HMS Espiegle (1880)
Encyclopedia
HMS Espiegle was a Doterel-class
sloop
of the Royal Navy
, built at the Devonport Dockyard
and launched on 3 August 1880.
as a development of William Henry White
's 1874 . The graceful clipper bow of the Opsreys was replaced by a vertical stem and the engines were more powerful. The hull was of composite construction, with wooden planks over an iron frame.
(two on pivoting mounts, and two broadside). Four machine guns and one light gun completed the weaponry.
rig, that is, square-rigged foremast and mainmast, and fore-and aft sails only on the mizzen mast.
and laid down on 23 September 1879. She was launched on 3 August 1880 and was commissioned on 11 October 1881 at Devonport.
in November 1881. She left the Australia Station in March 1885 and went to the China Station
. She assisted during the Chilean Revolt in 1891. She was fitted out as a boom defence vessel in 1899 and stationed at Southampton; she was renamed Argo in 1902.
Doterel class sloop
The Doterel class was a Royal Navy class of screw-driven sloops. They were of composite construction, with wooden hulls over an iron frame. They were a revised version of an 1874 design by the Royal Navy's Chief Constructor, William Henry White, the . Two of the class were lost, one to an explosion...
sloop
Sloop-of-war
In the 18th and most of the 19th centuries, a sloop-of-war was a warship with a single gun deck that carried up to eighteen guns. As the rating system covered all vessels with 20 guns and above, this meant that the term sloop-of-war actually encompassed all the unrated combat vessels including the...
of 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...
, built at the Devonport Dockyard
HMNB Devonport
Her Majesty's Naval Base Devonport , is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy . HMNB Devonport is located in Devonport, in the west of the city of Plymouth in Devon, England...
and launched on 3 August 1880.
Design
The Doterel class was designed by Nathaniel BarnabyNathaniel Barnaby
Sir Nathaniel Barnaby, KCB was Chief Constructor of the Royal Navy from 1872 to 1885....
as a development of William Henry White
William Henry White
Sir William Henry White was a prolific British warship designer and Chief Constructor at the Admiralty....
's 1874 . The graceful clipper bow of the Opsreys was replaced by a vertical stem and the engines were more powerful. The hull was of composite construction, with wooden planks over an iron frame.
Propulsion
Power was provided by three cylindrical boilers, which supplied steam at 60 pound per square inches (413,685.4 Pa) to a two-cylinder horizontal compound-expansion steam engine driving a single 13 inch screw. This arrangement produced 1020 ihp and a top speed of 11 knots (21.6 km/h).Armament
Ships of the class were armed with two 7-inch (90 cwt) muzzle-loading rifled guns on pivoting mounts, and four 64-pounder muzzle-loading rifled gunsRML 64 pounder 64 cwt gun
The RML 64 pounder 64 cwt gun was a Rifled, Muzzle Loading naval, field or fortification artillery gun manufactured in England in the 19th century, which fired a projectile weighing approximately...
(two on pivoting mounts, and two broadside). Four machine guns and one light gun completed the weaponry.
Sail plan
All the ships of the class were provided with a barqueBarque
A barque, barc, or bark is a type of sailing vessel with three or more masts.- History of the term :The word barque appears to have come from the Greek word baris, a term for an Egyptian boat. This entered Latin as barca, which gave rise to the Italian barca, Spanish barco, and the French barge and...
rig, that is, square-rigged foremast and mainmast, and fore-and aft sails only on the mizzen mast.
Construction
Espiegle was ordered from Devonport DockyardHMNB Devonport
Her Majesty's Naval Base Devonport , is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy . HMNB Devonport is located in Devonport, in the west of the city of Plymouth in Devon, England...
and laid down on 23 September 1879. She was launched on 3 August 1880 and was commissioned on 11 October 1881 at Devonport.
Service
She commenced service 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...
in November 1881. She left the Australia Station in March 1885 and went to the China Station
China Station
The China Station was a historical formation of the British Royal Navy. It was formally the units and establishments responsible to the Commander-in-Chief, China....
. She assisted during the Chilean Revolt in 1891. She was fitted out as a boom defence vessel in 1899 and stationed at Southampton; she was renamed Argo in 1902.