INFLEXIBLE HMS 1881
Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2009 9:12 pm
1873 Ordered by Royal Dockyard, Portsmouth.
24 Feb. 1874 keel laid down.
27 April 1876 launched under the name HMS INFLEXIBLE she was christened by Princess Louise, she was the first ship launched by electricity, the Princess had only to touch a button, first to release the bottle of champagne and then she had to touch the button again to release the ship.
Displacement 11.406 designed, 11.880 ton loaded, dim. 344 x 75 x 27.2ft.
Two mast, brig rigged, 18.500 sq. ft sail area.
Armament 4 – 16 inch, 6 – 20 pdr., 2 – 14 inch torpedo tubes, submerged.
Powered by 2 sets 3-cyl inverted compound expansion steam engines, manufactured by John Elder & Co., 8.488 ihp., speed 14.7 knots. Twin screws. Steam was supplied by 12 boilers. Bunker capacity 1.300 ton.
Range by 10 miles 5.200 miles.
05 July 1881 commissioned at Portsmouth.
18 October 1881 completed. Building cost £812.485.
Nathaniel Barnaby designed her as a two masted turret ironclad, and she was an answer to Italy’s DUILIO 17.7 inch 100 tons weighing guns.
The central part of the vessel was a huge cofferdam protecting the engines, boilers and magazines. The stem and the stern were unarmoured. Her armor had two thicknesses, first 20-inch iron armour backed by 24 inches of teak above the waterline, and 24 inches of iron and 25 inches of teak below the waterline.
After she was completed she joined the Mediterranean Fleet.
11 July 1882 she was flagship during the bombardment of Alexandria, Egypt.
She fired 88 of her 16-inch shells and two men were killed, when a 10-inch enemy shell hit her underwater outside of the armour, and the shell glanced upwards penetrating the deck in the vicinity of one of the unprotected 20pdrs. guns.
But most of the damage on board was caused by the blast of her own guns.
1885 She returned to Portsmouth for a refit, her rigging and sails were removed, which had proved virtually useless, and replaced by military masts.
Her 20 pdr. guns were replaced by 4 inch guns.
Then placed in reserve.
1887 Commissioned for the fleet review, and for fleet manoeuvres in 1888 and 1889.
July 1890 she made a second tour to the Mediterranean till November 1893.
Then she returned to Portsmouth, where she after arrival was used as guardship.
1879 Her 4-inch guns were replaced by 4.7-inch QF guns.
The same year reduced to fleet reserve and in Nov. 1901 to Dockyard reserve.
15 September 1903 sold for £20.100 to Ward, Preston for breaking up.
Angola 1996 600k sg1178, scott 963b.
Guinea 1997 450f sg1744, scott 1400
Source: The Sail & Steam Navy List by Lyon & Winfield. Watercraft Philately Vol. 43/79.
http://www.btinternet.com/~philipr/Inflexi.htm
24 Feb. 1874 keel laid down.
27 April 1876 launched under the name HMS INFLEXIBLE she was christened by Princess Louise, she was the first ship launched by electricity, the Princess had only to touch a button, first to release the bottle of champagne and then she had to touch the button again to release the ship.
Displacement 11.406 designed, 11.880 ton loaded, dim. 344 x 75 x 27.2ft.
Two mast, brig rigged, 18.500 sq. ft sail area.
Armament 4 – 16 inch, 6 – 20 pdr., 2 – 14 inch torpedo tubes, submerged.
Powered by 2 sets 3-cyl inverted compound expansion steam engines, manufactured by John Elder & Co., 8.488 ihp., speed 14.7 knots. Twin screws. Steam was supplied by 12 boilers. Bunker capacity 1.300 ton.
Range by 10 miles 5.200 miles.
05 July 1881 commissioned at Portsmouth.
18 October 1881 completed. Building cost £812.485.
Nathaniel Barnaby designed her as a two masted turret ironclad, and she was an answer to Italy’s DUILIO 17.7 inch 100 tons weighing guns.
The central part of the vessel was a huge cofferdam protecting the engines, boilers and magazines. The stem and the stern were unarmoured. Her armor had two thicknesses, first 20-inch iron armour backed by 24 inches of teak above the waterline, and 24 inches of iron and 25 inches of teak below the waterline.
After she was completed she joined the Mediterranean Fleet.
11 July 1882 she was flagship during the bombardment of Alexandria, Egypt.
She fired 88 of her 16-inch shells and two men were killed, when a 10-inch enemy shell hit her underwater outside of the armour, and the shell glanced upwards penetrating the deck in the vicinity of one of the unprotected 20pdrs. guns.
But most of the damage on board was caused by the blast of her own guns.
1885 She returned to Portsmouth for a refit, her rigging and sails were removed, which had proved virtually useless, and replaced by military masts.
Her 20 pdr. guns were replaced by 4 inch guns.
Then placed in reserve.
1887 Commissioned for the fleet review, and for fleet manoeuvres in 1888 and 1889.
July 1890 she made a second tour to the Mediterranean till November 1893.
Then she returned to Portsmouth, where she after arrival was used as guardship.
1879 Her 4-inch guns were replaced by 4.7-inch QF guns.
The same year reduced to fleet reserve and in Nov. 1901 to Dockyard reserve.
15 September 1903 sold for £20.100 to Ward, Preston for breaking up.
Angola 1996 600k sg1178, scott 963b.
Guinea 1997 450f sg1744, scott 1400
Source: The Sail & Steam Navy List by Lyon & Winfield. Watercraft Philately Vol. 43/79.
http://www.btinternet.com/~philipr/Inflexi.htm