Cruizer class sloop
Encyclopedia
The Cruizer class was a class
of 17-gun wooden screw sloop
s built for the Royal Navy
between 1852 and 1856, comprising six vessels.
, Sir Baldwin Walker. A pair of ships named Cracker and Hornet had been ordered from Deptford and Woolwich in April 1847 as "steam gun schooners", with the intention of ordering four more. They were suspended in August 1847, and the new ships Cruizer and Hornet were re-ordered on 1 November 1850. Harrier was ordered in 1851, Fawn in 1852, and both Falcon and Alert on 2 April 1853. Cruizer differed from the rest of the class in having a lower-rated geared engine and a displacement of 960 tons, compared to 1,045 tons for the rest of the class.
. Renamed Cruiser in 1856, she served on the China station during the Second Opium War
, including the taking of Canton
and the attack on the Taku Forts
on the Peiho river in 1859. Laid up in Portsmouth from 1861 to 1866, she recomissioned for the Mediterranean, where she served until 1870. She became part of the Steam Reserve in 1870, but in 1872 she recommissioned in Portsmouth for service as a sail training ship in the Mediterranean, for which role her engines were removed. In May 1893 she was renamed Lark and in 1912 she was sold at Malta.
, and from 1854 until 1859 she served in the East Indies and in China, taking part in the Second Opium War
. After a refit in 1859-1860 she recommissioned for the Cape of Good Hope Station and served both there and on the East Indies Station. She paid off at Portsmouth
on 22 September 1864 and was broken up by White of Cowes in 1868.
as part of the naval force in the Baltic. She served on the South Atlantic Station
before refitting in Portsmouth in 1860. She recommissioned on 29 October 1860 for the Australia Station
, where she took part in the New Zealand War. Her captain, Commander Edward Hay, was killed on 30 April 1864 during the storming of Gate Pā
, and his Coxswain, Samuel Mitchell
, was awarded the Victoria Cross
for his bravery. Harrier paid off at Portsmouth on 31 March 1865 and was broken up the next year.
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. She refitted at Sheerness in 1863, and from 1864 to 1868 served on the North America and West Indies Station. After a second refit at Sheerness in 1869 she went to the Pacific Station
, where she remained until 1875. In 1876 she was converted to a survey ship, and in this role she surveyed areas of the east coast of Africa, the Sea of Marmara
and the Mediterranean. On 6 April 1883 she paid off, and she was broken up the next year.
from 1859 to 1862. She refitted again in Portsmouth during 1863 before spending the rest of her active life on the Australia Station
. During this period she took part in the New Zealand Wars. She paid off at Woolwich on 3 October 1868 and was sold on 27 September 1869 to C Marshall for breaking at Plymouth.
From 1857 to 1868 Alert served on the Pacific Station
, with a refit in Plymouth in 1862. In 1874 she was converted for Arctic exploration; her engines were replaced with R & W Hawthorn compound-expansion engines, she was reboilered to 60 pound per square inches (413,685.4 Pa), she was reduced to four guns and her hull was strengthened with felt-covered iron and teak sheathing. The modifications caused her displacement to increase to 1,240 tons. During the British Arctic Expedition of 1875-76 Alert reached a latitude of 82°N, and her second-in-command, Commander Albert Hastings Markham
, took a sledge party as far as 83° 20' 26"N, a record at the time. She was used to survey the Strait of Magellan, as well as Canadian and Australian waters, and on 20 February 1884 was loaned to the US Navy to assist in the rescue of the expedition under Adolphus Greely
. In 1885 she was transferred again to the Canadian Government for survey in the Hudson Bay area, on completion of which she was employed as a lighthouse supply vessel and buoy tender. She was laid up in November 1894 and sold, the bill of exchange being forwarded to the Admiralty, since she was still officially on loan. Alert, Nunavut
, the northernmost permanently inhabited place on earth, is named after her.
Ship class
A ship class is a group of ships of a similar design. This is distinct from a ship-type, which might reflect a similarity of tonnage or intended use. For example, the is a nuclear aircraft carrier of the Nimitz class....
of 17-gun wooden screw sloop
Sloop
A sloop is a sail boat with a fore-and-aft rig and a single mast farther forward than the mast of a cutter....
s built for the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
between 1852 and 1856, comprising six vessels.
Design
The wooden sloops of the Cruizer class were designed under the direction of Lord John Hay, and after his "Committee of Reference" was disbanded, their construction was supervised by the new Surveyor of the NavySurveyor of the Navy
The Surveyor to the Navy was a civilian officer in the Royal Navy. He was a member of the Navy Board from the inauguration of that body in 1546, and held overall responsibility for the design of British warships, although until 1745 the actual design work for warships built at each Royal Dockyard...
, Sir Baldwin Walker. A pair of ships named Cracker and Hornet had been ordered from Deptford and Woolwich in April 1847 as "steam gun schooners", with the intention of ordering four more. They were suspended in August 1847, and the new ships Cruizer and Hornet were re-ordered on 1 November 1850. Harrier was ordered in 1851, Fawn in 1852, and both Falcon and Alert on 2 April 1853. Cruizer differed from the rest of the class in having a lower-rated geared engine and a displacement of 960 tons, compared to 1,045 tons for the rest of the class.
Propulsion
Their two-cylinder horizontal single-expansion steam engines generated an indicated horsepower of between 132 hp and 434 hp; driving a single screw, this gave a maximum speed of between 6.6 knots (12.9 km/h) and 8.8 knots (17.2 km/h).Armament
All the ships of the class were provided with one 32-pounder (56cwt) long gun on a pivot mount and sixteen 32-pounder (32cwt) carriage guns in a broadside arrangement. Alert had her guns reduced to four Armstrong breech-loaders in 1874 as part of her conversion to an Arctic exploration vessel.Development
The Greyhound-class sloop of 1855 was essentially a Cruizer-class design adapted to carry a more powerful engine developing an indicated horsepower of up to 786 hp, giving a top speed under steam of 10 knots (19.6 km/h). The second and last ship of the Greyhound class, Mutine, had originally been ordered as the seventh vessel of the Cruiser class.Ships
| Name | Ship Builder | |Launched | |Fate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deptford Deptford Deptford is a district of south London, England, located on the south bank of the River Thames. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne, and from the mid 16th century to the late 19th was home to Deptford Dockyard, the first of the Royal Navy Dockyards.Deptford and the docks are... Royal Dockyard |
19 June 1852 | Renamed Cruiser in 1856 and Lark in 1893, sold for breaking at Malta in 1912 | |
| Deptford Royal Dockyard | 13 April 1854 | Paid off 22 September 1864 and broken up by White J. Samuel White J. Samuel White was a British shipbuilding firm based in Cowes, taking its name from John Samuel White . It came to prominence during the Victorian era... of Cowes Cowes Cowes is an English seaport town and civil parish on the Isle of Wight. Cowes is located on the west bank of the estuary of the River Medina facing the smaller town of East Cowes on the east Bank... in 1868 |
|
| Pembroke Pembroke Dock Pembroke Dock is a town in Pembrokeshire, south-west Wales, lying north of Pembroke on the River Cleddau. Originally a small fishing village known as Paterchurch, the town was greatly expanded from 1814 onwards following the construction of a Royal Naval Dockyard... Royal Dockyard |
13 May 1854 | Broken up at Portsmouth in 1866 | |
| Deptford Royal Dockyard | 30 September 1856 | Became a survey ship in 1876 and broken up in 1884 | |
| Pembroke Royal Dockyard | 10 August 1854 | Sold for breaking at Plymouth on 27 September 1869 | |
| Pembroke Royal Dockyard | 20 May 1856 | Converted for Arctic survey in 1878 and loaned to the US Navy in 1884. Loaned again to the Canadian Government for survey and laid up in 1894 |
Cruizer
From 1853 to 1856, Cruizer took part in the Baltic campaign of the Russian WarCrimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
. Renamed Cruiser in 1856, she served on the China station during the Second Opium War
Second Opium War
The Second Opium War, the Second Anglo-Chinese War, the Second China War, the Arrow War, or the Anglo-French expedition to China, was a war pitting the British Empire and the Second French Empire against the Qing Dynasty of China, lasting from 1856 to 1860...
, including the taking of Canton
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
and the attack on the Taku Forts
Battle of Taku Forts (1859)
The Second Battle of Taku Forts, in June 1859, was an Anglo-French attack on a series of Chinese forts protecting Taku, China during the Second Opium War...
on the Peiho river in 1859. Laid up in Portsmouth from 1861 to 1866, she recomissioned for the Mediterranean, where she served until 1870. She became part of the Steam Reserve in 1870, but in 1872 she recommissioned in Portsmouth for service as a sail training ship in the Mediterranean, for which role her engines were removed. In May 1893 she was renamed Lark and in 1912 she was sold at Malta.
Hornet
Hornet served in the Baltic in 1854 during the Russian WarCrimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
, and from 1854 until 1859 she served in the East Indies and in China, taking part in the Second Opium War
Second Opium War
The Second Opium War, the Second Anglo-Chinese War, the Second China War, the Arrow War, or the Anglo-French expedition to China, was a war pitting the British Empire and the Second French Empire against the Qing Dynasty of China, lasting from 1856 to 1860...
. After a refit in 1859-1860 she recommissioned for the Cape of Good Hope Station and served both there and on the East Indies Station. She paid off at Portsmouth
HMNB Portsmouth
Her Majesty's Naval Base Portsmouth is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the British Royal Navy...
on 22 September 1864 and was broken up by White of Cowes in 1868.
Harrier
From 1854 to 1856 Harrier took part in the Russian WarCrimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
as part of the naval force in the Baltic. She served on the South Atlantic Station
South Atlantic Station
The South Atlantic Station was one of the geographical divisions into which the British Royal Navy divided its worldwide responsibilities. It was formed from the former Cape of Good Hope Station.-History:...
before refitting in Portsmouth in 1860. She recommissioned on 29 October 1860 for the Australia Station
Australia Station
The Australia Station was the British—and later Australian—naval command responsible for the waters around the Australian continent.-History:In the early years following the establishment of the colony of New South Wales, ships based in Australian waters came under the control of the East Indies...
, where she took part in the New Zealand War. Her captain, Commander Edward Hay, was killed on 30 April 1864 during the storming of Gate Pā
Gate Pa
Gate Pā was the name of a Māori Pā or fortress built in 1864 only from the main British base of Camp Te Papa at Tauranga, during the Tauranga Campaign of the New Zealand Land Wars...
, and his Coxswain, Samuel Mitchell
Samuel Mitchell (VC)
Samuel Mitchell VC was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.-Details:...
, was awarded the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
for his bravery. Harrier paid off at Portsmouth on 31 March 1865 and was broken up the next year.
Fawn
Fawn commissioned at Sheerness on 30 October 1859 and until 1863 served on the Australia StationAustralia Station
The Australia Station was the British—and later Australian—naval command responsible for the waters around the Australian continent.-History:In the early years following the establishment of the colony of New South Wales, ships based in Australian waters came under the control of the East Indies...
. She refitted at Sheerness in 1863, and from 1864 to 1868 served on the North America and West Indies Station. After a second refit at Sheerness in 1869 she went to the Pacific Station
Pacific Station
The Pacific Station, often referred to as the Pacific Squadron, was one of the geographical divisions into which the Royal Navy divided its worldwide responsibilities...
, where she remained until 1875. In 1876 she was converted to a survey ship, and in this role she surveyed areas of the east coast of Africa, the Sea of Marmara
Sea of Marmara
The Sea of Marmara , also known as the Sea of Marmora or the Marmara Sea, and in the context of classical antiquity as the Propontis , is the inland sea that connects the Black Sea to the Aegean Sea, thus separating Turkey's Asian and European parts. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Black...
and the Mediterranean. On 6 April 1883 she paid off, and she was broken up the next year.
Falcon
Falcon served in the Baltic during the Russian War before transferring to the North America and West Indies station, where she served until 1857. She refitted in Portsmouth in 1858, then served on the West Coast of AfricaWest Africa Squadron
The Royal Navy established the West Africa Squadron at substantial expense in 1808 after Parliament passed the Slave Trade Act of 1807. The squadron's task was to suppress the Atlantic slave trade by patrolling the coast of West Africa...
from 1859 to 1862. She refitted again in Portsmouth during 1863 before spending the rest of her active life on the Australia Station
Australia Station
The Australia Station was the British—and later Australian—naval command responsible for the waters around the Australian continent.-History:In the early years following the establishment of the colony of New South Wales, ships based in Australian waters came under the control of the East Indies...
. During this period she took part in the New Zealand Wars. She paid off at Woolwich on 3 October 1868 and was sold on 27 September 1869 to C Marshall for breaking at Plymouth.
Alert
Pacific Station
The Pacific Station, often referred to as the Pacific Squadron, was one of the geographical divisions into which the Royal Navy divided its worldwide responsibilities...
, with a refit in Plymouth in 1862. In 1874 she was converted for Arctic exploration; her engines were replaced with R & W Hawthorn compound-expansion engines, she was reboilered to 60 pound per square inches (413,685.4 Pa), she was reduced to four guns and her hull was strengthened with felt-covered iron and teak sheathing. The modifications caused her displacement to increase to 1,240 tons. During the British Arctic Expedition of 1875-76 Alert reached a latitude of 82°N, and her second-in-command, Commander Albert Hastings Markham
Albert Hastings Markham
Admiral Sir Albert Hastings Markham, KCB was a British explorer, author, and officer in the Royal Navy. In 1903 he was made Knight Commander in the Order of the Bath...
, took a sledge party as far as 83° 20' 26"N, a record at the time. She was used to survey the Strait of Magellan, as well as Canadian and Australian waters, and on 20 February 1884 was loaned to the US Navy to assist in the rescue of the expedition under Adolphus Greely
Adolphus Greely
Adolphus Washington Greely , was an American Polar explorer, a United States Army officer and a recipient of the Medal of Honor.-Early military career:...
. In 1885 she was transferred again to the Canadian Government for survey in the Hudson Bay area, on completion of which she was employed as a lighthouse supply vessel and buoy tender. She was laid up in November 1894 and sold, the bill of exchange being forwarded to the Admiralty, since she was still officially on loan. Alert, Nunavut
Alert, Nunavut
Alert, in the Qikiqtaaluk Region, Nunavut, Canada, is the northernmost permanently inhabited place in the world, from the North Pole. It takes its name from HMS Alert, which wintered east of the present station, off what is now Cape Sheridan, in 1875–1876.Alert was reported to have five permanent...
, the northernmost permanently inhabited place on earth, is named after her.