NAVYPEDIA

Photo

Sultan before reconstruction

Ships

Name	No	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comp	Fate
Sultan (ex-Triumph)			Chatham DYd	29.2.1868	31.5.1870	10.10.1871	harbour vessel 1.1.1906

Technical data

Displacement normal, t	9290
Displacement full, t	9540
Length, m	99.1 pp
Breadth, m	18.0
Draught, m	8.05
No of shafts	1
Machinery	sails + 1 2-cyl HSE trunk, 8? rectangular boilers
Power, h. p.	7720
Max speed, kts	14.1
Fuel, t	coal 810
Endurance, nm(kts)	2140(10)
Armour, mm	iron; belt: 229 - 152 with 305 - 254mm wood backing, main battery: 229, upper battery: 203, bulkheads: 152 - 114
Armament	8 x 1 - 254/15 MLR Mk I/II, 4 x 1 - 229/14 MLR Mk IV, 7 x 1 - 100/21 20pdr 16cwt BL (saluting)
Complement	633

Graphics

Project history

Improved Hercules with addition of a second armoured battery on the upper deck and without aft embrasure on the main battery.

Steadiness was one of the requirements aimed at but stability was too low and 600t of ballast was added into the double bottom.

Sultan was ship-rigged, sail area was 3170m2 plus 1420m2 of stunsails. Ship was slow under sail (no more than 12.5kts) but was a good gun platform with slow roll.

Originally she was named Triumph but her name was exchanged with Swiftsure class ship 11.3.1868.

Ship protection

The belt was 229mm amidships reducing to 203mm and 152mm fore and aft. The main battery had 203mm sides and 114mm bulkheads. All 254mm guns were mounted in the main battery and 1 229mm gun was om each side of upper battery with alternative broadside or aft firing ports. 2 other 229mm guns were mounted at fwd end of the upper deck and were protected by an athwartships armour bulkhead.

Modernizations

1876: ship was barque-rigged.

1879: ship was reboilered, 7736hp, 15kts; + 7 x 1 - 102/27 BL Mk II/III/IV/V/VI, 4 - 356 TC, 2 torpedo boats

1884: + 4 x 1 - 57/40 Hotchkiss QF Mk I

(1893-1896, Portsmouth DYd): ship was re-engined and re-boilered (1 VTE, 8 cylindrical boilers, 8244hp, 15.3kts at 4hrs forced draught trial, 810t of coal, 1200(8)nm), new funnels, two military masts, enlarged bridge and new superstructures were added, torpedo net defence was fitted, 229mm thick wood girdling was added around the waterline to increase stability; - 7 x 1 - 102/27; + 4 x 1 - 120/40 QF Mk I/II/III/IV

Naval service

Sultan grounded and sank on an uncharted rock in South Comino channel (Malta) 6.3.1889 but later salvaged, taken to Valletta 27.8.1889 and repaired in Malta. 1.1.1906 she was renamed Fisgard IV as harbour service vessel, renamed Sultan in 1932 as training hulk. Sultan was ultimately sold for BU 13.8.1946.