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HMS Shah (1873)
Encyclopedia
The first HMS Shah was a 19th century unarmoured iron hulled, wooden sheathed frigate
of Britain's Royal Navy
designed by Sir Edward Reed
. She was originally to be named HMS Blonde but was renamed following the visit of the Shah of Persia in 1873.
and Raleigh. Standard British practice at that time was for these costs to exclude armament and stores. (Note that costs quoted by J.W. King were in US dollars.)
* Date first commissioned.
Her complement was 469 officers and men, 46 boys and 87 marines.
, sixteen 7 inch 6½ ton rifled muzzle-loading guns, eight 5-inch breech-loading guns
, 3 quick-firing guns, twelve machine-guns and four torpedo launchers.
under Admiral de Horsey
. She fought an action, the Battle of Pacocha
, in company with the corvette HMS Amethyst on 29 May 1877 with the Peruvian armoured turret ship Huáscar
which had been taken over by rebels opposed to the Peruvian Government and, it was feared, could be used to attack British shipping.
The armoured Huáscar proved virtually impenetrable to the British guns, but the two unarmoured British ships the Shah and the Amethyst had to keep clear of the Huáscar’s turret guns. In the course of the action the Shah fired the first torpedo
to be used in anger, although it missed – being outrun by Huáscar.
During her time as flagship she also visited Pitcairn Island.
On her voyage home she was diverted to South Africa
to assist in the Anglo-Zulu War
.
In December 1904 the ship was converted to a coal storage hulk and renamed C.470. The hulk was sold on 19 September 1919, and subsequently wrecked in 1926 at Bermuda
.
There is a monument to the ship's crew men in Victoria Park
, Portsmouth
.
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"...
of Britain's 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...
designed by Sir Edward Reed
Edward James Reed
Sir Edward James Reed , KCB, FRS, was a British naval architect, author, politician, and railroad magnate. He was the Chief Constructor of the Royal Navy from 1863 until 1870...
. She was originally to be named HMS Blonde but was renamed following the visit of the Shah of Persia in 1873.
Building Programme
The following table gives the build details and purchase cost of the Shah and the other two iron frigates: InconstantHMS Inconstant (1868)
HMS Inconstant was an iron screw frigate of the Royal Navy. She was launched on 12 November 1868 and became a training ship in 1906, renamed Impregnable II. She became the Navy's torpedo school ship in January 1922 and was renamed Defiance IV, and Defiance II in December 1930, before being finally...
and Raleigh. Standard British practice at that time was for these costs to exclude armament and stores. (Note that costs quoted by J.W. King were in US dollars.)
| Ship | Builder | Maker of Engines |
Date of | Cost according to | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laid Down | Launch | Completion | BNA 1887 Brassey's Naval Annual The Naval Annual was a book that sought to bring together a large amount of information on naval subjects, which had hitherto been obtainable only by consulting numerous publications and chiefly from foreign sources... |
King | |||||
| Hull | Machinery | Total excluding armament |
|||||||
| Inconstant HMS Inconstant (1868) HMS Inconstant was an iron screw frigate of the Royal Navy. She was launched on 12 November 1868 and became a training ship in 1906, renamed Impregnable II. She became the Navy's torpedo school ship in January 1922 and was renamed Defiance IV, and Defiance II in December 1930, before being finally... |
Pembroke Dockyard | John Penn & Son | 27 Nov 1866 | 12 Nov 1868 | 14 Aug 1869 * | £138,585 | £74,739 | £213,324 | $1,036,756 |
| Raleigh | Chatham Dockyard | Humphrys, Tennant & Co | 8 Feb 1871 | 1 Mar 1873 | 13 Jan 1874 * | £147,248 | £46,138 | £193,386 | $939,586 |
| Shah | Portsmouth Dockyard | Ravenhill | 7 Mar 1870 | 10 Sep 1873 | 14 Aug 1876 | £177,912 | £57,333 | £235,245 | $1,119,861 |
Her complement was 469 officers and men, 46 boys and 87 marines.
Armament
As at 1888, Shah's armament consisted of two 9-inch rifled muzzle-loading gunsRML 9 inch 12 ton gun
The RML 9 inch guns Mark I - Mark VI were large rifled muzzle-loading guns used as primary armament on smaller British ironclad battleships and secondary armament on larger battleships, and also ashore for coast defence.-Design:...
, sixteen 7 inch 6½ ton rifled muzzle-loading guns, eight 5-inch breech-loading guns
BL 5 inch gun Mk I - V
The BL 5 inch guns Mk I - Mk V were early British 5-inch breechloading naval guns after it switched from muzzle-loaders in the late 1870s. They were originally designed to use the old gunpowder propellants...
, 3 quick-firing guns, twelve machine-guns and four torpedo launchers.
Service career
She was only in service for three years, as the flagship of the British Pacific StationPacific 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...
under Admiral de Horsey
Algernon Frederick Rous de Horsey
Admiral Sir Algernon Frederick Rous de Horsey KCB was a Royal Navy officer who served in the nineteenth century.-Early life:...
. She fought an action, the Battle of Pacocha
Battle of Pacocha
The naval Incident of Pacocha took place on 6 May 1877 when Nicolás de Piérola was leading a revolution to overthrow then Peruvian President Mariano Ignacio Prado. Piérola used the Peruvian monitor Huáscar as a raiding ship. She practiced sabotage primarily against the government forces of Peru...
, in company with the corvette HMS Amethyst on 29 May 1877 with the Peruvian armoured turret ship Huáscar
Huáscar (ship)
Huáscar is a 19th century small armoured turret ship of a type similar to a monitor. She was built in Britain for Peru and played a significant role in the battle of Pacocha and the War of the Pacific against Chile before being captured and commissioned with the Chilean Navy. Today she is one of...
which had been taken over by rebels opposed to the Peruvian Government and, it was feared, could be used to attack British shipping.
The armoured Huáscar proved virtually impenetrable to the British guns, but the two unarmoured British ships the Shah and the Amethyst had to keep clear of the Huáscar’s turret guns. In the course of the action the Shah fired the first torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
to be used in anger, although it missed – being outrun by Huáscar.
During her time as flagship she also visited Pitcairn Island.
On her voyage home she was diverted to South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
to assist in the Anglo-Zulu War
Anglo-Zulu War
The Anglo-Zulu War was fought in 1879 between the British Empire and the Zulu Kingdom.Following the imperialist scheme by which Lord Carnarvon had successfully brought about federation in Canada, it was thought that a similar plan might succeed with the various African kingdoms, tribal areas and...
.
In December 1904 the ship was converted to a coal storage hulk and renamed C.470. The hulk was sold on 19 September 1919, and subsequently wrecked in 1926 at Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
.
There is a monument to the ship's crew men in Victoria Park
Victoria Park, Portsmouth
Victoria Park is a public park located just to the north of Portsmouth Guildhall, adjacent to Portsmouth and Southsea railway station and close to the city centre in Portsmouth, Hampshire. It was officially opened on 25 May 1878 and was the first public park to be opened in Portsmouth. It was...
, 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...
.