HMS Surprise was a Vigilant-class gunvessel

Vigilant class gunvessel

The Vigilant-class gunvessel of the Royal Navy was an enlarged version of the Arrow-class gunvessel of 1854. Both classes were designed for shallow-water operations in the Baltic and Black Seas during the Crimean War. Fourteen of the class were completed, but were ready too late to take part in...

 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...

. She was launched at Blackwall Yard

Blackwall Yard

Blackwall Yard was a shipyard on the Thames at Blackwall, London, engaged in ship building and later ship repairs for over 350 years. The yard closed in 1987...

, London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

 in 1856 and broken up in Plymouth in 1866.

Design

Her class were designed as second-class despatch and gunvessels. They were intended to operate close inshore during the Crimean War

Crimean War

The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...

 and were essentially enlarged versions of the Arrow-class gunvessel

Arrow class gunvessel

The Arrow class comprised six second-class screw-driven vessels built as despatch vessels for the Royal Navy in 1854, mounting 6 guns. In 1856 they were redesignated as second-class gunvessels.-Design:...

, which has been designed by the Surveyor’s Department in 1854.

Propulsion

A two-cylinder horizontal single expansion steam engine by Miller, Ravenhill and Salkeld provided 778 ihp through a single screw, and gave a top speed of about 11 knots.

Armament

Although designed with a pair of 68-pounder Lancaster muzzle-loading rifles, the Vigilant class were finished with one 7 inches (177.8 mm)/110 pounds (49.9 kg) Armstrong breech-loading gun, one 68 pounds (30.8 kg) Lancaster muzzle-loading rifled gun

68-Pounder Lancaster gun

68-Pounder Lancaster guns were a rifled muzzle-loading cannon that fired a 68 pound shell. They were fitted in pairs to the Arrow-class gunvessel. The cannon was designed with an oval bore and had a range of about 6500 yards. The gun suffered from a tendency to burst....

 and two 20-pounder breech loaders.

Construction

Surprise was ordered on 26 July 1855 at the same time as nine others of her class. Her keel was laid at the Blackwall yard of Money Wigram & Son on 30 August and she was launched on 6 March 1856.

History

From 18 March 1856 she was commanded by Commander Charles Egerton Harcourt-Vernon, and he commissioned her at Blackwall on 12 April the same year. From 1857 under Commander Cresswell the ship served in the East Indies including the Second Anglo-Chinese War, and from 1861 she formed part of the Mediterranean Fleet. Between August 1864 and 24 April 1866 she was commanded by George Tryon

George Tryon

Vice-Admiral Sir George Tryon, KCB was a British admiral who died when his flagship HMS Victoria collided with HMS Camperdown during manoeuvres off Tripoli, Lebanon.-Early life:...

, later to become infamous as the Admiral who caused the loss in 1893 of his flagship HMS Victoria

HMS Victoria (1887)

HMS Victoria was the lead ship in her class of two battleships of the Royal Navy. On 22 June 1893, she collided with near Tripoli, Lebanon during manoeuvres and quickly sank, taking 358 crew with her, including the commander of the British Mediterranean Fleet, Vice-Admiral Sir George Tryon...

 during fleet manoeuvres.

Commanding officers

From	Captain
18 March 1856	Commander Charles Egerton Harcourt-Vernon
11 March 1857	Commander Samuel Gurney Cresswell Samuel Gurney Cresswell Captain Samuel Gurney Cresswell , was a Royal Navy officer. He was the first naval officer to cross the entire Northwest Passage.-Early years:...
2 August 1861	Commander William Henry Whyte
August 1864	Commander George Tryon George Tryon Vice-Admiral Sir George Tryon, KCB was a British admiral who died when his flagship HMS Victoria collided with HMS Camperdown during manoeuvres off Tripoli, Lebanon.-Early life:...