HMS Lord Warden
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HMS Lord Warden was the second and last ship of the wooden-hulled Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities". of armoured frigates[Note 1] built for the Royal Navy (RN) during the 1860s. She and her sister ship, Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities"., were the heaviest wooden ships ever built and were also the fastest steaming wooden ships. They were also the slowest-sailing ironclads in the RN.[1]
After a brief deployment with the Channel Squadron upon commissioning in 1867, Lord Warden was transferred to the Mediterranean Squadron later that year. She became the squadron flagship in 1869 and retained that duty until 1875 when she returned home for a refit. Upon recommissioning the following year, the ship became the guardship of the First Reserve in the Firth of Forth. Lord Warden was mobilised in 1878 when war with Russia seemed imminent during the Russo-Turkish War. She was paid off in 1885 and broken up in 1889.
Design and description
Lord Warden was Script error: No such module "convert". long between perpendiculars and had a beam of Script error: No such module "convert".. The ship had a draught of Script error: No such module "convert". forward and Script error: No such module "convert". aft. She displaced Script error: No such module "convert". and had a tonnage of 4,080 tons burthen.[2]
Lord Warden had a low centre of gravity which meant that she rolled very badly; she was said to be second only to her sister as the worst roller in the Victorian fleet. This characteristic was so dramatic that when the rolling propensities of ships were compared, it was usual to say "as bad a roller as the Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".", the Lord Clydes being beyond compare. In sea trials in 1867 with Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities"., Lord Warden was taking water through her gun ports, while Bellerophon could have fought her main armament in safety.[3] She was, however, very handy and sailed well in all weathers under sail or steam.[4] Her crew consisted of 605 officers and ratings.[1]
Propulsion
The ship had a single three-cylinder horizontal-return, connecting-rod steam engine, made by Maudslay, Sons and Field, that drove a single propeller[5] using steam provided by nine rectangular boilers.[6] The engine produced Script error: No such module "convert". during sea trials on 13 September 1867 which gave Lord Warden a speed of Script error: No such module "convert". under steam.[1] The engine proved to be the most powerful and the most reliable ever placed in a wooden hull for the Royal Navy. She carried a maximum of Script error: No such module "convert". of coal.[7]
Lord Warden was ship-rigged with three masts and had a sail area of Script error: No such module "convert"..[8] To reduce drag, the funnels were telescopic and could be lowered. Her best speed under sail alone was Script error: No such module "convert"., nearly the slowest of any British ironclad.[4]
Armament
The ship was designed to carry an armament of 14 rifled muzzle-loading (RML) guns eight-inch and 2 RML seven-inch guns.[1] Lord Warden was completed, however, with a pair of RML nine-inch guns, 14 RML Script error: No such module "convert". guns, and 2 RML Script error: No such module "convert". guns. The latter guns served as forward chase guns on the main deck where they were very wet and useless in a head sea. One of the Script error: No such module "convert". guns was the forward chase gun on the upper deck and the other became the stern chase gun on the main deck. A dozen of the Script error: No such module "convert". guns were mounted on the main deck on the broadside amidships and the remaining pair were positioned on the quarterdeck on the broadside.[9]
The shell of the nine-inch gun weighed Script error: No such module "convert". while the gun itself weighed Script error: No such module "convert".. It had a muzzle velocity of Script error: No such module "convert". and was rated with the ability to penetrate Script error: No such module "convert". of wrought-iron armour. The eight-inch gun weighed Script error: No such module "convert".; it fired a Script error: No such module "convert". shell at a muzzle velocity of Script error: No such module "convert". and was credited with the ability to penetrate Script error: No such module "convert". of armour. The seven-inch gun weighed Script error: No such module "convert". and fired a Script error: No such module "convert". shell that was able penetrate Script error: No such module "convert". of armour.[10]
Armour
The entire side of Lord WardenTemplate:'s hull, except for the side of the upper deck, was protected by wrought-iron armour that tapered from Script error: No such module "convert". at the ends to Script error: No such module "convert". amidships. It extended Script error: No such module "convert". below the waterline. The forward chase guns on the upper deck were protected by 4.5-inch armour plates on the sides of the hull and a 4.5-inch transverse bulkhead to their rear protected them from raking fire. The armour was backed by Script error: No such module "convert". of oak and the Script error: No such module "convert". iron skin of the ship.[11]
Construction and service
Lord Warden, named after the position of the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports,[12] was ordered on 25 May 1863 from Chatham Naval Dockyard. She was laid down on 24 December 1863,[13] and launched on 27 May 1865.[14] The ship was commissioned in July 1867 to run her sea trials and completed on 30 August,[13] for the cost of £328,998,[15] or £322,843, exclusive of armament.[16]
After a few months service with the Channel Squadron, Lord Warden was posted to the Mediterranean.[17] On 30 January 1868, the wooden steam frigate Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities". was caught by a squall whilst taking up her berth in Valletta Harbour, Malta. She collided with the Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters"., knocking off her bowsprit and then collided with Lord Warden, damaging some of the latter's boats and an accommodation ladder. Endymion was reported to be undamaged.[18] On 3 May, she ran aground in the Mediterranean. Repairs cost £2,409. A lieutenant was severely reprimanded and lost a year's seniority.[19] Lord Warden relieved Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities". as the squadron flagship in 1869 and served in this position until 1875. In March 1872, Lord Clyde ran aground herself whilst attempting to rescue a British steamship that had gone aground off the island of Pantellaria. Attempts to lighten Lord Clyde enough to float her off were futile, but Lord Warden was able to pull the ship free and tow her to Malta for repair.
In 1875, she returned to the UK for a refit that lasted until the following year.[20]
Upon recommissioning, Lord Warden was assigned to the First Reserve, where she served as a guardship in the Firth of Forth.[8] In this role, she went on annual summer cruises to various ports. During the Russo-Turkish War, she was mobilised and assigned to the Particular Service Squadron formed from all of the ships of the First Reserve, due to concerns that the victorious Russians might be about to attack Constantinople, forcing Great Britain to intervene, but nothing transpired and the ship returned to the Forth after making her summer cruise to Ireland and participating in a fleet review of the Particular Service Squadron by Queen Victoria on 13 August 1878.[21] Lord Warden was equipped in 1884 with torpedo launchers and torpedo nets[17] before the ship was paid off the following year with her crew being transferred en masse to Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities"..[8] She was broken up in 1889.[6]
Notes
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- ↑ Ironclad is the all-encompassing term for armored warships of this period. Armoured frigates were basically designed for the same role as traditional wooden frigates, but this later changed as the size and expense of these ships forced them to be used in the line of battle.
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Footnotes
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- ↑ a b c d Parkes, p. 94
- ↑ Ballard, p. 241
- ↑ Parkes, pp. 57, 97
- ↑ a b Ballard, p. 82
- ↑ Ballard, p. 80
- ↑ a b Roberts, p. 13
- ↑ Ballard, pp. 81, 246
- ↑ a b c Parkes, p. 97
- ↑ Parkes, p. 96
- ↑ Roberts, p. 6
- ↑ Ballard, pp. 77–78
- ↑ Silverstone, p. 248
- ↑ a b Ballard, p. 240
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Parkes, p. 93
- ↑ Reed, p. 218
- ↑ a b Ballard, p. 85
- ↑ Script error: No such module "template wrapper".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Ballard, pp. 84–85
- ↑ Wells, pp. 160, 162
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References
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External links
Template:Lord Clyde-class ironclad Template:1868 shipwrecks Template:1872 shipwrecks