RN Monitors: Cyclops Class

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Brian James
Posts: 8764
Joined: Sun Aug 12, 2018 6:58 am

RN Monitors: Cyclops Class

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Lead Ship, Ironclad Breastwork Monitor HMS Cyclops pictured c1889..HMS Cyclops was laid down on September 10th 1870 at Thames Ironworks Shipyard, London. She was launched on July 18th 1871 and commissioned in January 1872. She was towed to Devonport that same month for what proved to be a very lengthy fitting out period that was not completed until 4 May 4th 1877, Cyclops cost £156,782 to build...The Cyclops Class ships were modified versions of the Cerberus Class. They displaced 3,480 long tons. Their crew consisted of 156 officers and men. The ships had two 4-cylinder inverted compound steam engines, each driving a single propeller shaft. The engines produced a total of 1,528 indicated horsepower, on December 30th 1871 during her sea trials she reached a maximum speed of 10.79 knots. She carried 250 long tons of coal, enough to steam 3,000 nautical miles at 10 knots.
She mounted four 10 inch rifled muzzle-loading guns in twin-gun turrets fore and aft of the superstructure. The guns could fire both solid shot and explosive shells They were mounted on carriages that used hydraulic jacks to elevate and depress the guns.
She had a complete waterline belt of wrought iron that was 8 inches thick amidships and thinned to 6 inches at the ends. The superstructure and conning tower was fully armoured, the reason it was called a Breastwork, with 8–9 inches of wrought iron. The gun turrets had 10 inches on their faces and 9 inches on the sides and rear. All of the vertical armour was backed by 9–11 inches of teak. Her decks were 1.5 inches thick...She was ordered to satisfy demands for local defence during the war scare of 1870, but the pace of construction slowed tremendously as the perceived threat of war declined. She spent most of her career in reserve; her only sustained period in commission was four months in Portland Harbour, during the Russo-Turkish War in 1878 when the British were trying to force the Russians to end the war without allowing them to seize Constantinople. She was sold for scrap in 1903.
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Brian James
Posts: 8764
Joined: Sun Aug 12, 2018 6:58 am

Re: RN Monitors: Cyclops Class

Unread post by Brian James »

Lead Ship, Breastwork Monitor HMS Cyclops pictured at Seacombe c1879.
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