A blockship is a ship deliberately sunk to prevent a river, channel, or canal from being used as a waterway. It may either be sunk by a navy defending the waterway to prevent the ingress of attacking enemy forces, as in the case of HMS Hood at Portland Harbour in 1914; or it may be brought by enemy raiders and used to prevent the waterway from being used by the defending forces, as in the case of the three old cruisersHMS Thetis, Iphigenia and Intrepid scuttled during the Zeebrugge raid in 1918 to prevent the port from being used by the German navy.
The wreck of SS Reginald, a blockship sunk in Weddell Bay in the Orkney Islands, Scotland in 1915
An early use was in 1667, during the Dutch Raid on the Medway and their attempts to do likewise in the Thames during the Second Anglo-Dutch War, when a number of warships and merchant ships commandeered by the Royal Navy were sunk in those rivers to attempt to stop the attacking forces.
The above is the principal and enduring meaning of 'block ship', but in the mid-19th century the term blockships was applied to two groups of mobile sea batteries developed by the Royal Commission on Coast Defence. The first batch of four was obtained from around 1845 by converting old sailing 74-gun two-deckers, all of them Vengeur-classships of the line, into floating batteries, equipped with a steam/screw propulsion system. Also called "steam guardships",[4] these conversions involved cutting down to a single deck, with ballast removed, and a jury rig installed with a medium 450-horsepower (340 kW) engine for speeds of 5.8–8.9 knots (10.7–16.5 km/h; 6.7–10.2 mph). These ships, converted in 1846, were Blenheim, Ajax, Hogue and Edinburgh. Although these ships were intended for coast defence some of them were used offensively, notably in the Baltic Campaign of 1854 and 1855, where they were an integral part of the British fleet. A second batch of five were similarly obtained from around 1855 by converting other elderly 74-gun ships; these were Russell, Cornwallis, Hawke, Pembroke and Hastings.
The most recent known use of blockships in warfare was during the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation. On 6 March 2014, the Russian Navy towed and scuttled the decommissioned cruiser Ochakov at the entrance to Donuzlav Bay in western Crimea, to prevent remaining Ukrainian navy vessels from leaving port.[5] Less than 24 hours later, on 7 March, another blockship, the former Black Sea Fleet rescue/diving support vessel BM-416 was scuttled near Ochakov.
^. rgzm.de. Archived from the original on 2013-10-04.
^Crumlin-Pedersen, Ole (2002). . The Viking Ship Museum and the National Museum of Denmark. Archived from the original on 2012-04-06. Retrieved 2012-04-10.
^"Ancient History: Viking dig reports". BBC. from the original on 2003-06-18. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
^'a steam guard, or "block" ship' - The Times, 23 September 1846, describing Ajax.
^"Russia sinks ship to block Ukrainian Navy ships". Naval News. 6 March 2014. from the original on 2014-03-06. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
Further readingedit
Brown, D.K. (1983). A Century of Naval Construction: The History of Royal Corps of Naval Constructors 1883-1983. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN0-85177-282-X.
Jumonville, P. C. (2012). "Question 6/47: Use of Blockships". Warship International. XLIX (1): 38–44. ISSN 0043-0374.
Sondhaus, L. (2001). Naval warfare, 1815–1914. Warfare and history series. London: Routledge, ISBN0-415-21477-7
Winfield, Rif (2009). British Warships in the Age of Sail 1603–1714: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth Publishing. ISBN978-1-84832-040-6.
External linksedit
Media related to Block ships at Wikimedia Commons
January 09, 2024
blockship, blockship, ship, deliberately, sunk, prevent, river, channel, canal, from, being, used, waterway, either, sunk, navy, defending, waterway, prevent, ingress, attacking, enemy, forces, case, hood, portland, harbour, 1914, brought, enemy, raiders, used. A blockship is a ship deliberately sunk to prevent a river channel or canal from being used as a waterway It may either be sunk by a navy defending the waterway to prevent the ingress of attacking enemy forces as in the case of HMS Hood at Portland Harbour in 1914 or it may be brought by enemy raiders and used to prevent the waterway from being used by the defending forces as in the case of the three old cruisers HMS Thetis Iphigenia and Intrepid scuttled during the Zeebrugge raid in 1918 to prevent the port from being used by the German navy The wreck of SS Reginald a blockship sunk in Weddell Bay in the Orkney Islands Scotland in 1915An early use was in 1667 during the Dutch Raid on the Medway and their attempts to do likewise in the Thames during the Second Anglo Dutch War when a number of warships and merchant ships commandeered by the Royal Navy were sunk in those rivers to attempt to stop the attacking forces An even earlier use are the six 11th century Skuldelev ships in Roskilde Fjord sunk to protect Roskilde from northern Vikings They are now on display in the Viking Ship Museum 1 2 3 The above is the principal and enduring meaning of block ship but in the mid 19th century the term blockships was applied to two groups of mobile sea batteries developed by the Royal Commission on Coast Defence The first batch of four was obtained from around 1845 by converting old sailing 74 gun two deckers all of them Vengeur class ships of the line into floating batteries equipped with a steam screw propulsion system Also called steam guardships 4 these conversions involved cutting down to a single deck with ballast removed and a jury rig installed with a medium 450 horsepower 340 kW engine for speeds of 5 8 8 9 knots 10 7 16 5 km h 6 7 10 2 mph These ships converted in 1846 were Blenheim Ajax Hogue and Edinburgh Although these ships were intended for coast defence some of them were used offensively notably in the Baltic Campaign of 1854 and 1855 where they were an integral part of the British fleet A second batch of five were similarly obtained from around 1855 by converting other elderly 74 gun ships these were Russell Cornwallis Hawke Pembroke and Hastings The most recent known use of blockships in warfare was during the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation On 6 March 2014 the Russian Navy towed and scuttled the decommissioned cruiser Ochakov at the entrance to Donuzlav Bay in western Crimea to prevent remaining Ukrainian navy vessels from leaving port 5 Less than 24 hours later on 7 March another blockship the former Black Sea Fleet rescue diving support vessel BM 416 was scuttled near Ochakov See also editStone fleet Mulberry harbour Hulk ship type Guard shipNotes edit Roskilde 6 rgzm de Archived from the original on 2013 10 04 Crumlin Pedersen Ole 2002 The Skuldelev Ships I The Viking Ship Museum and the National Museum of Denmark Archived from the original on 2012 04 06 Retrieved 2012 04 10 Ancient History Viking dig reports BBC Archived from the original on 2003 06 18 Retrieved 27 October 2021 a steam guard or block ship The Times 23 September 1846 describing Ajax Russia sinks ship to block Ukrainian Navy ships Naval News 6 March 2014 Archived from the original on 2014 03 06 Retrieved 27 October 2021 Further reading editBrown D K 1983 A Century of Naval Construction The History of Royal Corps of Naval Constructors 1883 1983 London Conway Maritime Press ISBN 0 85177 282 X Jumonville P C 2012 Question 6 47 Use of Blockships Warship International XLIX 1 38 44 ISSN 0043 0374 Lyon David and Winfield Rif 2004 The Sail and Steam Navy List All the Ships of the Royal Navy 1815 1889 Chatham Publishing ISBN 1 86176 032 9 Savitz S 2021 The Suez Grounding Was an Accident but the Next Blocked Chokepoint Might Not Be DefenseOne https www defenseone com ideas 2021 03 suez grounding was accident next blocked chokepoint might not be 173011 Savitz S 2021 Blockship Tactics to Trap Enemy Fleets Proceedings of the U S Naval Institute Vol 147 12 1426 https www usni org magazines proceedings 2021 december blockship tactics trap enemy fleets Sondhaus L 2001 Naval warfare 1815 1914 Warfare and history series London Routledge ISBN 0 415 21477 7 Winfield Rif 2009 British Warships in the Age of Sail 1603 1714 Design Construction Careers and Fates Seaforth Publishing ISBN 978 1 84832 040 6 External links edit nbsp Media related to Block ships at Wikimedia Commons Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Blockship amp oldid 1164184965, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
