HHS Glasgow
Encyclopedia
His Highness' Ship Glasgow was a royal yacht
belonging to the Sultan of Zanzibar. She was built in the style of the British
frigate
HMS Glasgow
which had visited the Sultan in 1873. The Glasgow cost the Sultan £32,735 and contained several luxury features but failed to impress the Sultan and she lay at anchor in harbour at Zanzibar Town for much of her career. The vessel was brought out of semi-retirement in August 1896 when she participated in the Anglo-Zanzibar War
and was sunk by a flotilla of British ships. Glasgow's wreck remained in the harbour, her three masts and funnel projecting from the water, until 1912 when she was broken up for scrap.
Glasgow was built in 1878 as a replacement for Sultan Bargash's
fleet which had been lost in a hurricane in 1872. The Glasgow was based upon the British Royal Navy
screw frigate
HMS Glasgow
which had impressed the Sultan during a visit to Zanzibar in 1873. Bargash consulted with Sir William Mackinnon, the founder of the British-India Steam Navigation Company
, who recommended the firm of William Denny and Brothers
as shipbuilders. On 17 April 1877 Denny wrote to the Bargash's agents promising to build "a vessel in every way a handsome and substantial piece of work" and on 14 May 1877 the ship was laid down. The vessel was constructed with an iron frame covered with teak planks and a keel made from rock elm
, the hull was sheathed with Muntz metal
below the waterline. Glasgow was equipped with three masts and a steam propulsion system with a lifting propeller
. The vessel was launched on 2 March 1878.
The Glasgow was well fitted out for its role as a royal yacht and contained two state rooms, a dining saloon, a bathroom and a water closet for use by the Sultan. In all the vessel cost £32,735 and was fitted out with seven rifled, muzzle loading nine pounder cannon
and a nine barrelled Gatling gun
courtesy of Queen Victoria. It set sail for Zanzibar
from Portsmouth
on 17 April 1878 under the command of Captain Hand of the Royal Navy. Upon arrival in Zanzibar Town the Sultan inspected his new purchase and was rumoured to be unimpressed, the Glasgow being rather less imposing than its namesake, the British frigate. The ship lay at anchor in harbour through the rest of the Sultan's reign and that of his three successors until 1896.
, ascended to the sultancy without first consulting the British authorities, as required by treaty. This sparked the Anglo-Zanzibar War
. On 27 August the now obsolete Glasgow, the sole vessel of the Zanzibar Navy, fired upon a flotilla of five British ships, led by the cruiser HMS St George
with its 9.2 inch guns. In return Glasgow was holed below her waterline and began sinking. Her crew hoisted the British flag as a token of surrender and all were rescued by British sailors in launches
. The ship eventually sank at 10:45 am that day, settling on the harbour bed with just its masts and funnel projecting from the water.
The Glasgow remained there until an unstable mast prompted the harbour master and the Zanzibar government to consider raising her. Eventually, in 1912, a salvage company was awarded a £2,500 contract and she was broken up with explosive charges over a period of six months. The debris was disposed of at sea, her boiler, propeller and several cannon being sold for scrap. Several sections of iron frames remain intact on the harbour bed together with teak planks, sheets of Muntz metal, iron ballast blocks and the remains of the steam engine and propeller shaft. The site is occasionally visited by sports divers.
Royal Yacht
A royal yacht is a ship used by a monarch or a royal family. If the monarch is an emperor the proper term is imperial yacht. Most of them are financed by the government of the country of which the monarch is head...
belonging to the Sultan of Zanzibar. She was built in the style of the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
HMS Glasgow
HMS Glasgow (1861)
HMS Glasgow was a wooden screw frigate, the fifth ship of the name to serve in the Royal Navy.Glasgow was launched at Portsmouth Dockyard on 28 March 1861. Despite ironclad ships being introduced in 1858 and effectively rendering wooden hulls obsolete the Glasgow was built of wood to use up some...
which had visited the Sultan in 1873. The Glasgow cost the Sultan £32,735 and contained several luxury features but failed to impress the Sultan and she lay at anchor in harbour at Zanzibar Town for much of her career. The vessel was brought out of semi-retirement in August 1896 when she participated in the Anglo-Zanzibar War
Anglo-Zanzibar War
The Anglo-Zanzibar War was fought between the United Kingdom and Zanzibar on 27 August 1896. The conflict lasted 38 minutes and is the shortest war in history. The immediate cause of the war was the death of the pro-British Sultan Hamad bin Thuwaini on 25 August 1896 and the subsequent succession...
and was sunk by a flotilla of British ships. Glasgow's wreck remained in the harbour, her three masts and funnel projecting from the water, until 1912 when she was broken up for scrap.
Construction
Barghash bin Said of Zanzibar
Sayyid Barghash bin Said Al-Busaid, GCMG, GCTE , son of Said bin Sultan,was the second Sultan of Zanzibar. Barghash ruled Zanzibar from October 7, 1870 to March 26, 1888....
fleet which had been lost in a hurricane in 1872. The Glasgow was based upon the British 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...
screw frigate
Screw frigate
Steam frigates and the smaller steam corvettes were steam-powered warships.The first vessel that can be considered a steam frigate was the Demologos which was launched in 1815 for the United States Navy....
HMS Glasgow
HMS Glasgow (1861)
HMS Glasgow was a wooden screw frigate, the fifth ship of the name to serve in the Royal Navy.Glasgow was launched at Portsmouth Dockyard on 28 March 1861. Despite ironclad ships being introduced in 1858 and effectively rendering wooden hulls obsolete the Glasgow was built of wood to use up some...
which had impressed the Sultan during a visit to Zanzibar in 1873. Bargash consulted with Sir William Mackinnon, the founder of the British-India Steam Navigation Company
British-India Steam Navigation Company
British India Steam Navigation Company was formed in 1856 as the Calcutta and Burmah Steam Navigation Company. The company had been formed out of Mackinnon, Mackenzie & Co, a trading partnership of the Scots William Mackinnon and Robert Mackenzie, to carry mail between Calcutta and Rangoon. It...
, who recommended the firm of William Denny and Brothers
William Denny and Brothers
William Denny and Brothers Limited, and often referred to simply as Denny, were a Scottish shipbuilding company.-History:The Company was founded by Peter Denny in 1840 and based in Dumbarton, on the River Clyde. Although the Denny yard was situated near the junction of the River Clyde and the River...
as shipbuilders. On 17 April 1877 Denny wrote to the Bargash's agents promising to build "a vessel in every way a handsome and substantial piece of work" and on 14 May 1877 the ship was laid down. The vessel was constructed with an iron frame covered with teak planks and a keel made from rock elm
Rock Elm
Ulmus thomasii, the Rock Elm or Cork Elm, is a deciduous tree native primarily to the Midwestern United States. The tree ranges from southern Ontario and Quebec, south to Tennessee, west to northeastern Kansas, and north to Minnesota...
, the hull was sheathed with Muntz metal
Muntz metal
Muntz metal is a form of alpha-beta brass with about 60% copper, 40% zinc and a trace of iron. It is named after George Fredrick Muntz, a metal-roller of Birmingham, England who commercialised the alloy following his patent of 1832....
below the waterline. Glasgow was equipped with three masts and a steam propulsion system with a lifting propeller
Propeller
A propeller is a type of fan that transmits power by converting rotational motion into thrust. A pressure difference is produced between the forward and rear surfaces of the airfoil-shaped blade, and a fluid is accelerated behind the blade. Propeller dynamics can be modeled by both Bernoulli's...
. The vessel was launched on 2 March 1878.
The Glasgow was well fitted out for its role as a royal yacht and contained two state rooms, a dining saloon, a bathroom and a water closet for use by the Sultan. In all the vessel cost £32,735 and was fitted out with seven rifled, muzzle loading nine pounder cannon
Cannon
A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
and a nine barrelled Gatling gun
Gatling gun
The Gatling gun is one of the best known early rapid-fire weapons and a forerunner of the modern machine gun. It is well known for its use by the Union forces during the American Civil War in the 1860s, which was the first time it was employed in combat...
courtesy of Queen Victoria. It set sail for Zanzibar
Zanzibar
Zanzibar ,Persian: زنگبار, from suffix bār: "coast" and Zangi: "bruin" ; is a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania, in East Africa. It comprises the Zanzibar Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of numerous small islands and two large ones: Unguja , and Pemba...
from Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
on 17 April 1878 under the command of Captain Hand of the Royal Navy. Upon arrival in Zanzibar Town the Sultan inspected his new purchase and was rumoured to be unimpressed, the Glasgow being rather less imposing than its namesake, the British frigate. The ship lay at anchor in harbour through the rest of the Sultan's reign and that of his three successors until 1896.
Anglo-Zanzibar War
On 25 August 1896 a new Sultan, KhalidKhalid bin Barghash of Zanzibar
Sayyid Khalid bin Barghash Al-Busaid was the sixth Sultan of Zanzibar and the eldest son of the second Sultan of Zanzibar, Sayyid Barghash bin Said Al-Busaid. Khalid briefly ruled Zanzibar , seizing power after the sudden death of his cousin Hamad bin Thuwaini of Zanzibar who many suspect was...
, ascended to the sultancy without first consulting the British authorities, as required by treaty. This sparked the Anglo-Zanzibar War
Anglo-Zanzibar War
The Anglo-Zanzibar War was fought between the United Kingdom and Zanzibar on 27 August 1896. The conflict lasted 38 minutes and is the shortest war in history. The immediate cause of the war was the death of the pro-British Sultan Hamad bin Thuwaini on 25 August 1896 and the subsequent succession...
. On 27 August the now obsolete Glasgow, the sole vessel of the Zanzibar Navy, fired upon a flotilla of five British ships, led by the cruiser HMS St George
HMS St George (1892)
HMS St George was a first class cruiser of the Edgar class. She was launched on June 23, 1892.She took part in the 40 minute long Anglo-Zanzibar War and served in the First World War. She was designated as a depot ship in 1909, and sold for breaking up at Plymouth on July 1, 1920.-References:*...
with its 9.2 inch guns. In return Glasgow was holed below her waterline and began sinking. Her crew hoisted the British flag as a token of surrender and all were rescued by British sailors in launches
Launch (boat)
A launch in contemporary usage refers to a large motorboat. The name originally referred to the largest boat carried by a warship. The etymology of the word is given as Portuguese lancha "barge", from Malay lancha, lancharan, "boat," from lanchar "velocity without effort," "action of gliding...
. The ship eventually sank at 10:45 am that day, settling on the harbour bed with just its masts and funnel projecting from the water.