HMS Thunderer (1831)

Career (UK)
Name:	HMS Thunderer
Ordered:	23 January 1817
Builder:	Woolwich Dockyard
Laid down:	April 1823
Launched:	22 September 1831
Renamed:	HMS Comet, 1869 HMS Nettle, 1870
Fate:	Sold, 1901
Notes:	Hulked, 1863
General characteristics
Class and type:	Canopus-class ship of the line
Tons burthen:	2255 bm
Length:	193 ft 10 in (59.08 m) (gundeck)
Beam:	52 ft 4.5 in (15.964 m)
Depth of hold:	22 ft 6 in (6.86 m)
Propulsion:	Sails
Sail plan:	Full rigged ship
Complement:	700 officers and men
Armament:	84 guns: Gundeck: 28 × 32 pdrs, 2 × 68 pdr carronades Upper gundeck: 32 × 24 pdrs Quarterdeck: 6 × 24 pdrs, 10 × 32 pdr carronades Forecastle: 2 × 24 pdrs, 4 × 32 pdr carronades

For other ships of the same name, see HMS Thunderer.

HMS Thunderer was a two-deck 84-gun second rate ship of the line, a modified version of the Canopus/Formidable-class launched on 22 September 1831 at Woolwich Dockyard.

She was constructed with diagonal framing and improved underwater lines on the principles of Sir William Symonds, Surveyor of the Navy. In 1840, HMS Thunderer fought in the Syria campaign, taking part in the battle of Sidon, which was the last fleet action conducted purely by wooden ships of the line under sail. In the same year she acted as flagship at the bombardment and capture of the fortress at St. Jean d'Acre, which was the first action at which steam vessels were present, albeit as support vessels rather than fighting ships. She was fitted with iron-clad plate in 1863 for trials of new armour-piercing guns.^{[citation needed]}

She was hulked in 1863 as a target ship at Portsmouth. Thunderer was renamed twice in quick succession: first in 1869 to Comet, and again in 1870 to Nettle. HMS Nettle was sold in 1901.

References

• Mid-Victorian RN vessel HMS Thunderer. Retrieved 20 November 2007.
• 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.