HMS Phoebe (1854)
HMS Phoebe (1854)


Royal NavyVessels

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NamePhoebe (1854)Explanation
TypeFourth rate TypeFrigate
Launched (Sail)12 April 1854 Converted to screw10 April 1860
HullWooden Length241 feet
PropulsionSail Men525
Builders measure2044 tons Builders measure (as screw)2895 tons
Displacement  Displacement (as screw)3584 tons
Guns51 Guns (as screw)51
Fate1875 Last in commission1870
Class    
Ships bookADM 135/362   
Snippets concerning career prior to conversion
DateEvent
12 April 1854Launched as 4th rate sailing ship at Devonport Dockyard.
Career as unarmoured wooden screw vessel
DateEvent
10 April 1860Undocked as screw at Devonport Dockyard.
17 September 1862
- 10 May 1865
Commanded (from commissioning at Plymouth) by Captain Thomas Dyce Acland Fortescue, Mediterranean (until Fortescue died)
16 May 1865
- 29 June 1866
Commanded (until paying off at Plymouth) by Captain William Rae Rolland, Mediterranean
6 May 1867
- 29 November 1870
Commanded (from commissioning at Plymouth until paying off) by Captain John Bythesea, Channel squadron, then the West Indies, then 1869 flying squadron (joining at Bahia on 4 August 1869)
6 April 1876Sold to Castle for breaking up at Charlton.
Extracts from the Times newspaper
DateExtract
Th 13 September 1860The following ships and gunboats in the first-class steam reserve could be got ready for the pendant at a short notice:- The Windsor Castle, 100; the Revenge, 91; the Orlando, 60; the Forth, 12; the Seahorse, 12; the Merlin, 6; and the Hyena, the Gleaner, the Nightingale, the Steady, the Spider, the Delight, the Goldfinch, the Charon, and the Lark. The following, in Keyham steam yard, are in a forward state:- The Howe, 121; the Gibraltar, 101; the Brunswick, 80; the Phoebe, 51; the Narcissus, 51; the Jason, 21; and the Desperate, 8.
Fr 28 August 1863The following are Her Majesty's ships at present in Malta harbour:- The Hibernia, receiving ship (bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral H.T. Austin, C.B.), the Phoebe, 35, the Malacca, 17, the Cossack, 20, the Medina, surveying vessel, the Foxhound, 4, the Psyche, 2, and the Growler and the Boxer, tenders. The 4th battalion Rifle Brigade, 2d battalion 15th Regiment, and 1st battalion 23d Royal Welsh Fusiliers, are under orders to leave for Gibraltar, and will be replaced here by the 2d battalion 7th, 2d battalion 8th, and 100th Regiments. Her Majesty's iron troopship Orontes, Capt. Hire, will effect these changes of troops. She is expected about the 25th or 26th inst. with the 7d Regiment and will return to Gibraltar with the Rifles. She will then embark the 8th and 100th successively, returning-to Gibraltar with the 15th and 23d, in their numerical order.
Fr 16 October 1863We have received the following letter from our Malta correspondent, dated Valetta, October 10:-
"Letters from the fleet in Greek waters give the following news:- The latest date is the 3d inst. The country continues in a tranquil state, the arrival of the new King being looked forward to with feelings of pleasing expectation and deep interest. Her Majesty's ship Revenge, 73 (bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Yelverton, C.B.), which is to escort the young King from a port in France to his new dominions, does not leave Malta for Toulon until Monday next, the 12th inst. Her orders are to be at Toulon by the 15th, and the King is not expected there till the 22d or 23d. It is reported that the Orlando, 46, Capt. G.G. Randolph, which left the Piraeus on the 25th ult. for Corfu, and the West Coast of Greece, will form part of the escort squadron. The following ships of war are at present at the Piraeus:- English.- Marlborough, 121, Capt. C. Fellowes (bearing the flag of Vice-Admiral Smart, K.H.); Trafalgar, 70, Capt. T. Mason; the Queen, 74, Capt. F. Hillyar; the St. George, 84, Capt. the Hon. F. Egerton (in Salamis Bay); and the Boxer, 2, gunboat, Lieut.-Commander F.S.D. Broughton, tender to the Marlborough. French.- The Magicienne, 23, screw frigate, bearing the flag of the Rear-Admiral commanding; the Tangier, 4, and the Mouette, 4, paddlewheel steamers. Austrian.- The Dandolo, 22, screw corvette; and the Wall, 4, screw gunboat. Italian.- The Tancrede, 4, paddlewheel steamer. Turkish.- The Broussa, 22, screw corvette. Greek.- The Athens, 6, paddlewheel steamer, and a screw gunboat. The English paddlewheel frigate Magicienne, 16, Capt. W. Armytage, sailed from the Piraeus on the 1st inst. for Nauplia and Patras. The Pelican, 17, screw corvette, Acting-Commander Bogle, was expected at Athens about the 10th inst. from Beyrout. She was to return and winter on the coast of Syria. The Liffey, 35, screw frigate, Capt. G. Parker, was also to winter on some part of that station. The Cossack, 22, Capt. W.R. Rolland, and the Icarus, 11, Commander N. Salmon, V. C.. are at present there. Report says that the Marlborough will shortly return to Malta. The Admiral intends, however, to remain at the Piraeus, and hoist his flag on board the Queen. The three men who perpetrated the cowardly murder of a marine belonging to Her Majesty's gunboat Foxhound some months since are about to be brought to trial before the Criminal Court of Athens, the decision of which will be final. The Trident, 3, iron paddlewheel sloop, Commander C.J. Balfour, arrived at the Piraeus on the 25th ult. from Malta with a mail and despatches, and returned on the 6th inst., bringing despatches and letters from the squadron; also three naval cadets and an assistant-clerk for the Meeanee, and two naval cadets for the Phoebe. She steamed from the Piraeus to Kalamata, where she communicated with the Wanderer, 4, gunboat, Commander M.C. Seymour, and performed the remaining portion of the voyage to Malta, with the exception of the last 12 hours, under sail, acquitting herself better than was expected. The Liffey was expected at Kalamata on the 11th inst. The Foxhound, 4, gunboat, Commander W.H. Anderson, left Malta on the 1st inst. for the Piraeus, and the Meeanee, 60, Capt. G. Wodehouse, quitted port on the 8th for the same destination, both taking mails and despatches for the squadron. The following mail will probably be conveyed by the Trident. The Caradoc, despatch-vessel, Lieut.-Commander E. Wilkinson, is at Constantinople; the Weser, 6, Commander A.H.J. Johnstone, and the Cockatrice, 2, Lieut.- Commander Gillson, are on the Danube station; and the Procris, gunboat. Lieut.-Commander the Hon. J.B. Vivian, is at Gibraltar. There are at present in Malta harbour the receiving ship Hibernia (bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral H.T. Austen, C.B.), Commander R.B. Harvey; the Revenge, 73 (bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral H. R. Yelverton, C.B). Capt. the Hon. F.A. Foley; the Chanticleer, 17, Commander C. Sterling (lately arrived from Syria); the Medina, surveying vessel, Capt. T.A.B. Spratt, C.B. (awaiting her relief the Hydra, 6, paddle-sloop, from England); the Trident, 3, Commander C.J. Balfour; the Psyche, despatch-vessel, Lieut.-Commander Sterne, and the Growler, tender to the Medina (arrived on the 2d inst. from Sicily). The Revenge, having got ashore on the mud at Navarino, was on arrival here admitted into dock for examination. No damage was discovered but what a few sheets of copper will make good. The Phoebe has also been into dock to have her bottom cleaned and examined. Her broken engine is being repaired here, and it will he necessary to cast a new cylinder. It is not expected she will be ready for sea again in much less than three months. Her Majesty's iron screw transport Orontes, 2, Capt. W.H. Hire, which brought here on Wednesday evening, the 30th ult., the 2d Battalion 8th Regiment, under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Woods, from Gibraltar, left on return to Gibraltar on Monday, the 5th inst., with the 2d battalion 15th Regiment, under the command of Major Fulton, from this garrison, to replace the former regiment at Gibraltar. She will return with the 100th (Royal Canadian) Regiment, and take away from this the 23d (Royal Welsh) Fusiliers. which have been for some time under order to proceed to Gibraltar in exchange for the 100th. The 8th Regiment is now quartered in Verdala Barracks, on the other aide of the harbour. ... A Prussian steam corvette, the Preussischer Adler, Commodore G. Klatt, and two gunboats, the Basilisk, Lieut. H. Schan, and the Blitz, Lieut. M'Lean, have lately arrived in the Mediterranean from the Baltic, and touched here on their way to the Levant. They left on Sunday and Monday last for Athens, where the Blitz is to remain until further orders. The Preussischer Adler and the Basilisk will go on, the former to be stationed at Constantinople, and the latter on the Danube. They are likely to remain in these waters for two or three years. The Malacca, 17, screw corvette, Capt. G J. Napier, came in this morning in five days from Missolonghi. She is on her way home, having been ordered to England in consequence of legal proceedings having been taken by one of her former officers (Lieut. Armitage) who was dismissed the service by court-martial, and who has brought a charge of conspiracy against certain persons belonging to this ship, who gave evidence in the case. Deputy-Commissary-General Horne arrived to-night by the Euxine from China on his way home. He remains a week at Malta."
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.
Tu 23 May 1865We have received the following letter from our Malta correspondent, dated Valetta, May 13:-
"It is with much regret I have to announce the death of Capt. T.D.A. Fortescue, lately commanding Her Majesty's ship Phoebe, 35, which took place on the morning of the 10th inst., from inflammation of the lungs, six hours after his admission into the Royal Naval Hospital at Bighi. The Phoebe had only arrived that morning from Marseilles, whither she had conveyed the Prince and Princess Hohenlohe-Langerberg. On the news becoming known the ships hoisted their colours half-mast, and the Phoebe 'topped' her yards, and put on the customary signs of mourning. The funeral took place yesterday afternoon, with military honours."
Tu 29 August 1865

THE BOMBAY MAILS.

Southampton, Monday evening.

The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamship Euxine, Captain N. Roskell, arrived at 7 p.m. with the heavy portion of the Bombay mails. She brings 63 passengers, 4,262 l. in specie, 1,992 bales of silk, 40 turtles, and 250 packages of sundries.
Her Majesty's ships Magicienne, Pelican, Phoebe, Psyche, and Weser were at Malta; and the Procris and Redpole at Gibraltar. The Racoon, Captain Count Gleichen, ten days from Portsmouth, arrived at Gibraltar on the 20th, and proceeded to the eastward almost immediately without anchoring.

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