Built as a barbette and central battery ship by Royal Dockyard at Chatham for the Royal navy.
18 August 1873 laid down.
09 May 1876 floated out of her building dock, under the name HMS TEMERAIRE. Mrs. Ward Hunt christened her. She is given in The Illustrated London News of May 13th 1876 as TÉMÉRAIRE.
Displacement 8.540 tons, dim. 285 x 62 x 27ft.
Steam engine, a 2 cyl. vertical inverted compound, 7.516 hp., twin screws, speed 14½ knots. 12 coal fired boilers.
Armament 4 – 11 inch ML, 4 – 10 inch ML and 4 – 20pdr BL guns. Her armament was carried as follows: On the upper deck two guns were placed, one on the stem of 18 tons, and the other on the bow of 25 tons. Each of them will be mounted in an barbette, and each will have not only a commanding position, but practically will be able to sweep the horizon and give an all-round-fire. On the main deck the other guns will be placed, and will consist of two batteries, adjusted for broadside use, three on each side. The bow battery will consist of two25-ton guns, capable of firing right ahead, as well as to port and starboard, and the stern battery of four 18-ton guns which are used only on the broadside
01 August 1877 commissioned at Chatham. Crew 580.
She was an experimental design; some of her guns were put in shelter pits until they were needed. The machinery involved was named after its developer as Montcrieff’s Disappearing Carriage.
At that time the biggest two-masted warship capable of being propelled by sail alone. She was known as “The Great Brig”. She carried the largest sails ever used on a ship of the English navy.
After commissioned based in the Mediterranean.
1878 She together with it squadron of Admiral Hornby passed into the Dardanelle’s, going up to Constantinople in a show of strength.
1882 Played a leading part in the bombardment of Alexandria when she fired 220 shells and silenced Fort Mex.
1884 Was refitted at Malta, her 20 pdrs replaced by 6 – 4 inch BL’s 4 – 6pdr OF and 10 – 3 pdrs QF guns.
She was fitted out then with two 30 inch electric searchlights, at that time she had not internal electric lighting, the crew had to find there way below decks during the dark hours by candles or oil lamps.
After her refit was she used for some time as flagship for the Duke of Edinburgh.
1887 Paid off at Portsmouth but during that winter season she served in the Channel Squadron.
1888 returned to the Mediterranean, was involved in a collision with the ORION.
1890 She tacked to an anchorage at Suda Bay under sail alone, the last British battleship to perform this feat.
June 1891 de-commissioned at Devonport, in reserve.
July 1902 commissioned at Devonport as Depot Ship for the Fleet reserve.
April 1904 re-named INDUS II in use as a training ship.
January 1915, renamed AKBAR used as a school ship.
May 1921 Sold for scrap to the scrap yard of Frank Rijsdijk at Hendrik Ido Ambacht, Netherlands.
Guinea 1997 300fr. sg1742, scott1398
Source: Ships of the Victorian Navy by Conrad Dixon. Chatham built Warships since 1860 by Philip MacDougall The Illustrated London News of May 13th 1876 as given by Tonny Dalton.