Cowper Phipps Coles | |
|---|---|
 Coles in an 1870 illustration | |
| Born | July 9, 1819 |
| Died | September 7, 1870 (aged 51) Cape Finisterre |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service | Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1830–1870 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Commands | HMS Stromboli HMS Royal Sovereign |
| Battles / wars | |
| Spouse(s) | Emily Pearson (m. 1856) |
| Relations | Sherard Osborn Cowper-Coles (son) Edmund Lyons, 1st Baron Lyons (uncle) |
Captain Cowper Phipps Coles CB (1819 – 7 September 1870), was an English naval captain with the Royal Navy. Coles was also an inventor; in 1859, he was the first to patent a design for a revolving gun turret. Upon appealing for public support, his turrets were installed on HMS Prince Albert and HMS Royal Sovereign. Coles died in a maritime accident in 1870 when HMS Captain, an experimental warship built to his designs, capsized and sank with him on board.