HMS Raleigh (1873)
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

HMS ''Raleigh'' was an unarmoured
iron Iron is a chemical element; it has symbol Fe () and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, forming much of Earth's o ...
or "sheathed"-masted
frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and maneuvera ...
completed in 1874. She was one of a series of three designed by Sir Edward Reed. The other two iron-hulled frigates of independent design were and . The Controller originally intended to build six of these big frigates, but only three were ordered in view of their high cost. They retained the traditional broadside layout of armament, with a full rig of masts and sails. Although widely believed to be named after Sir
Walter Raleigh Sir Walter Raleigh (; – 29 October 1618) was an English statesman, soldier, writer and explorer. One of the most notable figures of the Elizabethan era, he played a leading part in English colonisation of North America, suppressed rebell ...
, the ship was in fact named for
George of Raleigh George may refer to: Names * George (given name) * George (surname) People * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Papagheorghe, also known as Jorge / GEØRGE * George, stage name of Giorg ...
.


Building programme

The following table gives the build details and purchase cost of ''Raleigh'' and the other two iron frigates. 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.


Design

''Raleigh'' displaced 5,200 tons and was
long between perpendiculars Length between perpendiculars (often abbreviated as p/p, p.p., pp, LPP, LBP or Length BPP) is the length of a ship along the summer load line from the forward surface of the stem, or main bow perpendicular member, to the after surface of the stern ...
by wide, and
drew Drew may refer to: __NOTOC__ Places ;In the United States * Drew, Georgia, an unincorporated community * Drew, Mississippi, a city * Drew, Missouri, an unincorporated community * Drew, Oregon, an unincorporated community * Drew County, Arkansas ...
. She was designed as a sailing vessel with an auxiliary steam engine. Under favourable sailing conditions she could make . With nine
boiler A boiler is a closed vessel in which fluid (generally water) is heated. The fluid does not necessarily boil. The heated or vaporized fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications, including water heating, centra ...
s operating at , her 1-shaft horizontal single expansion engine developed and moved her along at , an unprecedented speed at the time. Two 9-inch muzzle-loading rifle (MLR) guns and fourteen 7-inch 90 cwt MLR guns formed the main armament, supplemented by six 64-pounder MLRs. The 9-inch guns were chase weapons, mounted at front and back. The fourteen 7-inch guns were the main deck broadside battery. These ships were constructed in response to the fast, wooden American ''Wampanoag''-class frigates, and their iron hulls were clad from
keel The keel is the bottom-most longitudinal structural element of a watercraft, important for stability. On some sailboats, it may have a fluid dynamics, hydrodynamic and counterbalancing purpose as well. The keel laying, laying of the keel is often ...
to bulwarks with a double layer of 3-inch timber. ''Raleigh'' was
copper Copper is a chemical element; it has symbol Cu (from Latin ) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkish-orang ...
bottomed. All three had a great range and were designed for use in far seas. The ship was intended as a successor to the wooden steam-frigates such as ''Immortalite'' and ''Ariadne''. ''Inconstant'' and ''Shah'' had been considered by some too large and too expensive, so ''Raleigh'' was designed slightly smaller. The design was a compromise between steam power and a desire to retain good sailing properties. The propeller was damaged during steam trials, breaking one blade and cracking the other, but she proceeded to sailing trials around Ireland before repairs were made.
George Tryon Vice-Admiral Sir George Tryon, (4 January 1832 – 22 June 1893) was a Royal Navy officer who died when his flagship collided with during manoeuvres off Tripoli, Lebanon. Early life Tryon was born at Bulwick Park, Northamptonshire, England ...
, appointed her first captain, made a number of minor alterations to her design details as she was completing building. ''Raleigh'' had a normal crew of 530 men. In 1884, she was partially rearmed, retaining eight 7-inch MLR guns on broadside, but gaining eight more modern 6-inch breech-loading rifled (BLR) guns and eight 5-inch BLR guns. Four modern light guns were added as well as 12 machine guns and two
torpedo A modern torpedo is an underwater ranged weapon launched above or below the water surface, self-propelled towards a target, with an explosive warhead designed to detonate either on contact with or in proximity to the target. Historically, such ...
carriages.


Service


First commission

On 13 January 1874 ''Raleigh'' was commissioned at Chatham by Captain
George Tryon Vice-Admiral Sir George Tryon, (4 January 1832 – 22 June 1893) was a Royal Navy officer who died when his flagship collided with during manoeuvres off Tripoli, Lebanon. Early life Tryon was born at Bulwick Park, Northamptonshire, England ...
, Commander Arthur Knyvet Wilson second in command. Under Tryon, ''Raleigh'' served as part of the 1875 Detached Squadron from Autumn 1874 until she left at
Bombay Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial centre, financial capital and the list of cities i ...
in February 1876. The squadron was commanded by Rear Admiral Sir George Granville Randolph until 31 May 1875, and then by Rear Admiral Rowley Lambert. The 1875 Detached Squadron consisted of: * (flag),
Nathaniel Bowden-Smith Admiral (Royal Navy), Admiral Sir Nathaniel Bowden-Smith (21 January 1838 – 28 April 1921) was a Royal Navy officer who served as Commander-in-Chief, The Nore. Naval career Bowden-Smith joined the Royal Navy in 1852. He took part in the S ...
, then (9 June 1875) Lord Charles Montagu Douglas Scott * , Francis Alexander Hume, then Gerard Noel (acting captain) * , Arthur Thomas Thrupp * , Robert Gordon Douglas * ''Raleigh'' (left at Bombay), George Tryon * (joined at Madeira, left at Bombay), Hon
Edmund Fremantle Admiral The Honourable Sir Edmund Robert Fremantle (16 June 1836 – 10 February 1929) was a Royal Navy officer who served as Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth (at the time, and from 1845 to 1900, formally known as Commander-in-Chief, Devonport). N ...
The Detached Squadron travelled to
Gibraltar Gibraltar ( , ) is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory and British overseas cities, city located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Bay of Gibraltar, near the exit of the Mediterranean Sea into the A ...
(October 1874) -
Madeira Madeira ( ; ), officially the Autonomous Region of Madeira (), is an autonomous Regions of Portugal, autonomous region of Portugal. It is an archipelago situated in the North Atlantic Ocean, in the region of Macaronesia, just under north of ...
(21 October) - Saint Vincent -
Montevideo Montevideo (, ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Uruguay, largest city of Uruguay. According to the 2023 census, the city proper has a population of 1,302,954 (about 37.2% of the country's total population) in an area of . M ...
-
Falkland Islands The Falkland Islands (; ), commonly referred to as The Falklands, is an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf. The principal islands are about east of South America's southern Patagonian coast and from Cape Dub ...
(30 January 1875) -
Cape of Good Hope The Cape of Good Hope ( ) is a rocky headland on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula in South Africa. A List of common misconceptions#Geography, common misconception is that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Afri ...
(3 April; ''Raleigh'' transported Sir Garnet Wolseley and his staff to
Natal NATAL or Natal may refer to: Places * Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, a city in Brazil * Natal, South Africa (disambiguation), a region in South Africa ** Natalia Republic, a former country (1839–1843) ** Colony of Natal, a former British colony ( ...
and then rejoined the others at
Saint Helena Saint Helena (, ) is one of the three constituent parts of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, a remote British overseas territory. Saint Helena is a volcanic and tropical island, located in the South Atlantic Ocean, some 1,874 km ...
) - Saint Helena (14 April) -
Ascension Ascension or ascending may refer to: Religion * "Ascension", the belief in some religions that some individuals have ascended into Heaven without dying first. The Catholic concept of the Assumption of Mary leaves open the question of her deat ...
- Saint Vincent (23 May) - Gibraltar (20 June – 15 July) - Cape of Good Hope - Bombay (22 October; escorting visit to India by the
Prince of Wales Prince of Wales (, ; ) is a title traditionally given to the male heir apparent to the History of the English monarchy, English, and later, the British throne. The title originated with the Welsh rulers of Kingdom of Gwynedd, Gwynedd who, from ...
, the future Edward VII) -
Colombo Colombo, ( ; , ; , ), is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. The Colombo metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of 5.6 million, and 752,993 within the municipal limits. It is the ...
-
Trincomalee Trincomalee (; , ; , ), historically known as Gokanna and Gokarna, is the administrative headquarters of the Trincomalee District and major resort port city of Eastern Province, Sri Lanka, Eastern Province, Sri Lanka. Located on the east coast o ...
-
Calcutta Kolkata, also known as Calcutta (List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern ba ...
- Bombay (14 February 1876), where ''Raleigh'' left the squadron. The squadron returned to
Plymouth Plymouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Devon, South West England. It is located on Devon's south coast between the rivers River Plym, Plym and River Tamar, Tamar, about southwest of Exeter and ...
on 11 May 1877. Meanwhile ''Raleigh'' served in the Mediterranean. Speed trials between the ships demonstrated that ''Raleigh'' was the fastest steaming, but was also the second fastest under sail, after ''Immortalité''. At Montevideo a number of sailors deserted from all the ships of the squadron, but a number were recaptured after searching British merchant ships. ''Raleigh'' had already lost 30 men to desertion before leaving England. On the second journey to the Cape of Good Hope a man fell overboard in a high sea. Tryon took the risk of launching a boat to rescue him, which was risky because the high sea might swamp the boat and lose the rescue crew too. However, all went well and Tryon commissioned a painting of the event, with photos of the painting given to every officer.


1877–1879 commission

On 11 May 1877 Captain Charles Trelawney Jago took command. ''Raleigh'' continued to serve as part of the
Mediterranean Fleet The British Mediterranean Fleet, also known as the Mediterranean Station, was a formation of the Royal Navy. The Fleet was one of the most prestigious commands in the navy for the majority of its history, defending the vital sea link between ...
, and participated in Hornby's forcing of the
Dardanelles The Dardanelles ( ; ; ), also known as the Strait of Gallipoli (after the Gallipoli peninsula) and in classical antiquity as the Hellespont ( ; ), is a narrow, natural strait and internationally significant waterway in northwestern Turkey th ...
to discourage Russian occupation of
Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...
, and the subsequent occupation of
Cyprus Cyprus (), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Situated in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical orientation are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is the List of isl ...
, acquired from Turkey. On 15 February 1878. ''Raleigh'' ran aground at the entrance to the
Dardanelles The Dardanelles ( ; ; ), also known as the Strait of Gallipoli (after the Gallipoli peninsula) and in classical antiquity as the Hellespont ( ; ), is a narrow, natural strait and internationally significant waterway in northwestern Turkey th ...
off the Rabbit Islands,
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...
. She was refloated three or four days later, probably with assistance from and . ''Raleigh'' was repaired at
Malta Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...
and a cost of almost £1,000.


1885–? commission

From 6 March 1885 to 1886 ''Raleigh'' was commanded by Captain Arthur Knyvet Wilson, and was
flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of navy, naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically ...
of Rear-Admiral Walter James Hunt-Grubbe, on the Cape of Good Hope and West Africa Station. ''Raleigh'' continued as flagship of Rear-Admiral Hunt-Grubbe until 29 March 1888.
Roger Keyes Admiral of the Fleet Roger John Brownlow Keyes, 1st Baron Keyes, (4 October 1872 – 26 December 1945) was a British naval officer. As a junior officer he served in a corvette operating from Zanzibar on slavery suppression missions. Earl ...
served aboard her as a young
midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest Military rank#Subordinate/student officer, rank in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Royal Cana ...
from 1887 to 1890. In March 1888 the ''Raleigh'' became the flagship of Rear-Admiral Richard Wells, on the same station, and in May 1888 Captain
Wilmot Fawkes Admiral Sir Wilmot Hawksworth Fawkes, (22 December 1846 – 29 May 1926) was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth. Naval career Fawkes joined the Royal Navy in 1860 and by 1867 had been promoted to lieutenant. He s ...
took command; the ship was recommissioned at Simonstown Dockyard near Cape Town in June 1888.


1890–1893 commission

From September 1890 ''Raleigh'' was commanded by Captain Arthur Barrow, as flagship of Rear-Admiral Henry Frederick Nicholson, again on the Cape of Good Hope and West Africa station from 1890 to 1893. She was the first posting of midshipman William Fisher. ''Raleigh'' is described in his biography as follows: :"The ''Raleigh'' was an old ship of 5200 tons displacement, barque-rigged and dependent on sail-power for long passages. She had a curious and mixed armament of muzzle-loading and breech-loading guns and had achieved a speed of 15 knots in her early days. She was typical of the last years of the "Groping Era" and so Fisher's early sea training took place in a ship with main features of two different ages of ship and armament design." ''Raleigh'' was a happy ship; "though hard work was demanded from both officers and men, the leadership was of a high order".p. 13, Admiral Sir William James, ''Admiral Sir William Fisher'', pub Macmillan, 1943. In a letter home Midshipman Fisher wrote: :"The lieutenants are nice, in fact nice without exception. Commander O'Callaghan is one of the best Commanders, it is generally acknowledged, in the service. Not for his smartness or ability but by leniency and well placed kindness with the men. He is certainly a most perfect gentleman. Captain Barrow is nice beyond doubt when off duty, when on duty, I think, as his is quite a newly made Captain, he tries to swagger too much and is rather harsh. Perhaps the fact of him being such a dandy sets me against him rather. You should see him go on inspection rounds in the morning with his beautiful white gloves and cane with uniform. David Nevin, our instructor, is a good old boy who has already taught me a considerable amount..."


1894 Madini Creek ambush

HMS ''Magpie'', ''Raleigh'' and ''Widgeon'' under command of Rear-Admiral Frederick Bedford provided men for an incursion against slavery into the
Gambia The Gambia, officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. Geographically, The Gambia is the List of African countries by area, smallest country in continental Africa; it is surrounded by Senegal on all sides except for ...
. The party were split into two columns, one consisting of two hundred and twenty-five bluejackets (naval personnel) from all three ships, was led by Captain Edward Harpur Gamble of the ''Raleigh''. This main column was ambushed at Madini Creek on 23 February 1894. Eighteen men were killed, including two officers from the ''Raleigh'', First Lieutenant William Arnold RN and Lieutenant Francis Hervey of the Marines. Forty-six officers and men were wounded (including Gamble). Shortly afterward British forces succeeded in bringing slavery to an end in the region.


Fate

When Sir John Fisher was Controller in the late 1890s he appropriated money that was meant for making good defects in ''Raleigh'' and used it for "making his own patent improvements in , such as laying a dancing deck." In September 1902 it was announced she would not yet be sold, but be kept available for the training service. ''Raleigh'' was sold on 11 July 1905 to Messrs
Thos. W. Ward Thos. W. Ward Ltd was a Sheffield, Yorkshire, business primarily working steel, engineering and cement. It began as coal and coke merchants. It expanded into recycling metal for Sheffield's steel industry, and then the supply and manufacture ...
of Morecambe to be broken up.


Footnotes


References

* Bradford, Admiral Sir Edward E, ''Life of Admiral of the Fleet Sir Arthur Knyvet Wilson, Bart, VC, GCB, OM, GCVO'', pub Murray, 1923. * Brassey, Lord (ed) The Naval Annual 1887 * * James, Admiral Sir William, ''Admiral Sir William Fisher'', pub Macmillan, 1943. * King, JW, ''Warships and Navies of the World'', pub A Williams, 1881. * Rear-Admiral C. C. Penrose Fitzgerald, Life of Vice-Admiral Sir George Tryon K. C. B., William Blackwood and sons, Edinburgh and London, 1897 *


External links

*
Russell, William Howard (Honorary Private Secretary to His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales), ''The Prince Of Wales' Tour of India - a Diary in India'', pub Sampson Low, Marston, Searle, 1877

HMS ''Inconstant''

HMS ''Raleigh''



Walter James Hunt-Grubbe on-line biography

Charles Trelawney Jago on-line biography

Rowley Lambert on-line biography

George Granville Randolph on-line biography

George Tryon on-line biography

Arthur Knyvet Wilson on-line biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Raleigh (1873) Steam frigates of the Royal Navy Ships built in Chatham 1873 ships Maritime incidents in February 1878