NAVYPEDIA

Photo

Satellite 1880s

Ships

Name	No	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comp	Fate
Satellite			Sheerness DYd	4.10.1880	13.8.1881	24.7.1883	RNVR drill ship 1904
Heroine			Devonport DYd	30.8.1880	3.12.1881	19.9.1883	sold to BU 8.1902
Hyacinth			Devonport DYd	30.8.1880	20.12.1881	27.1.1884	sold to BU 8.1902
Caroline			Sheerness DYd	24.10.1881	25.11.1882	27.1.1886	hulk 1897
Royalist			Devonport DYd	27.4.1881	7.3.1883	14.4.1886	hulk 2.1900
Rapid			Devonport DYd	21.4.1881	21.3.1883	9.9.1884	hulk 1906
Pylades			Sheerness DYd	1.1.1883	5.11.1884	17.8.1886	sold to BU 4.1906

Technical data

Displacement normal, t	1420
Displacement full, t
Length, m	61.0 pp
Breadth, m	11.6
Draught, m	4.80
No of shafts	1
Machinery	sails + 1 HC, cylindrical boilers
Power, h. p.	Satellite, Rapid, Caroline: 1400 Heroine, Hyacinth: 1470 Royalist: 1510 Pylades: 1640
Max speed, kts	Satellite, Royalist, Rapid, Caroline, Pylades: 13 Heroine, Hyacinth: 13.1
Fuel, t	coal 400
Endurance, nm(kts)	6000(10)
Armour, mm	steel; deck: 25 - 19
Armament	Satellite, Rapid: 2 x 1 - 152/26 BL Mk II, 10 x 1 - 127/25 BL Mk I/II/III/IV, 4 x 1 - 11.4/87 Heroine, Hyacinth, Royalist: 8 x 1 - 152/26 BL Mk II, 4 x 1 - 11.4/87 Caroline, Pylades: 14 x 1 - 127/25 BL Mk I/II/III/IV, 8 x 1 - 11.4/87
Complement	170 - 200

Graphics

Project history

Designed by Nathaniel Barnaby. This was the only class of wooden or composite-hulled ships to receive a protective deck. Laid down as sloops, they were upgraded to corvettes in 1884, and as such they were the smallest ships to be rated as corvettes. In construction, they were of the same general principle as in the Emerald class. The sailing rig was changed from ship- to barque-rig. Pylades was the last corvette built for the navy until this rate was revived in the Second World War. In contrast to the Emerald class, the mechanical improvements and better workmanship of the compound engines gave these ships large radius of action.

Ship protection

A protective steel deck of 25mm to 19mm extended for 22.3m over the vitals.

Modernizations

1880s, Satellite: - 10 x 1 - 127/25; + 6 x 1 - 152/26 BL Mk II

1892-1893, Hyacinth: - 8 x 1 - 152/26; + 8 x 1 - 152/26 Mk IV/VI

1892-1893, Rapid: - 8 x 1 - 152/26; + 1 x 1 - 152/26 BL Mk IV, 10 x 1 - 127/25 BL Mk I/III/V

1892-1893, Royalist: - 2 x 1 - 152/26; + 2 x 1 - 152/26 BL Mk IV/VI

Naval service

Royalist, hulked in February 1900 and renamed Colleen in December 1913, was transferred to Irish Free State Government in February 1923.