HMS Magdala (1870)

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Magdala with awnings rigged
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HMS Magdala was a Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities". breastwork monitor of the Royal Navy, built specifically to serve as a coastal defence ship for the harbour of Bombay (now Mumbai) in the late 1860s. She was ordered by the India Office for the Bombay Marine. The original specifications were thought to be too expensive and a cheaper design was ordered. While limited to harbour defence duties, the breastwork monitors were described by Admiral George Alexander Ballard as being like "full-armoured knights riding on donkeys, easy to avoid but bad to close with."[1] Aside from gunnery practice Magdala remained in Bombay Harbour for her entire career. The ship was sold for scrap in 1903.

Design and description

In July 1866 the India Office asked for two floating batteries to defend Bombay and the Controller of the Navy, Vice Admiral Spencer Robinson recommended that monitors be used. He recommended a design with Script error: No such module "convert". armour belt and Script error: No such module "convert". protecting the gun turret, armed with the largest possible guns, which would cost £220,000.[2] The India Office thought that this was too expensive and ordered a repeat of Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". instead for only £132,400.[3]

The ships had a length between perpendiculars of Script error: No such module "convert"., a beam of Script error: No such module "convert"., and a draught of Script error: No such module "convert". at deep load. They displaced Script error: No such module "convert".. Their crew consisted of 155 officers and men.[4]

Propulsion

Magdala had two horizontal direct-acting steam engines, made by Ravenhill, each driving a single propeller.[5] The ship's boilers had a working pressure of Script error: No such module "convert".. The engines produced a total of Script error: No such module "convert". on 21 October 1870 during the ship's sea trials which gave her a maximum speed of Script error: No such module "convert".. Magdala carried Script error: No such module "convert". of coal,[6] enough to steam Script error: No such module "convert". at Script error: No such module "convert"..[5]

Armament

The Cerberus-class ships mounted a pair of 10-inch rifled muzzle-loading guns in each hand-worked turret. The shell of the Script error: No such module "convert". gun weighed Script error: No such module "convert". while the gun itself weighed Script error: No such module "convert".. The gun had a muzzle velocity of Script error: No such module "convert". and was credited with the ability to penetrate a nominal Script error: No such module "convert". of wrought iron armour at Script error: No such module "convert".. The guns could fire both solid shot and explosive shells.[7] Magdala was rearmed in 1892 with four breech-loading BL 8-inch guns.[4]

Armour

The Cerberus-class ships had a complete wrought iron waterline belt that was Script error: No such module "convert". thick amidships and thinned to Script error: No such module "convert". at the ends. The superstructure and conning tower were fully armoured, the reason it was called a breastwork, with Script error: No such module "convert". of wrought iron. The gun turrets had Script error: No such module "convert". on their faces and Script error: No such module "convert". on the sides and rear. All of the vertical armour was backed by Script error: No such module "convert". of teak. The decks were Script error: No such module "convert". thick, backed by Script error: No such module "convert". of teak.[8]

Service

HMS Magdala was laid down on 6 October 1868 by the Thames Ironworks in Leamouth, London. She was launched on 2 March 1870 and completed in November 1870. For her delivery voyage to India, Magdala was fitted with three temporary masts and made the trip under sail in the middle of winter without escort, as both her builders and the Royal Navy, considered her sufficiently seaworthy as to make the trip safely. Her life thereafter was wholly spent in Bombay Harbour, with occasional short trips to sea for firing practice.[9] She was sold for scrap in January 1903.[10]

Notes

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  1. ↑ Ballard, p. 219
  2. ↑ Brown, p. 57
  3. ↑ Parkes, p. 167
  4. ↑ a b Roberts, p. 21
  5. ↑ a b Silverstone, p. 165
  6. ↑ Ballard, pp. 248–49
  7. ↑ Roberts, p. 6
  8. ↑ Parkes, pp. 167–68
  9. ↑ Parkes, p. 169
  10. ↑ Silverstone, p. 249

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References

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External links

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