Camelion class sloop
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Operators: |  Royal Navy |
| Built: | 1860–1866 |
| Planned: | 16 |
| Completed: | 8 |
| Cancelled: | 8 |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 1,365 tons |
| Length: | 185 ft (56 m) |
| Beam: | 33 ft (10 m) |
| Draught: | 14 ft 8 in (4.47 m) |
| Propulsion: | Screw; 200 hp engine |
| Speed: | 9 knots (17 km/h) |
| Complement: | 180 |
| Armament: |
5 × 40-pounder guns 12 × 32-pounder guns |
The Camelion class was a Royal Navy class of screw-driven sloops of wood construction, designed by Isaac Watts. Eight ships of the class were built from 1858 – 1866 with another eight cancelled. They were initially rated as Second Class sloops, but were later reclassified as corvettes. Their displacement was 1,365 tons with 200 hp. They were capable of approximately 9 knots and were armed with 17 guns.
Ships
The Camelion class
The first two vessels were ordered on 3 April 1854, although neither was laid down for several years. Another three were ordered on 1 April 1857 and a further three on 27 March 1858.
- HMS Camelion, built by Deptford Royal Dockyard, laid down 8 November 1858, launched 23 February 1860 and completed 30 July 1861. Sold for breaking up 1883.
- HMS Pelican, built by Pembroke Royal Dockyard, laid down 16 June 1859, launched 19 July 1860 and completed 25 September 1861. Sold in February 1867 as mercantile Hawk, then resold to the Portuguese Navy and renamed Infanta Dom Henrique.
- HMS Rinaldo, built by Portsmouth Royal Dockyard, laid down 1 March 1858, launched 26 March 1860 and completed 8 June 1861. Sold for breaking up April 1884.
- HMS Zebra, built by Deptford Royal Dockyard, laid down 4 July 1859, launched 13 November 1860 and completed 23 May 1861. Sold in the Far East for breaking up 20 August 1873.
- HMS Perseus, built by Pembroke Royal Dockyard, laid down 20 July 1860, launched 21 August 1861 and completed September 1862. Became training ship in 1886, renamed HMS Defiance II in March 1904, sold for breaking up 26 June 1931.
- HMS Chanticleer, built by Portsmouth Royal Dockyard, laid down 2 February 1860, launched 9 February 1861 and completed December 1861. Sold for breaking up 23 January 1875.
- HMS Reindeer, built by Chatham Royal Dockyard, laid down 1 May 1860 (work was suspended in 1862 but subsequently restarted in May 1863), launched 29 March 1866, and commissioned October 1866. Sold for breaking up 28 August 1873.
- HMS Rattler, built by Deptford Royal Dockyard, laid down 28 August 1860, launched 18 March 1862 and completed July 1862. Wrecked off Japan 24 September 1868.
Cancelled ships
Four further ships of this class were ordered from the Royal Dockyards on 5 March 1860 and another four on 25 March 1861. The first four comprised Harlequin at Portsmouth (laid down 13 February 1861), Tees at Chatham (laid down February 1861), Sappho at Deptford (laid down 1 May 1861) and Trent at Pembroke (laid down 3 September 1861). The last four comprised Circassian at Deptford (laid down 5 May 1862), Diligence at Chatham (also laid down 1861), Imogene at Portsmouth and Success at Pembroke; the final two were never laid down.
- Five of these vessels were cancelled on 12 December 1863 - the Tees, Sappho, Diligence, Imogene and Success.
- A further vessel - the Harlequin - was cancelled 16 December 1864.
- HMS Circassian and HMS Trent, both laid down as Camelion class sloops, were completed as the ironclad sloops HMS Enterprise and HMS Research respectively.
References
- Royal Navy Sloops
- Winfield, Rif; Lyon, David (2003). The Sail and Steam Navy List, 1815-1889. Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1861760326.
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