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Swiftsure class battleship (1870)
Encyclopedia
The Swiftsure class battleships of the late Victorian era were broadside ironclads designed and built specifically for service as Flagships on the Pacific station.
In appearance the two ships of the class, and , were very similar to ; under water their hulls were very similar to that of . The intention was to make the ships good performers under sail, while at the same time being stable ships and good gun platforms.
At the design stage it had been suggested by the Committee on Designs that the ships should be built with their artillery mounted in two turrets, with some smaller guns positioned fore and aft. As there was at that time not sufficient experience with turret-mounted armament, and none at all with turrets in first-class battleships, the idea did not find favour and this class was completed with a broadside box battery
deployed on two levels, on the main and on the upper deck.
Fouling of ships' hulls by marine life had been a problem since the dawn of shipbuilding. Until the middle of the nineteenth century ships' bottoms had been sheathed with copper sheeting, which prevented fouling but was expensive. Sheathing with zinc plate or with Muntz metal
was used thereafter, as it was cheaper. For the Swiftsure class, however, a reversion was made to copper sheathing, as in the Pacific there were no docking facilities whatsoever - until the completion of the dockyard at Esquimalt
in 1886 - and the sheathing applied on commissioning had to serve for the whole commission.
All ranks were berthed on the main deck; berthing for seamen in previous classes had been on the lower deck. As the officers' accommodation was well ventilated and well lit, the ships were universally popular.
The two ships spent some time in reserve, but in their active careers they took turns as flagship of the Pacific station.
It may be noted as a matter of history that it has been traditional in the Royal Navy
always to build ships named Swiftsure and Triumph as a matching pair within a single class.
In appearance the two ships of the class, and , were very similar to ; under water their hulls were very similar to that of . The intention was to make the ships good performers under sail, while at the same time being stable ships and good gun platforms.
At the design stage it had been suggested by the Committee on Designs that the ships should be built with their artillery mounted in two turrets, with some smaller guns positioned fore and aft. As there was at that time not sufficient experience with turret-mounted armament, and none at all with turrets in first-class battleships, the idea did not find favour and this class was completed with a broadside box battery
Box battery
The box battery disposition of the main armament in a battleship was commonly used in ships built in the latter half of the nineteenth century; it was an interim disposition between full length broadside guns and turret-mounted artillery....
deployed on two levels, on the main and on the upper deck.
Fouling of ships' hulls by marine life had been a problem since the dawn of shipbuilding. Until the middle of the nineteenth century ships' bottoms had been sheathed with copper sheeting, which prevented fouling but was expensive. Sheathing with zinc plate or with Muntz metal
Muntz metal
Muntz metal is a form of alpha-beta brass with about 60% copper, 40% zinc and a trace of iron. It is named after George Fredrick Muntz, a metal-roller of Birmingham, England who commercialised the alloy following his patent of 1832....
was used thereafter, as it was cheaper. For the Swiftsure class, however, a reversion was made to copper sheathing, as in the Pacific there were no docking facilities whatsoever - until the completion of the dockyard at Esquimalt
Esquimalt, British Columbia
The Township of Esquimalt is a municipality at the southern tip of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. It is bordered to the east by the provincial capital, Victoria, to the south by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, to the west by Esquimalt Harbour and Royal Roads, to the northwest by the...
in 1886 - and the sheathing applied on commissioning had to serve for the whole commission.
All ranks were berthed on the main deck; berthing for seamen in previous classes had been on the lower deck. As the officers' accommodation was well ventilated and well lit, the ships were universally popular.
The two ships spent some time in reserve, but in their active careers they took turns as flagship of the Pacific station.
It may be noted as a matter of history that it has been traditional in 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...
always to build ships named Swiftsure and Triumph as a matching pair within a single class.