''Mermaid''
''Mermaid'' was an iron vessel built at Blackwall Yard, Blackwall for mercantile use. She was fitted with Bennet Woodcroft's patent varying pitch screw propeller. She was of 164 tons, and her mean Draft (hull), draught on her trial trip was only .HMS ''Dwarf''
The British Admiralty purchased ''Mermaid'' from J. and G. Rennie, Holland Street, Blackfriars, on 22 June 1843, according to Sir George Cockburn, 10th Baronet, Sir George Cockburn's advice, and on the condition that she should steam (7 March 1842). The Navy renamed her HMS ''Dwarf''. ''Dwarf'' underwent trials on 15 May 1843. Over six runs she achieved a mean speed of 12.142 miles. The results of her extensive propeller trials were published in December 1844. ''Dwarf'' went on to serve as a Ship's tender, tender to , she was under the command of Lieutenant Commander Edward Halhead Beauchamp-ProctorFor more on Edward Halhead Beauchamp-Proctor see: until March 1843, when the vessel was paid off at Woolwich Dockyard, Woolwich. Albert, Prince Consort, Prince Albert while on board HMY ''Victoria and Albert'' at Cowes in October 1844 professed interest in ''the little screw'' and came on board with Queen Victoria for a closer look. In December 1845, ''Dwarf'' was sent to Sheerness to take on the duties of that port's admirals' tender. Lieutenant Osborne, when in command of ''Dwarf'' on the coast of Ireland in 1848, fitting out in the HMNB Portsmouth, Portsmouth Basin, heard the cry of "a boy overboard," he immediately plunged in with his full uniform on, including his sword, and saved the boy. A first-class certificate was awarded, and he was strongly recommended to the Parent Society in London. ''Dwarf'', while moored in Dún Laoghaire, Kingstown Harbour, Ireland, sent an armed boat's crew to ''Ann Kenney'' and captured an unrecognised emerald silk flag. On 26 September 1849, she was run down by and collided with in the Atlantic Ocean southeast of the Old Head of Kinsale, County Cork. ''Dwarf'' was severely damaged. Her crew were taken off by ''Trident'', which towed her into Kinsale, County Cork for repairs.Fate
''Dwarf'' was Ship breaking, scrapped in 1853. The second screw vessel in the Royal Navy was a paddle vessel, built of wood and launched in 1842 as a tender to the Royal Academy, Portsmouth. ''Bee'' had additional screw propulsion fitted in 1844. She was broken up in 1874. Both vessels were purely experimental and never intended for active service.Citations
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Dwarf (1843), HMS 1840 ships Ships built by the Blackwall Yard Experimental ships Steamships of the United Kingdom Victorian-era naval ships of the United Kingdom