HMS Iron Duke (1870)
HMS Iron Duke (1870)


Royal NavyVessels

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NameIron Duke (1870)Explanation
TypeCentral battery ironclad   
Launched1 March 1870
HullIron
PropulsionScrew
Builders measure 
Displacement6010 tons
Guns14
Fate1906
ClassAudacious
Ships bookADM 135/254
Note 
Snippets concerning this vessels career
DateEvent
31 August 1871
- 18 May 1875
Commanded (until paying off at Plymouth) by Captain William Arthur, flagship of Vice-Admiral Charles Frederick Alexander Shadwell, Hong Kong
9 October 1875
- 16 July 1877
Commanded by Captain Charles John Rowley, Coast Guard, Kingstown (replaced by Topaze)
3 January 1881
- 15 March 1883
Commanded (until paying off) by Captain Richard Edward Tracey, flagship of Vice-Admiral George Ommaney Willes, China station
Extracts from the Times newspaper
DateExtract
Tu 23 August 1870 The new ironclad Iron Duke left Plymouth Sound on Thursday morning for the official trial of her machinery. She is a fine ship of 3,787 tons, and her armament consists of ton 12-inch Fraser guns, in the central batteries on the upper and main decks (worked by Captain Scott's gear), besides these there are four 64-pounders. Her plating is six inches to the water-line and eight inches above. The Iron Duke was built at Pembroke, and her engines, which are by Messrs. Ravenshill and Hodgson, of London, are horizontal direct acting, of 800 nominal horse-power, and can be worked up to 4,800, or six times the nominal horse-power. She is fitted with surface condensers and superheating apparatus. In the preliminary trial on Tuesday last the mean number of revolutions was 81 per minute, and on Thursday they were the same, giving a mean speed at full power of 13·855 knots per hour, and at half-speed a mean of 11·387 knots; the revolutions at half-power being 66 port and 63½ starboard respectively; the surface condensers gave a mean vacuum of 26. Experiments were also made in turning circles at full speed with both screws. With the helm hard-a-starboard and angle of rudder 29 degrees, the times were — for the half-circle, 2min. 35sec.; whole circle, 4min. 48sec.; diameter of circle, 505 yards. With the helm hard-a-port and angle of rudder 28 degrees, the times were — for the half-circle, 2min. 17sec.; whole circle, 4min. 29sec.; diameter of circle, 505 yards. Trials were then made in circle turning from rest. With helm hard-a-starboard, port engine full speed astern and starboard engine full speed ahead, the time occupied in making the half-circle was 4min. 28sec.; whole circle, 8min. 26sec. The helm was then put hard-a-port, with starboard engine full speed astern and port engine full speed ahead, and the time taken in making the half was 4min. 29sec. and whole circle 8min. 12sec. The trials from rest were continued with helm amidships, the starboard engine full speed ahead and the port engine stopped, and then the half circle was made in 5min. 43sec., and the whole 10min. 16sec.; diameter of circle 754 yards. The helm was still kept amidships, the port engine put at full steam ahead and the starboard engine stopped, when the half circle was made in 5min. 20sec., and the whole circle in 8min. 43sec., diameter of circle, 754 yards. In the next evolution the helm was put hard a starboard, the starboard engine at full speed ahead and the port engine stopped, and then the half-circle was made in 3min. 41sec. and the whole circle in 6min. 44sec.; diameter of circle, 420 yards. With the helm hard-a-port and port engine full speed ahead, with the starboard engine stopped, the time taken in making the half-circle was 3min. 38sec., whole circle, 6min. 36sec.; diameter of circle, 378 yards. The engines were stopped in ten seconds, and were started astern in 14sec. after the signal was given. The engines going astern were started ahead in 20sec. from the time that the telegraph was moved. The best navigation coal was used during the trial. The Iron Duke again went into the offing yesterday morning for further trial of her machinery.
Fr 21 July 1876Admiral Ryder, appointed to the command of the Audacious, 14, double-screw iron ship, armour-plated, 6,034 tons, 4,021-horse power, which is being fitted at Chatham dockyard as the flag-ship for the China station, to relieve the Iron Duke, has arrived at Chatham to superintend the fitting out of the vessel.


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