HMS Hector (1862)
HMS Hector (1862)


Royal NavyVessels

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NameHector (1862)Explanation
TypeBroadside ironclad frigate   
Launched26 September 1862
HullIron
PropulsionScrew
Builders measure 
Displacement6710 tons
Guns18
Fate1905
ClassHector
Ships bookADM 135/226
Note1900 part of Vernon torpedo school
Snippets concerning this vessels career
DateEvent
5 January 1864
- 4 May 1866
Commanded (from commissioning at Portsmouth) by Captain George William Preedy, Channel squadron
20 April 1866
- 19 March 1867
Commanded (until paying off at Portsmouth) by Captain William Garnham Luard, Channel squardon
1 May 1868
- 25 May 1868
Commanded (from commissioning at Portsmouth) by Captain George Le Geyt Bowyear, Ship of First Reserve, Coast Guard, Southampton Wate
25 May 1868
- 11 May 1871
Commanded by Captain Algernon Frederick Rous De Horsey, Ship of First Reserve, Coast Guard, Southampton Water (and, May 1869, cruise of the Reserve Fleet)
12 May 1871
- 21 May 1874
Commanded by Captain Thomas Cochran, Ship of First Reserve, Coast Guard, Southampton Water
21 May 1874
- 26 April 1875
Commanded by Captain John Hobhouse Inglis Alexander, Ship of First Reserve, Coast Guard, Southampton Water (until superseded at his own request. owing to ill-health)
26 April 1875
- 7 September 1875
Commanded by Captain Anthony Hiley Hoskins, Ship of First Reserve, Coast Guard, Southampton Water
7 September 1875
- 11 December 1876
Commanded by Captain Edward Madden, Ship of First Reserve, Coast Guard, Southampton Water (until Madden died)
1 April 1877
- 1 April 1780
Commanded by Captain Cortland Herbert Simpson, Ship of First Reserve, Coast Guard, Southampton Water (except summer cruise)
1 April 1880
- 29 November 1882
Commanded by Captain Richard Carter, Ship of First Reserve, Coast Guard, Southampton Water (except summer cruise from 11 June to 18 July 1982)
29 November 1882Commanded by Captain William Arthur, Ship of First Reserve, Coast Guard, Southampton Water
2 April 1885
- 30 July 1885
Commanded by Captain William Elrington Gordon, Ship of First Reserve, Coast Guard, Southampton Water (including summer cruise)
11 July 1885
- 22 April 1886
Commanded (until paying off at Portsmouth) by Captain Charles George Fane, guard ship, Southampton
Extracts from the Times newspaper
DateExtract
We 9 April 1862The Board of Admiralty, composed of the Duke of Somerset, Vice-Admiral the Hon. Sir F.W. Grey, K.C.B., Capt. Charles Frederick, Capt. the Hon. J.R. Drummond, C.B., and Rear-Admiral Lord Clarence Paget, C.B., the Secretary, went yesterday morning to witness some experimeats with large guns at Shoeburyness.
In addition to the iron frigate Achilles, 50, 6,079 tons, 1,250-horse power, building at Chatham dockyard, the following squadron of iron vessels are now under construction by private firms for the Admiralty, several of which are in a very advanced state - viz., the Agincourt, 50, 6,621 tons, 1,250-horse power, building at Birkenhead; the Northumberland, 50, 6,621 tons, 1,250-horse power, and the Valiant, 32, 4,063 tons, 800-horse power, building at Millwall; the Minotaur, 50, 6,621 tons, 1,250-horse power, and the Orontes, 3, 2,812 tons, 500-horse power, building at Blackwall; and the Hector, 32, 4,063 tons, 800-horse power, building at Glasgow. The following iron-plated frigates are now building at the several Royal dockyards, the whole of which are intended to be afloat during the present year - viz., the Caledonia, 50, 4,045 tons, 800-horse power, at Woolwich; the Ocean, 50, 4,045 tons, 1,000-horse power, at Devonport; the Prince Consort, 50, 4,045 tons, 1,000-horse power, at Pembroke; the Royal Oak, 50, 3,716 tons, 1,000-horse power, at Chatham; and the Royal Alfred, 50, 3,716 tons, 800-horse power, at Portsmouth. in addition to the above there are no fewer than 31 line-of-battle ships and other screw steamers now on the stocks at the several dockyards, most of which are admirably adapted for conversion into shield ships, on Captain Coles's principle. Of these the Bulwark, 91 [laid down in 1859, suspended in 1861 and finally cancelled in 1873], at Chatham; the Repulse, 91, at Woolwich; the Robust, 91 [laid down in 1859, suspended in 1861 and finally cancelled in 1872], at Devonport; and the Zealous, 91, at Pembroke, are all in a very advanced state, requiring only a comparatively small outlay to plate them with iron. There are also three first-class 51-gun figates also building - viz., the Belvidera [laid down in 1860 and cancelled in 1864] at Chatham, the Tweed [laid down 1860 and cancelled in 1864] at Pembroke, and the Dryad at Portsmouth, - which are admirably adapted for conversion into armour-plated ships. They would not require the removal of any decks, as would be the case with line-of-battle ships, but would only have to be lengthened and strengthened to enable them to bear the increased weight which would be placed on them. Of the other vessels in progress several are intended to carry 22 guns and upwards. If completed as iron-cased steamers they would be larger and of greater tonnage than either the Monitor or Merrimac. The whole of the hands have been removed from the wooden ships building at the several dockyards, and are now employed on the iron-cased frigates under construction, five of which will be afloat by the end of the present year.
Th 10 April 1862this gets replaced
Ma 11 August 1862this gets replaced
Th 6 August 1863The inspection of the [Portsmouth] dockyard by the Board will take place this morning. Yesterday Rear-Admiral Robinson visited the Orontes, screw troopship, the Hector, iron frigate, and the Racoon, corvette.
Th 19 November 1863this gets replaced
Sa 12 November 1864The following is the list of the vessels of the Royal navy which will be armed, and are now being armed, with the new description of 300-pounder and other guns in course of issue. The figures after each vessel specify the number of guns of the description mentioned she will carry. To mount the 12-ton 300-pounders:- Bellerophon, 10; Royal Sovereign, 5; Minotaur, 4; Scorpion, 4; Wiveren, 4; Prince Albert, 4; Agincourt, 4; and Northumberland, 4. To be armed with the 6½-ton guns:- The Achilles, 20; Black Prince, 20; Warrior, 20; Lord Warden, 20; Lord Clyde, 20; Royal Oak, 20; Prince Consort, 20; Royal Alfred, 20; Caledonia, 20; Ocean, 20; Minotaur, 18 ; Agincourt, 18; Valiant, 16; Zealous, 16; Hector, 16; Defence, 10; Resistance, 10; Endymion, 6; Mersey, 4; Orlando, 4, Pallas, 4; Favourite, 4; Research, 4; Enterprise, 4; Amazon, 2; Viper, 2; and Vixen, 2. To mount the 64-pounder muzzle-loader:- The Bristol, 12; Melpomene, 12; Liverpool, 12; Severn, 12; Arethusa, 12; Phoebe, 12;. Shannon, 12; Octavia, 12; Constance, 12; Sutlej, 12; Undaunted, 12; Impérieuse, 12; Aurora, 12; Leander, 12; Bacchante, 12; Emerald, 12; Phaeton, 12: Narcissus, 12; Forte, 12; Euryalus, 12; Topaz, 12; Newcastle, 12; Liffey, 12; Immortalité, 12; Glasgow, 12; Clio, 8, North Star, 8 [laid down 1860, cancelled 1865]; Racoon, 8; Challenge[r], 8; and Menai, 8 [laid down 1860, cancelled 1864]. The following will be supplied with the 64-pounder breech-loaders:- The Scout, 8; Rattlesnake, 8; Cadmus, 8; Scylla, 8; Barossa, 8; Jason, 8; Charybdis, 8; Wolverine, 8; Pylades, 8; Orestes, 8; Pearl, 8; Pelorus, 8; Satellite, 8; Acheron, 4 [laid down 1861, cancelled 1863]; Shearwater, 4; Valorous, 4; Furious, 4; Bittern, 4 [laid down 1861, cancelled 1863]; Magicienne, 4; and Columbine, 4. A supply of the 6½-ton smooth-bore 100-pounder wrought iron guns has already been received at Chatham, and it is understood that the first supply of the 300-pounder rifled 12-ton Armstrong gun may shortly be expected at the Ordnance wharf.
Fr 17 March 1865Admirals Sir Frederick Grey and R.S. Robinson, with other members of the Board of Admiralty, are expected to arrive at Portsmouth this morning and visit that portion of our ironclad fleet now lying at Spithead and in Portsmouth harbour, and a few hours cruise may possibly be taken by them off the Isle of Wight. The ships now lying at Spithead comprise the iron frigate Achilles, 20 guns, 1,250-horse power, Capt. E.W. Vansittart; the Black Prince, 40 guns, 1,250-horse power, Capt. Lord Frederick Kerr; the Royal Sovereign, 5, iron-cased turret ship, Capt. A.C. Key, C.B., temporary (of Her Majesty's ship Excellent); the Liverpool, 34, wooden frigate, 600-horse power, Capt. R. Lambert; and the Niger, 10, screw corvette, 400-horse power, Capt. Byng. The Royal Sovereign steamed out of Portsmouth harbour to Spithead yesterday morning, where she anchored near the other vessels lying there. The Edgar, a wooden screw liner, is in Portsmouth harbour fitting for her Lisbon voyage; and the Hector, iron frigate, Capt. G.W. Preedy, is also there.
The iron frigate Achilles, 20 guns, 1,250-horse power, of engines, Capt. E.W. Vansittart, made her final trial over the measured knot course in Stokes Bay, near Portsmouth, on Tuesday, with her new four-bladed propeller, which has recently been supplied to her at Devonport. The ship drew 25ft. 11in. Forward and 26ft. 11in. aft. She was supplied with "Royal Yacht" coal for the trial. This is of the kind known as Nixon's Aberdare, from the 4ft. lower seam, and from its superior quality was supplied to the Warrior on the day of her trial. The Achilles' new screw was of the same diameter and pitch as the one she broke during her last trial over the course in Stokes Bay. Plenty of steam was generated, and the results of the trial may be stated to be as follows: - Mean speed of the ship in six runs over the mile with full boiler power, 14·322 knots; mean speed in four runs with half boiler power, 12·049 knots; indicated horse power of the engines, as developed on the indicator diagrams, 5,724; pressure of steam in boilers, 26·16lb.; pressure of steam in cylinders, 25·34lb. The speed of our three largest ironclads that have yet been placed under trial is relatively thus:- Warrior, full power, 14·354 knots; Achilles, ditto, 14·322; Black Prince, ditto, 13·584. According to these figures, therefore, the Warrior still maintains her position as the fastest ship in Her Majesty's navy by about 32 thousandths of a knot in excess of the Achilles' speed. The hull of the Achilles has a mean immersion of about 3in. in excess of the hull of the Warrior, and this excess will fully account for the slight difference in speed between the two ships. Both vessels have engines made from the same patterns by Messrs. John Penn and Sons, and the detailed working out of the trials gives an astonishing similarity in the results attained by the power exerted by the engines in comparison with the area of each ship's midship section.
(various)this gets replaced
Th 7 September 1865The ships composing the Channel fleet at Spithead, consisting of the Edgar (flag), Achilles, Black Prince, Prince Consort, Hector, Defence, Research, and Trinculo gun vessel, have filled up with coals, stores, and provisions, and are under orders to sail for Portland and a cruise westward. The Salamis, despatch vessel, requires sundry repairs, which may probably detain her a short time at Spithead after the departure of the fleet.
Fr 21 September 1866Her Majesty's fleet of ironclad screw steam vessels which have assembled in Portland harbour during the past week from Portsmouth and Plymouth is composed of the following ships: - The Caledonia, 30 guns, Captain the Hon. Fitzgerald A. C. Foley, flagship of Rear-Admiral Hastings R. Yelverton, chief in command of the fleet; the Lord Clyde, 24 guns, Capt. Roderick Dew, C.B., flagship of Rear-Admiral Frederick Warden, C.B., second in command of the fleet; the Achilles, 26 guns, Capt. Edward Vansittart; Bellerophon, 14 guns, Capt. Edward Tatham; Ocean, 23 guns, Capt. C.S. Stanhope; Hector, 20 guns, Capt. William G. Luard; Pallas, 6 guns, Capt. Matthew Connolly; Research, 4 guns, Capt. Robert E. A. Scott; Wivern (turret-ship), 4 guns, Capt. H.T. Burgoyne, V.C.,; Pigeon gunboat, tender to the Caledonia; and Helicon, paddle, despatch boat for the fleet. The squadron got up steam early on Thursday morning, and at 10 30 a.m. the Lord Clyde was the first to weigh anchor, followed in Indian file by the Achilles, the Pallas, and the Research, which formed the first division. The Caledonia then followed, leading the second division, and in succession the Bellerophon, the Hector, the Ocean, and the Wivern weighed anchor. After rounding the breakwater and getting to the southward of the Shambles lightship, the fleet formed in two divisions, and, under easy steam, bore away for the westward with a fresh westerly wind and overcast sky. If the fleet is, as is already stated in the public journals, gone to seek bad weather, there seems every probability of their meeting with it in the Chops of the Channel, whither they are about to proceed. After a fortnight's cruise it is anticipated the fleet will again return to Portland harbour to await instructions from the Admiralty as to their future movements.
Fr 14 February 1868OUR IRON-CLAD FLEET. — A return likely to be called for annually has been laid before Parliament, giving an account of our iron-clad fleet built, building, or ordered. The return, which is dated the 30th of August, 1867, contains a list of 31 ships then completed, 13 of them wholly armour-clad, and 18 partially. They are: — The Black Prince, 32 guns; Warrior, 32; Defence, 16; Resistance, 16; Achilles, 26; Hector, 18: Valiant, 18; Minotaur, 26; Agincourt, 26; Northumberland, 26; Royal Oak, 24; Prince Consort, 24; Caledonia, 24; Ocean, 24; Royal Alfred 18; Zealous, 20; Bellerophon, 15; Lord Clyde, 24; Lord Warden, 18; Penelope, 11; Pallas, 8; Favourite, 10; Research, 4; Enterprise, 4; Waterwitch, 2; Vixen, 2; Viper, 2; Royal Sovereign, 5; Prince Albert, 4; Scorpion, 4; Wivern, 4. Twenty-one of these ships are of more than 3,000 tons each. Six other ships were at the date of this return building; two to be wholly armour-clad, and four partially; the Hercules, just launched; the Monarch, 6 guns, to be launched in June; the Captain, 6, the Repulse, 12, to be launched in April; the Audacious, 14, in December; and the Invincible, 14, in March, 1869. All these six ships exceed 3,700 tons. Another, the Bellona, is ordered [and apparently later cancelled]. Lastly, there are the four wholly armour-clad batteries launched in 1855 and 1856, the Erebus, Terror, Thunderbolt, and Thunder; the three first of 16 guns, and the last 14, their tonnage ranging from 1,469 to 1,973. The first cost of the 31 iron-clad ships completed amounted in the whole to 7,284,294l. This includes fittings, but the accounts for some of the latter ships are not yet closed, and this sum does not include incidental and establishment charges. These last indirect charges, calculated in accordance with the recommendation of the Committee on Dockyard Manufactures, add about 35 per cent. to the gross direct charges for labour and materials expended upon each ship in the financial year 1864-65, about 51 per cent. for 1865-66, and the year 1866-67 is for the present estimated to show the same ratio of 51 per cent. These indirect charges have amounted, on the Bellerophon, to no less than 114,372l.; Lord Warden, 104.292l., with a further addition to follow: Royal Alfred, 69,999l., also liable to some addition; Lord Clyde, 66,964l.; Pallas, 61,076l. The most costly of the ships have been the Minotaur, 450,774l.; the Agincourt, 446,048l., both of them with unsettled claims for extra payment; the Northumberland, 433,130l., with the accounts not yet closed; the Achilles, 444,590l.; and the Hercules, estimated at 401,000l. Further sums have to be added to the cost of these ships for dockyard, incidental, and establishment charges.
Ma 17 May 1869Mr. Chiders, First Lord of the Admiralty, Vice-Admiral Sir Sidney Colpoys Dacres, K.C.B., and other gentlemen connected with the Admiralty, arrived at Portland by rail from London yesterday afternoon, and at once proceeded to the armour-plated ship Agincourt, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Astley Cooper Key, C.B. Their lordships were received with the customary salute, and on their arrival on board the Agincourt the Admiralty flag was hoisted at the main. The whole of the vessels composing the Naval Reserve Squadron, consisting of the Agincourt, 26; Black Prince, 41; Hector, 20; Valiant, 24; Duncan, 81; Trafalgar, 60; Royal George, 72; Donegal, 81; St. George, 72 ; Mersey, 36; Cadmus, 21; Scylla, 21; and the paddle-wheel despatch boat Helicon, put to sea this morning shortly after 5 o?clock. The wind at the time of their departure was blowing strongly from the eastward, but so great is the harbour accommodation that the ships had no difficulty whatever in taking up their assigned berths between the end of the great breakwater and the north shore. The iron-clad vessels formed the starboard division, and the wooden two-deckers, frigates, and corvettes the port division.
The spectacle presented on the squadron leaving the harbour was fine in the extreme, The atmosphere, unfortunately, became rather hazy shortly after they left, and the vessels were soon out of sight from the shore. The great capabilities of the harbour at Portland were, perhaps, never better exemplified than on this occasion, for, in addition to these large ships, forming the Reserve Squadron, there were upwards of 60 vessels belonging to the mercantile marine at anchor, yet there were ample space and shelter under cover of the breakwater to accommodate at least an equal number of vessels in addition.
Ma 12 July 1880It is proposed to pay off and lay up, after repair, at Devonport, during the present year the Achilles and Agincourt, now with the Channel Squadron, the Condor and Flamingo, now in the Mediterranean, but commissioned for special service in the Black Sea, the Wild Swan, from the East Indies, and the Modeste, Swinger, Sylvia, Hornet, and Midge from the China station. The two latter will pay off at Hongkong and be navigated home by a supernumerary crew is consequence of the majority of their officers and men having volunteered for other service upon the station. The Wivern will also pay off at Hongkong, but will remain as reserve drill ship upon that station. The Devonport reserve contingent will also be strengthened by the return of the Forward from the south-east coast of America, the Griffon from North America and the West Indies, and the Pelican, Penguin, and Shannon from the Pacific. Portsmouth will receive the Minotaur from the Mediterranean, and will be intrusted with her alteration and repair, for which £100,000 will be required, the Swallow and the Elk from the south-east coast of America, the Plover from North America, and the Hector, now Coastguard ship at Southampton. The Fawn, surveying vessel in the Sea of Marmora, having made a fairly accurate sketch of the bed of that sea during the three years she has been engaged on that duty, will return to Chatham to pay off and lay up, as also will the Téméraire from the Mediterranean, and the Tourmaline from the North American coast. Sheerness will have the repairing and charge of the Helicon from the Mediterranean, the Blanche from North America and the West Indies, the Osprey from the Pacific, and the Ruby, Spartan, and Vulture from the East Indies. During the year the Enchantress, the Orontes, the Jackal, the Orwell, and the Foxhound are to be re-commissioned, the latter at Hongkong.


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