Casemate Ironclad 1868-1912
Vasilefs Georgios (Βασιλεύς Γεώργιος) or “Basileos” Giorgios, was an armored turret corvette built in Great Britain. She was ordered by the Royal Hellenic Navy in the 1860s, after a hard-fought independence war to defend her ports against the mighty Ottoman Navy. She was damaged at sea in 1870 and repaired in Portugal. She became a cadet training ship in either the late 1880s or early 1890s, before being stricken in 1912 and scrapped in 1915.
Design of the class
Context
When she was ordered in 1866, Greece was in a time of instability, transition, efforts to redefine the nation’s identity after independence. The fall of King Otto from Bavaria in 1862 (ruling since 1832) installed by the Great Powers, was caused by authoritarian tendencies, reliance on foreign advisors and failure to expand Greek territory (for the nationalists). In 1862, a military and popular uprising forced him to abdicate, leave the country. The void was however quickly ended notably by the United Kingdom, France, and Russia which installed king George I, a Danish prince from 1863 to stabilize the country.
Britain as a token to the nationalists, ceded the Ionian Islands to Greece in 1864. The Constitution that year established a more democratic system and introduced universal male suffrage while the parliament was now the centerpiece of a new constitutional monarchy with strong popular representation. however Political fragmentation and clientelism revolving around personalities rather than ideology dominated political life leading to Governments instability, with some like Alexandros Koumoundouros and Charilaos Trikoupis trying to tame the situation. The Megali Idea, a nationalist ambition towards all ethnically Greek populations, especially in Ottoman territories (Crete/Asia Minor) shaped foreign policy and led ultimately to a plane to boost the Navy.
Development
Depiction of the section amidship in “Engineering” 1868
The naval plan called for a major armour ship, that Greece lacked until then. At the time the Navy relied on just 6 screw gunboats, some of british origin. They were completely unable to face the Ottoman Navy, which soon embarked on a massive expansion program to face the Russian Navy in the Black Sea bu could muster a large force to send in the Aegean sea in case. The naval staff thus decided to acquire two small armoured ship tailored to its budget and shallow waters, and a fast sloop. The first of these was Basileos Giorgios (King George), the current monarch and the other, became Basilissa Olga (Queen Olga) when launched in 1869. For the first, the Greek choose Britain, which saw itself as the “patron” of the regime.
Thus, a commission was sent in Britain with a requirement for an ironclad, and explore shipyard’s proposals for her limited, hard-fought budget. Although at the time, a turret ship was already possible, due to costs concerns, the choice was made of a cheaper alternative, a casemate armoured ship with a tonnage of 1,700 long tons, proposed by Thames Ironworks, Blackwall, London. Contract was agreed upon likely in early 1866 (date unknown) and she was launched on 28 December 1867, completed in 1868 (also date unknown). She likely was commissioned in Britain and sailed to Greece afterwards.
Hull and general design
Vasilefs Georgios measured 213 feet 3 inches (65.0 m) long overall for a beam of 33 feet 2 inches (10.1 m) and mean draft of 20 feet (6.1 m), making for a displacement of 1,774 long tons (1,802 t). She was quite low, with a fully armoured belt running all along, a moderate British style ram, a rounded clipper style poop, and tall bulwarks all along. The freeboard was thus very limited, but she was intended for the calm waters between Greek Islands. The superstructures were reduced to the central casemate amidship, presenting four gun ports covering all corners and able to fire forward and on the sides for the larger guns, same aft for the smaller ones. She had a single funnel, non-retractable and two schooner-type masts for easy rigging. She had a crew of 120 officers and crewmen, and four boats under davits aft.
Powerplant
Basileos Giorgios was powered by two horizontal single-expansion steam engines, driving two propellers for better agility (likely 4-bladed bronze, fixed-pitch) notably for ramming attacks. The engines produced as designed of 2,400 indicated horsepower (1,800 kW) for 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph). However when tested they actually only produced 2,100 ihp (1,600 kW) for a speed of 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph). This was still relatively good for the time. For her long travels to either Crete of Aegean islands, the two masts with schooner rig procured her a seed probably around 8-10 kts in favourable winds. She otherwise carried 210 long tons (210 t) of coal for a steam-only range of c1,300 nautical miles (2,400 km; 1,500 mi), at 12 knots, probably far more at 8-10 kts.
Protection
Basileos Giorgios was meant to engage Ottoman Frigates and Sloops and so she was completed as a central-battery ironclad, all her armament concentrated amidships. This centerpiece was an hexagonal armored citadel protected by six-inch (152 mm) plates from below the belt and waterline to the roof. However the belt armour all along the hull has maximum thickness of 7 inches (178 mm) amidships, tapering down to 4.5 inches (114 mm) at both ends. There was no conning tower, no deck protection, and the presence of tranverse bulkhead is probably but the thickness is unknown.
Armament
She only had four guns, albeit the best of their day: A pair of Armstrong nine-inch (229 mm) rifled muzzle-loading guns, placed in the two forward gun ports, and two 20-pounder rifled breech-loading guns located in the aft gun ports of the citadel, but not able to fire directly astern. The 20-pdr were likely made by the Elswick Ordnance Company, but there is little info about them. Later in her career, the two initial 9-inches Armstrong RML (Rifled Muzzle Loaders) were replaced by more modern 8.2 inches (21 cm) Breech Loaders, all-steel Krupp guns possibly after 1897.
RML 9-inch 12-ton gun (228.6 mm)
The RML 9-inches had a Mass of 12 tonnes and a length of 156 inches (4 m) overall, 125 inches (3.2 m) barrel alone.
Depending on the model it could fire from 250 to 256 pounds (113.4 to 116.1 kg) Palliser, Common, Shrapnel shells.
If it was of the Mark VI it could fire a 360 pounds (163.3 kg) AP shell.
Muzzle velocity was 1,420 feet per second (430 m/s) on average and max range 9,919 yards (9,070 m)
⚙ specifications |
|
| Displacement | 1,774 long tons (1,802 t) |
| Dimensions | 200 ft 2 in x 33 ft x 16 ft (61 x 10.1 x 4.9 m) |
| Propulsion | 2 shaft steam engines, 2,100 ihp (1,600 kW), Schooner rigged |
| Speed | 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) |
| Range | 1,300 nautical miles (2,400 km; 1,500 mi) at 10 knots |
| Armament | 2× 9-in (228.6 mm) RML, 2× 20-pdr RBL |
| Protection | Belt 4.5–7 in (114–178 mm), Casemate 6 in (152 mm) |
| Crew | 152 |
Career of Basileos Giorgios
Postcard, from Pinterest, likely in the 1890s.
Vasilefs Georgios was named for King George I of Greece, purchased by the Greek Government in 1866, ordered and built by Thames Ironworks in Blackwall, London, launched on 28 December 1867, completed the following year. She was the armored steamship in Greece, sporting a central casemate battery of four gun ports and initially the 9-inch Armstrong guns and 20-pounders were later replaced by two 21-centimeter Krupp guns, and then in turn two more modern 21-centimeter Krupp guns.
Top speed later in her career never exceeded 9 knots, not even the 15 promised, or the 12 later reported. She was however also the first ship in the Greek Navy sporting a double hull. In February 1870, Vasilefs Georgios was damaged at sea, running argound, and her casemate guns were disloged. She was eventually relfoated and brought to Lisbon, Portugal on 9 February, for repairs. By the time it was over and she was ready to depart, her crew mutineed.
Vasilefs Giorgios took part in a naval expedition to Thessaloniki following the massacre of the consuls in May 1876. Her career is unknown from then on, but she was likely in the late 1880s a training ship for naval cadets, otherwise, this happened after 1897 and the Greco-Turkish War when she was mobilized to bombard the fortresses of Preveza. In the same year, her engine was replaced, and additional armament installed (Likely the four 21cm Krupp Guns) and perhaps a few Nortdenfelt or Hotchkiss 37 mm (1-pdr) QF guns. No photos shows her state at this point, if she had a new bridge installed with a better view and reduced masts. She remained in use as TS, until decommissioned shortly before the Balkan Wars. She was stricken in 1912, sold and broken up in 1915.
Engineering 1868
Read More/Src
Books
Conway’s all the world’s fighting ships, 1860-1905
Conway’s all the world’s fighting ships, 1906-1922
Naval warfare, 1815-1914, (Lawrence Sondhaus), σελίδα 91.
Greek Ironclads Olga and Georgios”. Warship International. X (2). Naval Records Club: 212–214. 1973. ISSN 0043-0374.
Silverstone, Paul H. (1984). Directory of the World’s Capital Ships. New York: Hippocrene Books. ISBN 0-88254-979-0.
Links
blogkazamata.wordpress.com
militaryfactory.com
en.wikipedia.org
ordnancesociety.org.uk/
navweaps.com