NAVYPEDIA

Photo

Defence after 1866

Ships

Name	No	Project history The Akizuki class were built under the US Military Aid Programme and carried the 127mm/54 guns as in the Murasames. They featured a long forecastle hull and wer	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comp	Fate
Defence		92	Palmers, Jarrow	14.12.1859	24.4.1861	12.2.1862	floating workshop 1890
Resistance			Westwood & Baillie, Millwall	21.12.1859	11.4.1861	5.10.1862	target 1885

Technical data

Displacement normal, t	Defence: 6150 Resistance: 6070
Displacement full, t
Length, m	85.3 pp 92.0 oa
Breadth, m	16.5
Draught, m	7.62
No of shafts	1 (hoisting)
Machinery	sails + 1 2-cyl HSE, trunk, 4 rectangular boilers
Power, h. p.	Defence: 2537 Resistance: 2428
Max speed, kts	Defence: 11.6 Resistance: 11.8
Fuel, t	coal 460
Endurance, nm(kts)	1200
Armour, mm	iron; belt: 114 with 457mm wood backing, bulkheads: 114
Armament	Defence: 8 x 1 - 183/17 110pdr 82cwt BL, 4 x 1 - 121/21 40pdr 35cwt BL, 10 x 1 - 206/15 68pdr 95cwt SBML Resistance: 6 x 1 - 183/17 110pdr 82cwt BL, 10 x 1 - 206/15 68pdr 95cwt SBML, 2 x 1 - 161/15 32pdr 42cwt SBML
Complement	450

Graphics

Project history

This pair of ships was provided under the 1859 Programme. Ships were classified as frigates being smaller editions of Warrior. They were inferior to them in all respects except manoeuvrability. Designed 10.75kts speed was exceeded by both ships. Ships received a ram bow instead clipper one on Warrior class. Designed armament consisted of 18 68pdr SB and 4 40pdr BL guns but ships were completed with more modern artillery.

Ships were barque-rigged, sail area was 2280m2. Defence received ship rig in 1864 but during refit in 1868 received barque rig again. Ships could make 10.5kts under sail and handled well, except in a beam sea. Both were fitted with lifting screws.

Ship protection

Armour belt amidships was 42.7m long, ship ends and steering gear were unprotected. 10 68pdr and 4 110pdr guns were protected by armour, after rearming soon after completion, 2 203mm and 8 178mm guns were behind armour.

Modernizations

(1866-1868), Resistance; (1866-1869), Defence: were completely rearmed with 2 x 1 - 203/15 MLR Mk III, 14 x 1 - 178/16 MLR Mk III

Naval service

Defence ended her seagoing service in 1885, in 1898 she was converted to TS and renamed Indus. In 1922 she was hulked and sold for BU in 1935. Resistance did not went to sea since 1880. She was used as target for gunnery and torpedo experiments in 1885 and sold in November 1898. Wreck foundered 4.3.1899 at Holyhead Bay, later raised and BU in 1900.

Thanks to Wolfgang Stöhr for additional information on this page.