HDMS Galathea (1831)

HDMS Galathea by C. Fahl, 1818
History
Denmark
NameHDMS Galathea
Builder
Yard number24
Laid down2 April 1831
Launched6 October 1831
Commissioned1833
Decommissioned4 July 1861
HomeportCopenhagen
Denmark
NameGalathea
OwnerTradinghouse Mohr & Kjær
In service1862
Out of service1875
HomeportCopenhagen
Norway
NameGalathea
In service1875
Out of service1889
HomeportArendal
FateWrecked at Oran, Algeria in 1889
General characteristics
Class and typeCorvette
Length43.5 m (143 ft)
Beam10.5 m (34 ft)
Draught4.5 m (15 ft)
Sail planFull-rigged ship, 1560 m2
Speedup to 11 knots
Complement216
Armament26 × 18 pound cannons, 6 × 4 pound howitzer

HDMS Galathea was a three-masted corvette of the Royal Danish Navy, constructed at Gammelholm to designs by Andreas Shifter in 1831. She is above all remembered for being the ship that undertook the First Galathea Expedition, 1845–1847. On two occasions, first in 1833 and later in 1839, Galathea was also instrumental in picking some of Bertel Thorvaldsen's artworks up in Rome and bringing them back to Denmark.