Box Battery Experimental Ironclad (1861-1864), service until 1879.HMS Research was a small ironclad converted from a wooden-hulled sloop, intended as a prototype on which new types of armament and armour could be tested to see if such conversion, rather than a frigate or ship-of-the line, was viable, notably for conversions in wartime but also export. She was commissioned in 1864, but her career was short as she was laid up in 1878 and sold for BU in 1884, the conclusion was that she still had serious limitations, and further corvettes conversions were avoided in the future.
Design of the class
Development
The quick-start for such concerns was the naval arms race with France, once the launch of Gloire in 1859 was made public. It was already known by the Government and the Admiralty in 1958 that such a ship was in construction and a contingency plan was prepared, but the press and the public were alarmed. However, from 1860 to 1865 the Board of Admiralty saw France was producing ironclad warships much faster than expected, and despite the Warrior class ironclads having a clear technological superiority they were immensely costly. So a series of stems were taken to catch up in number with other expedient solutions, aside to building cheaper, smaller ironclads (check), converting former ships of the line (check), or frigates (check).
One more step taken to counter this perceived threat was to convert or built smaller wooden ships into ironclads. The Prince Consort-class ironclads were former wooden ships of the line, and their conversion ended costlier than expected while the result was disappointing to say the least, man considered it was due to the original architecture, making them bad rollers.
Taking a single-battery deck, naturally lower and better balance vessel such as a corvette would present this advantage to better preserve stability while offering a wide range of hulls to convert in an emergency at a much lesser cost and greater speed if needed. Or at least it what it seems on paper. Based on this, and to test the latest naval guns and latest type of compound armour, harder while being thinner, seems a perfect match for them.
The rather innocuous -looking Camelion class seems unlikely as a conversion base for an ironclad. She was originally armed with five 40-pdr and twelve 32-pdr.
Hull and general design
It was decided thus in 1961 to select the newly built The 17-gun sloop ‘Trent’ ordered in November 1860, as one of the numerous Camelion-class. She was selected for conversion to an ironclad, and given her nature as prototype, renamed HMS Research. When the decision was taken, she had been in construction for a year now and yet, was not far advanced due to local manpower and resources management issues. So she was the best candidate to have the necessary changes applied to her length and beam without too much hassle. From there, a new design by the Royal Navy Chief Constructor, Sir Edward Reed was prepared, in which the first step was to replace both ends by an oval stern and a ram bow. The draught was augmented aft as well to take in account the weight of the armour so she ended with a trim of 3+1⁄2 feet (1.1 m) by the stern.
The final ship would thus measure in length 195 ft (59 m) between perpendiculars, for a beam of 38 ft 6 in (11.73 m) with her armour fitted, and a revised draught of 13 ft (4 m) light, and 16 ft 4 in (4.98 m) deep load. The displacement would rise to 1,743 tons or 1,253 Tons burthen, compared to the original Sloop’s 1,365 tons, a jump of 300 tonnes.
To compare the original ship measured 185 ft (56 m) in length between pp, 33 ft (10 m) in beam and 14 ft 8 in (4.47 m) in draught.
Powerplant
The original vessel was fitted with a 2-cylinder horizontal single-expansion steam engine on a single screw. But due to the added armour weight and provision for larger guns, HMS Research was fitted with a more powerful and modern 2-cylinder Boulton and Watt horizontal single-expansion direct-acting steam engine, declared for an output of 200 nominal horsepower. Steam came from two tubular boilers. The single propeller screw was kept, but the model was changed to a still 2-bladed, but 12 feet (4 m) in diameter, with a pulley system to hoist it clear of the water for sailing without drag. Total power was later increased to 937 indicated horsepower (699 kW), and after a last refit in 1869, this was increased to 1,040 ihp. However, the speed gain was of 10 knots (19 km/h), with test runs at 10.3 knots (19 km/h). She carried 130 tons of coal for range as well. This was completed by essentially the same barque rig as the original, with a sail area of 18,250 sq ft (1,695 m2) making for a top speed under sail of 6 knots (11 km/h) as her best tested sailing speed.
Protection
Given her smaller size, the armour was adapted and scaled down as well, with a full-length 4+1⁄2-inch (11 cm) armour belt over 10 feet (3 m) in weight, below and above the waterline. On top, was erected an armoured box battery up to the main deck with the same thickness and, this time, backed by 19+1⁄2 inches (50 cm) of teak. There was no CT.
Armament
This was the hottest topic, the object of the greatest debates during conception. She was an experimental central battery ship, as there was a midships armoured compartment known as the “box battery”. The designed armament comprised “only” seventeen guns. But it was discarded due to rapid changes in artillery, and eventually she received in this armoured box only four, two pre broadsides, massive 100-pounder Somerset smoothbore cannon, at the time the most powerful guns afloat. This forced a radical strengthening of the box’s foundation and inner hull as well. But such guns were believed to defeat the armour of any French broadside ironclad of the day. These guns were certainly much more effective against armour, but having just a two-gun broadside whereas a fully-fledged ironclad bearing at least twelve is questionable at best.
For the first time, Research introduced a degree of axial fire with these broadside guns as her hull sides were recessed at both ends of the battery, gun ports were added to facing fore and aft, so that the guns could be pivoted on their wheels mount on either these or broadside port at will, ensuring to have two guns also in chase and retreat. But their sheer weight was an issue, and required calm weather and minimum roll to make this as less hazardous procedure. The idea of rails was adopted later to solve this question on future central battery ironclads.
Somerset Smoothbore Cannons 100-pdr
This genesis laid in the unexpected failure of the Armstrong breech-loading rifle, developed and installed on several vessels.
The Somerset was a 6.5 ton 9.2 in (23 cm) calibre smoothbore muzzle-loader. It fired a 100 lb (45 kg) shot. With a charge of 33 lb (15 kg) gunpowder, it was able to penetrate 5.5 in (14 cm) of armour at 800 yd (0.73 km). The great issue was to provide the right mounting, and it proved near-impossible to manage a cannon of such size and weight. Traditional truck carriages were inadequate and Captain Sir Thomas Hardy (Nelson’s Flag Captain) suggested a stationary gun-carriage, with the recoil absorbed by a system of sliding friction blocks attached to the carriage and gun. Apart HMS Research it was adopted for HMS Achilles, Favorite and Enterprise, but performances were poor, it did not fire straight and appeared impossible to control, so service was shortened.
7-inch (180mm) MLR 12-ton Mark III, 16 Calibre
The Somerset smoothbore cannons were replaced in 1870 with four 7-inch (180-mm) 6½-ton muzzle-loading rifles.
Specs:
Shell: 112 to 115 pounds (51 to 52 kg) Palliser, Common, Shrapnel and 160 pounds (73 kg) double common shell.
Calibre 7-inch (177.8 mm), MV 1,561 feet per second (476 m/s) 7 tonnes
Maximum firing range: 5,500 yards (5,000 m)
Saluting 20-pdr howitzer
Mostly used either for saluting or to fire HE bombs at close range, incendiary projectiles. No more data on these.
⚙ specifications |
|
| Displacement | 1,743 tons or 1,253 bm (Tons burthen) |
| Dimensions | 195 ft x 38 ft 6 in x 13 ft/16 ft 4 in (59 x 11.73 x 4/4.98 m) |
| Propulsion | 1 hoisting 12-ft screw, Boulton & Watt HSEDA steam engine 200 hp/1,040 ihp (780 kW), 2× tubular boilers |
| Speed | 10.3 knots (19 km/h), 6 knots (11 km/h) under sail |
| Sail plan | Barque-rigged 18,250 sq ft (1,695.5 m2) sail area |
| Range | |
| Armament | 4× 100-pdr smoothbore Somerset, see notes |
| Protection | 4.5 inch belt, battery, bulkheads |
| Crew | 150 Officers and Ratings |
Career of HMS Research
Research was down on 3 September 1861, approval for conversion signed and proceeded from 1 September 1862. She was launched from Pembroke on 15 August 1863, commissioned on 6 April 1864.
First trials determine the speed and other parameters, and she was equipped from the start with these massive 100-pdr cannons. It appeared that she rolled excessively, to the point of her captain strongly advise against any use in winter, so she was kept in harbour during these winter months. Edward Reed expected great things from her, and was mocked after the press, led by the Standard, became vocal about the ship. The latter on 27 October 1865 declare she was
“probably the very worst vessel, both as a fighting machine and a sea-boat, that ever yet went out of a dockyard of any nation pretending to a maritime reputation.”
She served in the Channel Fleet from 1864 to 1866, and the Mediterranean from 1871 to 1878. On 1 December 1865, she ran aground off Harrington Point in County Waterford. Refloated quickly, she sailed for Portsmouth for repairs and returned afterwards to her posting. On 1 January 1868 while on patrol duties, south coast of Ireland, grounding near Cork Harbour while giving chase to the US schooner Alaska, believed to smuggle armament in Ireland. During the subsequent court-martial it was shown her captain and navigator were not at fault as they knew and avoided Daunt Rock, but instead they ran unexpectedly on the wreckage of the British steamship City of New York, from a year previously and not marked. The officers were exonerated of all blamed but repairs cost was £293.
Visit of the Princess of Wales in the Piraeus, with HMS Research in attendance.
On 1 September 1873 at Cartagena, Research took part in the Battle of Escombrera Bay in a British Squadron to attack and removed the rebel Spanish warships Vitoria and Almansa from the Bay, upon instruction of the British Government to support the Spanish government in place. This was her only combat action of her career, at the time rearmed with more standard guns. She was laid up in 1878 at home and sold for BU in 1884.
The Battle of Escombrera, 1873
Read More/Src
Books
Ballard, G. A., Admiral (1980). The Black Battlefleet. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press.
Baxter, James Phinney The Introduction of the Ironclad Warship, published Harvard University, 1933.
David K. Brown (30 April 1997). Warrior to dreadnought. Naval Institute Press..
Clowes, William Laird Four Modern Naval Campaigns, Historical Strategical, and Tactical, first published Unit Library, 1902, reprinted Cornmarket Press, 1970.
Andrew Lambert (24 September 1984). Battleships in transition.
Parkes, Oscar (1990) 1957. British Battleships. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press..
Roberts, John (1979). “Great Britain (including Empire Forces)”. In Chesneau, Roger & Kolesnik, Eugene M. (eds.). Conway’s All the World’s Fighting Ships 1860–1905.
Reed, Edward J Our Ironclad Ships, their Qualities, Performance and Cost, published John Murray, 1869.
“Shipwrecks of Cork Harbour”. 2 February 2010. Archived from the original on 3 July 2013.