HMS Camperdown (1885)

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Camperdown.
HMS Camperdown
History
Name: HMS Camperdown
Namesake: Admiral Adam Duncan, 1st Viscount Duncan of Camperdown
Builder: Portsmouth Dockyard
Laid down: 18 December 1882
Launched: 24 November 1885
Completed: July 1889
Fate: Sold 1911; broken up
General characteristics [1]
Class and type: Admiral-class battleship
Displacement: 10,600 long tons (10,800 t)
Length: 330 ft (100 m)
Beam: 68 ft 6 in (20.88 m)
Draught: 27 ft 3 in (8.31 m) maximum
Installed power:
  • 7,500 ihp (5,600 kW) (normal)
  • 11,500 ihp (8,600 kW) (forced draught)
Propulsion:
Speed: 17.1 kn (19.7 mph; 31.7 km/h) (forced draught)
Complement: 530
Armament:
Armour:
  • Belt: 18 in (46 cm) (upper strake); 8 in (20 cm) (lower strake)
  • Bulkheads: 7–16 in (178–406 mm)
  • Barbettes: 10–11.5 in (25–29 cm)
  • Conning Tower: 2–12 in (5.1–30.5 cm)
  • Battery Screens: 6 in (15 cm)
  • Deck: 2.5–3 in (6.4–7.6 cm) (upper); 2.5 in (6.4 cm) (lower)

HMS Camperdown was an Admiral-class battleship of the Royal Navy, named after Adam Duncan, 1st Viscount Duncan of Camperdown.

Design

Gun drill aboard Camperdown with the QF 6-pounder Nordenfelt guns

She was a full sister to Anson, and was an improved version of the earlier Howe and Rodney. In comparison to these earlier ships, she had an increased thickness of barbette armour, and a lengthened armour belt. The extra armour carried increased the displacement by 350 long tons (360 t); in order not to increase the draught, she was lengthened by 5 ft (1.5 m) and was given 6 in (15 cm) more beam.

The 13.5 in (340 mm) guns were carried in two pairs, in barbettes positioned on the centre-line at either end of the superstructure. They were carried at a height of 20 ft (6.1 m) above the full-load water-line, and possessed firing arcs of some 270°. Each shell weighed 1,250 lb (570 kg), and would penetrate 27 in (69 cm) of iron at a range of 1,000 yd (910 m).

History

Camperdown's damaged bow after her 22 June 1893 collision with battleship Victoria.

She was commissioned at Portsmouth on 18 July 1889, and initially went into reserve. In December 1889 she was posted to the Mediterranean Fleet as flagship, where she remained until being posted as flagship of the Channel Fleet in May 1890. She was paid off in May 1892 into Fleet reserve, recommissioning in July 1892 into the Mediterranean Fleet. On 22 June 1893, she collided with and sank the battleship Victoria with 358 deaths, including Vice-Admiral Sir George Tryon. In September 1899, she went into Category B reserve, and in May 1900 into Dockyard reserve. In July 1900 she commissioned as a coast guard ship at Lough Swilly until May 1903. During early Summer (April to June) 1902 she visited Portsmouth for repairs to her steam capstan.[2] After paying off in 1903, she was in reserve at Chatham until 1908, and was employed at Harwich as a berthing ship for submarines until she was sold in 1911.

Commanding officers

Notes

  1. ↑ Chesneau, Koleśnik & Campbell 1979, p. 29.
  2. ↑ "Naval and Military intelligence". The Times (36735). London. 7 April 1902. p. 8.
  3. 1 2 "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times (36391). London. 1 March 1901. p. 11.

References

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