HMS Shannon (1875)

HMS Shannon as she appeared after her 1881 refit.
History
United Kingdom
NameHMS Shannon
BuilderPembroke Dockyard
Laid down29 August 1873[1]
Launched11 November 1875
Commissioned17 September 1877
FateSold for scrapping 12 December 1899
General characteristics
Displacement5,670 tons
Length260 ft (79 m)
Beam54 ft (16.5 m)
Draught22 ft 3 in (6.78 m)
Propulsion
  • Sail
  • As built, with 24,000 sq ft (2,200 m2) of sail
  • reduced shortly afterwards to 21,500 sq ft (2,000 m2)
  • Coal fired Laird compound horizontal steam engine
  • 8 × cylindrical boilers
  • single screw
  • 3,370 ihp (2,510 kW)
Speed12.25 knots (22.69 km/h; 14.10 mph) maximum
Range
  • Bunker capacity originally 280 tons coal
  • later increased to 560 tons
  • sails allowed range only limited by food and water capacity.
Complement452
Armament
Armour
  • Belt: 6 to 9 in (150 to 230 mm) on 10 to 13 in (250 to 330 mm) teak
  • Deck: 1.5 to 3 in (38 to 76 mm)
  • Bulkheads: 8 to 9 in (200 to 230 mm)
  • Conning tower: 9 in (230 mm)

The eighth HMS Shannon was the first British armoured cruiser. She was the last Royal Navy ironclad to be built which had a propeller that could be hoisted out of the water to reduce drag when she was under sail, and the first to have an armoured deck.

  1. ^ Conway's says laid down 29 August 1873. Parkes says 29 September 1873.