The last three were intentionally delayed until assessment could be made of the first four, and as a result of this assessment Royal Alfred, Zealous and Repulse were completed on different lines to the earlier ships, and, indeed to each other.
In the 1860s rapid changes were taking place in the technology of armament production, and calibres were increasing by about an inch per year. It was therefore distinctly possible that a ship designed to carry a specific armament fit would be already outclassed on completion by other ships already on the stocks, at home or abroad, designed for the next generation of gun. As a battleship normally took not less than three years to progress from laying-down to launch, and as at that time warship gun designs were being upgraded approximately annually, this was a real and serious problem. With this in mind, completion of Royal Alfred was delayed until a suitable heavy gun became available. Her armament was placed amidships in a "box battery", an enclosure armoured on all four sides, with the guns places as close together as possible while allowing for their efficient working. Lighter guns were placed outside the box, near the bow and the stern, to provide fore and aft fire. Unlike many Victorian warships, she carried the same ordnance throughout her active career. She was the last wooden-hulled battleship to be built at Portsmouth.
Service history
"HMS Royal Alfred, Halifax Harbour, NS", ca1870
She was commissioned in January 1867 as flagship on the North America station; she arrived at Halifax, Nova Scotia, after steaming through a major North Atlantic gale, with only one day's coal supply in her bunkers. She remained on this station for six years, moving between Nova Scotia and the West Indies, broken only by a short relief by HMS Defence for docking.[citation needed] On 21 March 1872,[1] she ran aground in the Bahama Channel.[2] Repairs cost £952. Two of her officers were reprimanded at the subsequent Court Martial.[1] She returned to pay off in January 1874, and was in Portland reserve until the following year. An engineering survey discovered that her boilers were so corroded that she could achieve a steam pressure of only 10 pound/sq. inch and a speed of 7.5 knots (13.9 km/h). She was forthwith laid up until sold in 1885 to Henry Castle & Sons.
^ ab"Naval Disasters Since 1860". Hampshire Telegraph. No. 4250. Portsmouth. 10 May 1873.
^C. Paget (27 April 1872). "Lord Clarence Paget On The Late Naval Disasters". The Times. No. 29363. London. col D, p. 8.
Jones, Colin (1996). "Entente Cordiale, 1865". In McLean, David & Preston, Antony (eds.). Warship 1996. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN0-85177-685-X.
Oscar Parkes British Battleships, Pen & Sword Books Ltd, 1990. ISBN0-85052-604-3
Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905, Conway Maritime Press, 1979. ISBN0-85177-133-5
External links
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January 07, 2023
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This article includes a list of general references but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations February 2021 Learn how and when to remove this template message HMS Royal Alfred was a central battery ironclad frigate of the Victorian era serving with the Royal Navy She was half sister to HMS Zealous and HMS Repulse At Plymouth in 1867HistoryUnited KingdomNameHMS Royal AlfredBuilderPortsmouth DockyardLaid down1 December 1859Launched15 October 1864Completed23 March 1867CommissionedJanuary 1867FateBroken up 1885General characteristicsClass and typeBulwark class battleshipDisplacement6 707 long tons 6 815 t Length273 ft 83 m Beam58 ft 6 in 17 83 m Draught23 ft 9 in 7 24 m light 27 ft 8 2 m deep loadPropulsionMaudsley horizontal reciprocating 3 230 ihp 2 409 kW Sail planShip rigged sail area 29 200 sq ft 2 700 m2 Speed12 36 knots 14 22 mph 22 89 km h under power 12 3 kn 14 2 mph 22 8 km h under sailComplement605 plus Admiral s staffArmament10 9 inch 229 mm muzzle loading rifles 8 7 in 180 mm muzzle loading rifles 6 20 pounder saluting smoothboreArmourBelt 6 in 150 mm amidships and 4 in 100 mm fore and aft Battery 6 in 150 mm Bulkheads 4 5 in 110 mm Contents 1 Background and design 2 Service history 3 References 4 External linksBackground and design EditIn 1861 in response to the French warship building programme initiated by Emperor Napoleon III the British Board of Admiralty selected seven wooden two decked second rate warships currently under construction for conversion to armoured warships The first four which were converted with all possible speed were completed as HMS Royal Oak and the Prince Consort class ships HMS Prince Consort HMS Caledonia and HMS Ocean The last three were intentionally delayed until assessment could be made of the first four and as a result of this assessment Royal Alfred Zealous and Repulse were completed on different lines to the earlier ships and indeed to each other In the 1860s rapid changes were taking place in the technology of armament production and calibres were increasing by about an inch per year It was therefore distinctly possible that a ship designed to carry a specific armament fit would be already outclassed on completion by other ships already on the stocks at home or abroad designed for the next generation of gun As a battleship normally took not less than three years to progress from laying down to launch and as at that time warship gun designs were being upgraded approximately annually this was a real and serious problem With this in mind completion of Royal Alfred was delayed until a suitable heavy gun became available Her armament was placed amidships in a box battery an enclosure armoured on all four sides with the guns places as close together as possible while allowing for their efficient working Lighter guns were placed outside the box near the bow and the stern to provide fore and aft fire Unlike many Victorian warships she carried the same ordnance throughout her active career She was the last wooden hulled battleship to be built at Portsmouth Service history Edit HMS Royal Alfred Halifax Harbour NS ca1870 She was commissioned in January 1867 as flagship on the North America station she arrived at Halifax Nova Scotia after steaming through a major North Atlantic gale with only one day s coal supply in her bunkers She remained on this station for six years moving between Nova Scotia and the West Indies broken only by a short relief by HMS Defence for docking citation needed On 21 March 1872 1 she ran aground in the Bahama Channel 2 Repairs cost 952 Two of her officers were reprimanded at the subsequent Court Martial 1 She returned to pay off in January 1874 and was in Portland reserve until the following year An engineering survey discovered that her boilers were so corroded that she could achieve a steam pressure of only 10 pound sq inch and a speed of 7 5 knots 13 9 km h She was forthwith laid up until sold in 1885 to Henry Castle amp Sons References Edit Crew of HMS Royal Albert Grave marker Royal Navy Burying Ground Halifax Nova Scotia a b Naval Disasters Since 1860 Hampshire Telegraph No 4250 Portsmouth 10 May 1873 C Paget 27 April 1872 Lord Clarence Paget On The Late Naval Disasters The Times No 29363 London col D p 8 Jones Colin 1996 Entente Cordiale 1865 In McLean David amp Preston Antony eds Warship 1996 London Conway Maritime Press ISBN 0 85177 685 X Oscar Parkes British Battleships Pen amp Sword Books Ltd 1990 ISBN 0 85052 604 3 Conway s All The World s Fighting Ships 1860 1905 Conway Maritime Press 1979 ISBN 0 85177 133 5External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to HMS Royal Alfred ship 1867 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title HMS Royal Alfred 1864 amp oldid 1125517335, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
