NAVYPEDIA

Ships

Name	No	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comp	Fate
Driver			Portsmouth DYd	6.1840	24.12.1840	5.11.1841	wrecked 3.8.1861
Styx			Sheerness DYd	22.6.1940	26.1.1841	4.10.1841	BU 4.1866
Vixen			Pembroke DYd	6.1840	4.2.1841	28.12.1841	sold 11.1862
Devastation			Woolwich DYd	27.7.1840	3.7.1841	30.11.1841	BU 9.1866
Geyser			Pembroke DYd	8.1840	6.4.1841	8.3.1842	BU 1866
Growler			Chatham DYd	1.1841	20.7.1841	9.3.1842	BU 1.1854
Thunderbolt			Portsmouth DYd	4.1841	13.1.1842	8.2.1843	wrecked 3.2.1847
Cormorant			Sheerness DYd	17.5.1841	29.3.1842	28.6.1843	BU 8.1853
Spiteful			Pembroke DYd	8.1841	24.3.1842	24.3.1843	sold 9.1883
Eclair (ex-Infernal), 10.1846- Rosamund			Woolwich DYd	8.1841	31.5.1843	9.9.1844	floating factory 1863
Virago			Chatham DYd	15.11.1841	25.7.1842	29.7.1843	BU 11.1876
Sphinx			Woolwich DYd	5.1844	17.2.1846	3.11.1846	BU 9.1881

Technical data

Displacement normal, t	1590
Displacement full, t
Length, m	54.9 pp
Breadth, m	11.0
Draught, m	2.53
No of shafts	2 side wheels
Machinery	Driver, Styx, Vixen, Geyser, Growler, Thunderbolt, Cormorant, Eclair, Virago: sails + boilers, 1 2-cyl SE, direct action Devastation: sails + boilers, 1 4-cyl SE direct action 'Siamese' type Spiteful: sails + boilers, 1 2-cyl SE side-lever engine Sphinx: sails + boilers, 1 2-cyl SE oscillating engine
Power, h. p.	Driver, Styx, Vixen, Geyser, Growler, Cormorant, Spiteful, Eclair: 280nhp Devastation: 400nhp 785ihp Thunderbolt, Virago: 300nhp Sphinx: 500nhp 1169ihp
Max speed, kts	Devastation: 10 Sphinx: 12
Fuel, t	coal
Endurance, nm(kts)
Armament	2 x 1 - 254/11 10'' 84cwt shell SBML, 2 x 1 - 204/13 68pdr 64cwt shell SBML, 2 x 1 - 175/8 42pdr 22cwt SBML
Complement	149

Project history

2nd rate steam vessels, since 1844 1st class sloops. Sir William Symonds design of 1840. First six were ordered in 1840. Ten more were ordered in 1841 but only six were built to this design. Rattler, initially amended to Alecto class, was reordered as screw sloop. Bulldog, Inflexible and Scourge were reordered to new lengthened design. Five more ships were ordered in 1847 but Furious, Magicienne, Tiger and Valorous were reordered as paddle frigates and Resolute was cancelled.

Modernizations

1856, all: - 1 x 1 - 254/11, 2 x 1 - 204/13, 2 x 1 - 175/8; + 1 x 1 - 206/15 68pdr 95cwt shell SBML, 4 x 1 - 161/15 32pdr 42cwt SBML

1860s, all survived: - 1 x 1 - 206/15; + 1 x 1 - 183/14 110pdr 82cwt BL

Naval service

Driver wrecked on Mayaguana Island in West Indies 3.8.1861. Thunderbolt wrecked on Cape Recife, Algoa Bay, South Africa, 3.2.1847.