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HMS Defiance (1861)
Encyclopedia
HMS Defiance was the last wooden line-of-battle ship
launched for the Royal Navy
. She never saw service as a wooden line-of-battle ship. In 1884 she became a schoolship.
Defiance was the last ship to use the midsection design that Isaac Watts created for .
On 26 November 1884 Defiance became the Devonport torpedo and mining schoolship. A special railway station to serve personnel travelling to and from the school, known as "Defiance Platform", was situated just west of Saltash railway station
from 1905 until 1930.
She was sold on 26 June 1931 to Castle's Shipbreaking Yard for dismantling at Millbay, Plymouth. Doige's Annual for 1932 poignantly describes her as "the last of England's 'Wooden Walls'".
Ship of the line
A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed from the 17th through the mid-19th century to take part in the naval tactic known as the line of battle, in which two columns of opposing warships would manoeuvre to bring the greatest weight of broadside guns to bear...
launched 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...
. She never saw service as a wooden line-of-battle ship. In 1884 she became a schoolship.
Design
Defiance was a development of the Renown class. The second pair of Renowns, and , had a modified, finer stern run. Defiance was originally laid down as to the same plan as Atlas, but a new plan dated 8 October 1858 was prepared giving Defiance a lengthened bow.Defiance was the last ship to use the midsection design that Isaac Watts created for .
Career
Her trials off Plymouth on 5 February 1862 were conducted when she was neither masted nor stored. The trial speed of 11.886 knots (23.3 km/h) was worse than the similar trials of Atlas (13.022 knots (25.5 km/h)) and Anson (12.984 knots (25.4 km/h)). However Defiance's lack of sea service means that there can be no certainty as to whether her design was an improvement on Atlas.On 26 November 1884 Defiance became the Devonport torpedo and mining schoolship. A special railway station to serve personnel travelling to and from the school, known as "Defiance Platform", was situated just west of Saltash railway station
Saltash railway station
Saltash railway station serves the town of Saltash in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated on the south side of the town between the Royal Albert Bridge over the River Tamar and Coombe Viaduct which spans a small tributary of the same river...
from 1905 until 1930.
She was sold on 26 June 1931 to Castle's Shipbreaking Yard for dismantling at Millbay, Plymouth. Doige's Annual for 1932 poignantly describes her as "the last of England's 'Wooden Walls'".
