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HMS Nile (1888)
Encyclopedia
HMS Nile was a battleship
of the Royal Navy
of the Victorian era, a ship of the Trafalgar class
, and the only sister-ship of HMS Trafalgar
.
She was the last British
battleship to be completed with a single citadel
; all subsequent capital ship
s had separate citadels fore and aft. Also, she was the first British battleship to mount a secondary armament of quick-firing guns - guns in which the charge and shell are combined together in a cartridge which is loaded as a single unit. She was originally designed to mount eight 5-inch breech-loaders as her secondary armament, but the marginally smaller 4.7 inches (119.4 mm) guns were substituted in January 1890 when their superiority over the breech-loaders became clear. The quick-firers were able to fire, on tests, ten rounds per gun in one minute and twenty seconds; a rate some four times faster than the breech-loaders they replaced. As it was accepted at the time that hits from any calibre gun of 4 inches (101.6 mm) or more could be expected to disable a torpedo-boat or a destroyer (formerly known as torpedo-boat destroyers), it was apparent that a rate of fire, and an assumed rate of hitting, four times greater, had to relate to a superior anti-torpedo armament.
on 30 June 1891 for manoeuvres, following which she joined the Mediterranean Fleet. In January 1898, she came home to become the port guardship at Devonport
. In February 1903, she was relegated to the Reserve, where she remained until she was sold on 9 July 1912.
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
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...
of the Victorian era, a ship of the Trafalgar class
Trafalgar class battleship
The two Trafalgar-class battleships of the British Royal Navy were late nineteenth century ironclad warships. Both were named after naval battles won by the British during the Napoleonic wars under the command of Admiral Nelson.-Design:...
, and the only sister-ship of HMS Trafalgar
HMS Trafalgar (1887)
HMS Trafalgar was one of two Trafalgar class battleships commissioned in 1890 and 1891, the other being HMS Nile.-Design:They were designed to be improved versions of the Admiral and Victoria classes, having a greater displacement to allow for improved protection...
.
She was the last 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...
battleship to be completed with a single citadel
Citadel
A citadel is a fortress for protecting a town, sometimes incorporating a castle. The term derives from the same Latin root as the word "city", civis, meaning citizen....
; all subsequent capital ship
Capital ship
The capital ships of a navy are its most important warships; they generally possess the heaviest firepower and armor and are traditionally much larger than other naval vessels...
s had separate citadels fore and aft. Also, she was the first British battleship to mount a secondary armament of quick-firing guns - guns in which the charge and shell are combined together in a cartridge which is loaded as a single unit. She was originally designed to mount eight 5-inch breech-loaders as her secondary armament, but the marginally smaller 4.7 inches (119.4 mm) guns were substituted in January 1890 when their superiority over the breech-loaders became clear. The quick-firers were able to fire, on tests, ten rounds per gun in one minute and twenty seconds; a rate some four times faster than the breech-loaders they replaced. As it was accepted at the time that hits from any calibre gun of 4 inches (101.6 mm) or more could be expected to disable a torpedo-boat or a destroyer (formerly known as torpedo-boat destroyers), it was apparent that a rate of fire, and an assumed rate of hitting, four times greater, had to relate to a superior anti-torpedo armament.
Service history
She ran her trials in July 1890, in ballast as her guns and mountings had at that time not been delivered. After delivery, she was commissioned at PortsmouthPortsmouth
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 30 June 1891 for manoeuvres, following which she joined the Mediterranean Fleet. In January 1898, she came home to become the port guardship at Devonport
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...
. In February 1903, she was relegated to the Reserve, where she remained until she was sold on 9 July 1912.