HMS Conflict (1846)
HMS Conflict (1846)


Royal NavyVessels

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NameConflict (1846)Explanation
TypeSloop   
Launched5 August 1846   
HullWooden Length192 feet
PropulsionScrew Men175
Builders measure992 tons   
Displacement1628 tons   
Guns8   
Fate1863 Last in commission1859
Class  Class (as screw)Conflict
Ships book   
Career
DateEvent
5 August 1846Launched at Pembroke Dockyard.
1848Rebuilt (stern lengthened) at Wigram, Blackwall.
4 October 1849
- 15 December 1851
Commanded (from commissioning at Plymouth) by Commander Thomas George Drake, south-east coast of America
15 December 1851
- 4 June 1852
Commanded (until paying off at Portsmouth) by Acting Commander Robert Jenner, south-east coast of America (from the Centaur)
25 February 1854
- 18 April 1854
Commanded (from commissioning at Plymouth) by Captain John Foote, the Baltic during the Russian War, until his death by drowning off Memel
9 May 1854
- 6 February 1855
Commanded by Captain Arthur Cumming, the Baltic during the Russian War, where he rendered good service, especially at Libau (modern Liepaja) and Riga. On 17 May 1854, shortly after he took over Conflict, that ship, together with Amphion (screw, 34 guns, Captain Astley Cooper Key), entered Libau without firing a shot, and captured all the shipping in the port.
(1855)Commanded by Commander Stephen Smith Lowther Crofton, the Baltic during the Russian War
12 July 1855
- 25 February 1856
Commanded by Commander William Charles Chamberlain, Baltic
21 February 1856
- 24 February 1857
Commanded (until paying off at Plymouth) by Commander Thomas Cochran, Mediterranean
29 August 1857
- 13 December 1859
Commanded (from commissioning at Plymouth until paying off at Plymouth) by Commander Richard William Courtenay, west coast of Africa
1863Sold.
Extracts from the Times newspaper
DateExtract
Tu 15 September 1846

14 September 1846

The Conflict steam-vessel brought round from Pembroke, is to be fitted with her engines at the East India Docks.
We 16 September 1846

15 September 1846

The Swallow steam-vessel, under the command of Mr. Bryant, master of the Monkey steam-vessel, left Woolwich this morning for the river Shannon, and embarked 40 of the men who brought round the Conflict steam-vessel to Woolwich, The Myrtle steam-vessel left Woolwich at the same time for Portsmouth, with 20 of the men who brought round the Conflict to this naval depot.
The Conflict steamer is now ordered to be brought up the river to Deptford, and will be taken into the same dock as the Growler steam-vessel, to be fitted with her screw propeller.
Ma 6 June 1859The series of screw trials concluded by the Doris are the most important that have yet taken place since the introduction of the screw for the propulsion of our steamships of war. These trials were designed to test the relative qualities of the Admiralty or common screw and Griffiths's patent propeller. Similar trials were carried out in 1853 on board the Conflict and Fairy, resulting in favour of the Griffiths patent propeller, since which time the Griffiths has been constantly used by the Fairy when under way. The immense power of the engines now in use by our steamships of war has given an opportunity of testing the merits of the two screws with the certainty of obtaining more practical results, more especially as affecting the vibration and steering of the ship, than could be arrived at with vessels of the Conflict and Fairy's class; hence the present trials. The forms of the screws may be thus described:- The blades of the Admiralty screw consist of a sixth part of the whole screw or helix; the centre of the Griffiths propeller is a sphere of one-third the diameter of the screw, with the blades made tapering. The driving surface of the Admiralty lies at the extreme ends of the blades; in the Griffiths it lies at the centre nearest the sphere. The first trial with the Admiralty screw was with a diameter of 18 feet, her speed being 11.823 knots. On the second trial, with the diameter increased to 20 feet, the speed realized was 11.826 knots, with a great increase of vibration. On the third trial the "leading" corner of each blade was cut off, and in this form the common screw attained its greatest speed, giving a result of 12.032 knots. On the fourth trial both the corners of each blade were cut off, when, with a greater number of revolutions, less speed was made, being 12.012 knots. Its last trial, with the "following" corner of each blade cut off, but the screw restored to its perfect form in every other respect, gave a result of 11.815 knots. The first trial with the Griffiths propeller - 20 feet diameter and 32 feet pitch - gave 11.981 knots. The second trial, with a 26 feet 5 inch pitch, gave 12.269 knots; and the third trial, with a medium pitch, which concluded the series, gave 12.158 knots, with 53 3/4 revolutions of the engines, and less vibration than on any former trial. Several important features connected with the screw propeller have been proved by these trials. Firstly, that the leading edge of the screw is the part that mostly affects the steerage of the ship, and also causes the greater part of the vibration. Secondly, that increased diameter of the screw is better than increased pitch to reduce the speed of the engines, but it considerably increases the vibration with the common screw, whereas with the Griffiths it did not produce that effect, in consequence of its chief propelling surface being towards the centre. The common screw, when its blades are cut to the form of Griffiths's, is not so effective as when the centre sphere is applied to them; the power required to obtain the same speed is considerably reduced by its application. The power required to obtain 12 knots without the sphere was 2,920.32 indicated horse power, while the same form of blade and pitch with the sphere took only 2,825.6 indicated horse power.


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