NAVYPEDIA

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Temeraire

Ships

Name	No	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comp	Fate
Temeraire			Chatham DYd	18.8.1873	9.5.1876	31.8.1877	harbour vessel 1902

Technical data

Displacement normal, t	8540
Displacement full, t
Length, m	86.9 pp
Breadth, m	18.9
Draught, m	8.23
No of shafts	2
Machinery	sails + 2 2-cyl IVC, 12 cylindrical boilers
Power, h. p.	7697
Max speed, kts	14.7
Fuel, t	coal 620
Endurance, nm(kts)	2680(10)
Armour, mm	iron; belt: 279 - 140 with 305 - 254mm wood backing, battery: 203, bulkheads: 203 - 127, barbettes: 254 - 203, deck: 38 - 25
Armament	4 x 1 - 279/12 MLR Mk II, 4 x 1 - 254/15 MLR Mk I/II, 4 x 1 - 100/21 20pdr 16cwt BL (saluting), 2 - 356 TC
Complement	580

Graphics

Project history

Hybrid ship, having central battery and two 279mm guns in barbettes at ship ends. Guns were mounted on Moncrieff disappearing mountings of the type originally designed for land fortifications. The gun was loaded behind armour then raised to fire over the lip of the barbette, the recoil returning it to the loading position. This had the advantage of giving improved protection to the gun and crew, compared with the standard barbette in which the gun was always visible. The system was successful but expensive in weight and space and was never repeated. Temeraire was the first barbette ship of Royal Navy. The aft casemate section contained 4 254mm guns with broadside ports, and the fwd section had 2 279mm guns with corner ports for ahead fire.

Temeraire was brig-rigged, sail area was 2320m2. She became the largest brig ever built and carried the largest sails ever carried by RN ship. She was slow under sail but handy, very steady and good seaboat. Iron hull was sheathed with zinc.

Ship protection

The belt was 279mm amidships at waterline, 254mm above and 229mm below, reducing to 152mm fwd and aft, 127mm at the extreme bow and 140mm at the extreme stern.The battery on the main deck had 203mm sides and bulkheads and was divided into two sections by 127mm transverse bulkhead. The fwd barbette was 254mm, the aft barbette 203mm and they were 2.9m deep with 1.1m diameter armoured tubes protecting the hoists between the main and upper decks. The aft magazine was protected from raking fire by 127mm bulkhead between the hold and the lower edge of the belt.

Modernizations

1884: - 4 x 1 - 95/21; + 6 x 1 - 102/27 BL Mk II/III/IV/V/VI, 4 x 1 - 57/40 Hotchkiss QF Mk I, 10 x 1 - 47/40 Hotchkiss QF Mk I

1889: the rig was reduced to the lower masts with light topmasts and yards

Naval service

Temeraire was relegated to harbour service in 1902, in April 1904 she was converted to TS and renamed Indus II and renamed again Akbar in January 1915. Ship was ultimately sold to BU 26.5.1921.