1]

Launch of HMS Waterloo at Chatham

In 1877 she was renamed HMS Warspite and served as a training ship at Greenhithe/Woolwich.[1]

She was destroyed by fire in 1918,[2] with 250 boys embarked at the time.[4] Three teenage boys later claimed to have started the fire deliberately.[5] They were charged for the alleged act and ordered to three years' detention at a reformatory.[4]

Notes

edit
  1. ^ a b c d e f Lambert Battleships in Transition, p. 134.
  2. ^ a b c Lavery, Ships of the Line, vol. 1, p. 190.
  3. ^ Lambert Battleships in Transition p. 132, 134.
  4. ^ a b "The Warspite Fire". The Times (41718): Col B, p. 3. 20 February 1918.
  5. ^ "Charge Of Burning The Warspite". The Times (41694): Col E, p. 3. 23 January 1918.

References

edit
  • Lambert, Andrew Battleships in Transition, the Creation of the Steam Battlefleet 1815–1860, published Conway Maritime Press, 1984. ISBN 0-85177-315-X.
  • Lavery, Brian (2003) The Ship of the Line – Volume 1: The development of the battlefleet 1650–1850. Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-252-8.
  • Lyon, David and Winfield, Rif (2004) The Sail and Steam Navy List: All the Ships of the Royal Navy 1815–1889. Chatham Publishing, London. ISBN 1-86176-032-9.
edit