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{{Otherships|HMS Cyclops}}
{{Short description|British Cyclops-class monitor}}
{{Other ships|HMS Cyclops}}
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|Ship image=[[File:Cyclops class monitor diagrams Brasseys 1888.jpg|300px]]
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{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
|Ship caption=Right elevation plan from [[Brassey's Naval Annual]] 1888–1889
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|Ship image=HMS Cyclops (1871).jpg
|Ship caption=''Cyclops''
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|Ship country=United Kingdom
|Ship country=United Kingdom
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|UK|naval}}
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|United Kingdom|naval}}
|Ship name=HMS ''Cyclops''
|Ship name=HMS ''Cyclops''
|Ship namesake=[[Cyclops]]
|Ship namesake=[[Cyclops]]
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{{Infobox Ship Characteristics
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|Ship range={{convert|3000|nmi|lk=in|abbr=on}} at {{convert|10|knots|abbr=on}}
|Ship range={{convert|3000|nmi|lk=in|abbr=on}} at {{convert|10|knots|abbr=on}}
|Ship complement=156
|Ship complement=156
|Ship armament=2 × 2 – [[RML 10 inch 18 ton gun|10-inch]] [[rifled muzzle loader]]s
|Ship armament=2 × twin [[RML 10 inch 18 ton gun|10-inch]] [[rifled muzzle loader]]s
|Ship armour=[[Belt armor|Belt]]: {{convert|6|-|8|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}<br/>[[Deck (ship)|Deck]]: {{convert|1.5|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}<br/> [[Superstructure]]: {{convert|8|-|9|in|mm|abbr=on|0}}<br/>[[Conning tower]]: {{convert|8|-|9|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}<br/>[[Gun turret]]: {{convert|9|-|10|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}
|Ship armour=*[[Belt armor|Belt]]: {{convert|6|-|8|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}
*[[Deck (ship)|Deck]]: {{convert|1.5|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}
*[[Superstructure]]: {{convert|8|-|9|in|mm|abbr=on|0}}
*[[Conning tower]]: {{convert|8|-|9|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}
*[[Gun turret]]: {{convert|9|-|10|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}
|Ship notes=
|Ship notes=
}}
}}
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'''HMS ''Cyclops''''' was the [[lead ship]] of the {{sclass|Cyclops|monitor|0}} [[breastwork monitor]]s built for the [[Royal Navy]] during the 1870s. The ships were ordered to satisfy demands for local defence during the war scare of 1870, but the pace of construction slowed down tremendously as the perceived threat of war declined. The ship spent most of her career in [[Wikt:mothball|reserve]]; her only sustained period in commission was four months in [[Portland Harbour]], during the [[Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878)|Russo-Turkish War]] in 1878 when the British were trying to force the Russians to end the war without allowing them to seize [[Constantinople]]. ''Cyclops'' was sold for [[ship breaking|scrap]] in 1903.
'''HMS ''Cyclops''''' was the [[lead ship]] of the {{sclass|Cyclops|monitor|0}} [[breastwork monitor]]s built for the [[Royal Navy]] during the 1870s. The ships were ordered to satisfy demands for local defence during the war scare of 1870, but the pace of construction slowed tremendously as the perceived threat of war declined. The ship spent most of her career in [[Wikt:mothball|reserve]]; her only sustained period in commission was four months in [[Portland Harbour]], during the [[Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878)|Russo-Turkish War]] in 1878 when the British were trying to force the Russians to end the war without allowing them to seize [[Constantinople]]. ''Cyclops'' was sold for [[ship breaking|scrap]] in 1903.


==Design and description==
==Design and description==
⚫
[[File:Cyclops class monitor diagrams Brasseys 1888.jpg|thumb|Right elevation plan from [[Brassey's Naval Annual]] 1888–1889]]
The ostensible reason why these ships were ordered was for local coast defence during the war scare during the [[Franco-Prussian War]] of 1870, but they were chosen for several other reasons. They were small and cheap, and their shallow draft was thought to limit them to defensive operations, which appealed to economy and defence-minded Members of Parliament. The [[Admiralty]], however, envisioned them attacking shallow-water ports that larger ironclads could not enter and operating in the shallow waters of the [[Baltic Sea]].<ref>Beeler, pp. 101–02</ref>
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The ''Cyclops''-class ships were modified versions of the ''Cerberus'' class.<ref name=p12>Parkes, p. 212</ref> The ships had a [[length between perpendiculars]] of {{convert|225|ft|m|1}}, a [[beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|45|ft|m|1}}, and a [[draft (ship)|draught]] of {{convert|16|ft|3|in|m}} at [[deep load]]. They displaced {{convert|3480|LT|t}}. Their crew consisted of 156 officers and men.<ref name=p8>Parkes, p. 213</ref> The ships had two 4-cylinder [[Marine steam engine#Compound|inverted compound steam engines]], each driving a single [[propeller shaft]]. The engines produced a total of {{convert|1528|ihp|lk=in}} on 30 December 1871 during the ship's [[sea trial]]s which gave her a maximum speed of {{convert|10.79|kn|lk=in}}. ''Cyclops'' carried {{convert|250|LT|t}} of coal,<ref>Ballard, pp. 246–49</ref> enough to steam {{convert|3000|nmi|lk=in}} at {{convert|10|kn}}.<ref>Silverstone, p. 169</ref>


⚫
The ships mounted four [[RML 10 inch 18 ton gun|10-inch]] [[rifled muzzle loader|rifled muzzle-loading guns]] in twin-[[gun turret]]s fore and aft of the [[superstructure]]. The guns could fire both [[Round shot|solid shot]] and [[Shell (projectile)|explosive shells]].<ref>Gardiner, p. 6</ref> They were mounted on carriages that used [[Jack (device)|hydraulic jacks]] to elevate and depress the guns.<ref name="p12"/>
The ships used the basic design of the ''Cerberus''-class breastwork monitors to reduce design and construction time. Their hulls were completed very quickly, but the pace of building reduced as the likelihood of their immediate use diminished. They were delivered to the Royal dockyards in 1872 and commissioned for [[fitting out]], but a number of years elapsed before that process was completed as little sense of urgency remained.<ref name=p12>Parkes, p. 212</ref>


The ships had a [[length between perpendiculars]] of {{convert|225|ft|m|1}}, a [[beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|45|ft|m|1}}, and a [[draft (ship)|draught]] of {{convert|16|ft|3|in|m}} at [[deep load]]. They displaced {{convert|3480|LT|t}}. Their crew consisted of 156 officers and men.<ref name=p8>Parkes, p. 213</ref>
The ''Cyclops'' class had a complete waterline [[Belt armor|belt]] of [[wrought iron]] that was {{convert|8|in|mm|0}} thick amidships and thinned to {{convert|6|in|mm|0}} at the ends. The superstructure and [[conning tower]] was fully armoured, the reason it was called a [[breastwork (fortification)|breastwork]], with {{convert|8|-|9|in|mm|0}} of wrought iron. The [[gun turret]]s had 10&nbsp;inches on their faces and 9&nbsp;inches on the sides and rear. All of the vertical armour was backed by {{convert|9|-|11|in|0}} of [[teak]]. The [[Deck (ship)|decks]] were {{convert|1.5|in|1}} thick.<ref>Parkes, pp. 213–14</ref>

The ''Cyclops''-class ships and other ships of her type were described by Admiral [[George Alexander Ballard]] as being like "full-armoured knights riding on donkeys, easy to avoid but bad to close with."<ref>Ballard, p. 219</ref> While not unfit to face heavy weather their decks were frequently awash in even a moderate sea. Their accommodations were rated the worst in the fleet, referred to by ordinary seamen as "ratholes with tinned air".<ref>Ballard, pp. 218</ref>

===Propulsion===
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''Cyclops'' had two 4-cylinder [[Marine steam engine#Compound|inverted compound steam engines]] made by John Elder, each driving a single {{convert|12|ft|m|1|adj=on}} propeller. The ship's [[boiler (steam generator)|boiler]]s had a working pressure of {{convert|60|psi|kPa kg/cm2|0|abbr=on|lk=on}}. The engines produced a total of {{convert|1528|ihp|lk=in}} on 30 December 1871 during the ship's [[sea trial]]s which gave her a maximum speed of {{convert|10.79|kn|lk=in}}. ''Cyclops'' carried {{convert|250|LT|t}} of coal,<ref>Ballard, pp. 246–49</ref> enough to steam {{convert|3000|nmi|lk=in|abbr=on}} at {{convert|10|knots|abbr=on}}.<ref>Silverstone, p. 169</ref>

===Armament===
⚫
The ships mounted a pair of [[RML 10 inch 18 ton gun|10-inch]] [[rifled muzzle loader|rifled muzzle-loading guns]] in each turret. The shell of the {{convert|10|in|mm|sing=on|sigfig=3}} gun weighed {{convert|407|lb|kg|1}} while the gun itself weighed {{convert|18|LT|t}}. The gun had a [[muzzle velocity]] of {{convert|1365|ft/s|m/s|abbr=on}} and was credited with the ability to penetrate a nominal {{convert|12.9|in}} of [[wrought iron]] armour at {{convert|100|yd|m}}. The guns could fire both [[Round shot|solid shot]] and [[Shell (projectile)|explosive shells]].<ref>Gardiner, p. 6</ref> They were mounted on carriages that used [[Jack (device)|hydraulic jacks]] to elevate and depress the guns.<ref>Parkes, p. 212</ref>

===Armour===
The ''Cyclops''-class ships had a complete waterline [[Belt armor|belt]] of [[wrought iron]] that was {{convert|8|in|mm|0}} thick amidships and thinned to {{convert|6|in|mm|0}} at the ends. The superstructure and [[conning tower]] was fully armoured, the reason it was called a [[breastwork (fortification)|breastwork]], with {{convert|8|-|9|in|mm|0}} of wrought iron. The [[gun turret]]s had 10&nbsp;inches on their faces and 9&nbsp;inches on the sides and rear. All of the vertical armour was backed by {{convert|9|-|11|in|0}} of [[teak]]. The [[Deck (ship)|decks]] were {{convert|1.5|in|1}} thick.<ref>Parkes, pp. 213–14</ref>


==Construction==
==Construction==
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==Service==
==Service==
HMS ''Cyclops'' was the third ship to be completed, although she was the [[lead ship]] of the [[ship class|class]]. She was placed in 1st Class [[Wikt:mothball|Reserve]] after her completion. The ship, along with her [[sister ship|sisters]], was commissioned between April and August 1878 during the Russo-Turkish War for service with [[Admiral]] Sir [[Astley Cooper Key|Cooper Key]]'s Particular Service Squadron in Portland Harbour. ''Cyclops'' was paid off at [[Chatham Dockyard|Chatham]] in August 1878 and refitted in 1887–89. All four ships of the class participated in the annual fleet manoeuvers in 1887, 1889–90 and 1892; in between times they were in Fleet Reserve. HMS ''Cyclops'', like all of her sisters, was placed on the non-effective list in January 1902,<ref>{{Cite newspaper The Times |articlename=Naval & Military intelligence |day_of_week=Monday |date=6 January 1902 |page_number=8 |issue=36657| }}</ref><ref name=p15/> transferred to the E Divison of the Dockyard Reserve at [[Sheerness]] in May 1902,<ref>{{Cite newspaper The Times |articlename=Naval & Military intelligence |day_of_week=Monday |date=19 May 1902 |page_number=8 |issue=36771| }}</ref> and sold on 7 July 1903<ref>Silverstone, p. 224</ref> for £8,400.<ref name=p15/><ref group=Note>Adjusted for inflation, the ship sold for {{formatnum:£{{Inflation|UK|8400|1903}}}} in current pounds.</ref>
HMS ''Cyclops'' was the third ship to be completed, although she was the [[lead ship]] of the [[ship class|class]]. She was placed in 1st Class [[Wikt:mothball|Reserve]] after her completion. The ship, along with her [[sister ship|sisters]], was commissioned between April and August 1878 during the Russo-Turkish War for service with [[Admiral]] Sir [[Astley Cooper Key|Cooper Key]]'s Particular Service Squadron in Portland Harbour. ''Cyclops'' was paid off at [[Chatham Dockyard|Chatham]] in August 1878 and refitted in 1887–89. All four ships of the class participated in the annual fleet manoeuvers in 1887, 1889–90 and 1892; in between times they were in Fleet Reserve. HMS ''Cyclops'', like all of her sisters, was placed on the non-effective list in January 1902,<ref>{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Naval & Military intelligence |date=6 January 1902 |page=8 |issue=36657}}</ref><ref name=p15/> transferred to the E Division of the Dockyard Reserve at [[Sheerness]] in May 1902,<ref>{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Naval & Military intelligence |date=19 May 1902 |page=8 |issue=36771}}</ref> and sold on 7 July 1903<ref>Silverstone, p. 224</ref> for £8,400.<ref name=p15/><ref group=Note>Adjusted for inflation, the ship sold for £{{formatnum:{{Inflation|UK|8400|1903}}}} in current pounds.</ref>


==Notes==
==Notes==
{{reflist|group=Note}}
{{reflist|group=Note}}


==Footnotes==
==Footnotes==
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==References==
==References==
* {{cite book|last=Ballard |first=G. A., Admiral |title=The Black Battlefleet |year=1980 |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, MD |isbn=0-87021-924-3 |oclc=}}
* {{cite book|last=Ballard |first=G. A., Admiral|authorlink=George Alexander Ballard |title=The Black Battlefleet |year=1980 |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, Maryland|isbn=0-87021-924-3}}
*{{cite book|last=Beeler|first=John|title=Birth of the Battleship: British Capital Ship Design 1870–1881|year=2001|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, MD|isbn=1-55750-213-7}}
*{{cite book|last=Beeler|first=John|title=Birth of the Battleship: British Capital Ship Design 1870–1881|year=2001|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|isbn=1-55750-213-7}}
*{{cite book|title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905|editor=Gardiner, Robert |publisher=Conway Maritime Press|location=Greenwich|date=1979|isbn=0-8317-0302-4}}
*{{cite book|title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905|editor=Gardiner, Robert|publisher=Conway Maritime Press|location=Greenwich|date=1979|isbn=0-8317-0302-4|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/conwaysallworlds0000unse_l2e2}}
*{{cite book|last=Parkes|first=Oscar|title=British Battleships|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, MD|year=1990|edition=reprint of the 1957|isbn=1-55750-075-4}}
*{{cite book|last=Parkes|first=Oscar|title=British Battleships|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|year=1990|edition=reprint of the 1957|isbn=1-55750-075-4}}
*{{cite book|last=Silverstone|first=Paul H.|title=Directory of the World's Capital Ships|year=1984|publisher=Hippocrene Books|location=New York|isbn=0-88254-979-0}}
*{{cite book|last=Silverstone|first=Paul H.|title=Directory of the World's Capital Ships|year=1984|publisher=Hippocrene Books|location=New York|isbn=0-88254-979-0}}


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Latest revision as of 13:09, 19 February 2024

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Cyclops.

Cyclops
History
United Kingdom
NameHMS Cyclops
NamesakeCyclops
BuilderThames Ironworks, London
Cost£156,782
Laid down10 September 1870
Launched18 July 1871
Completed4 May 1877
CommissionedJanuary 1872
Out of service1901
Refit1887–89
FateSold for scrap 1903
General characteristics
Class and typeCyclops-class breastwork monitor
Displacement3,480 long tons (3,540 t)
Length225 ft (68.6 m) (p/p)
Beam45 ft (13.7 m)
Draught16 ft 3 in (5.0 m) (deep load)
Installed power1,528 ihp (1,139 kW)
Propulsion2 shafts, 2 steam engines
Speed11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph)
Range3,000 nmi (5,600 km; 3,500 mi) at 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Complement156
Armament2 × twin 10-inch rifled muzzle loaders
Armour

HMS Cyclops was the lead ship of the Cyclops-class breastwork monitors built for the Royal Navy during the 1870s. The ships were ordered to satisfy demands for local defence during the war scare of 1870, but the pace of construction slowed tremendously as the perceived threat of war declined. The ship spent most of her career in reserve; her only sustained period in commission was four months in Portland Harbour, during the Russo-Turkish War in 1878 when the British were trying to force the Russians to end the war without allowing them to seize Constantinople. Cyclops was sold for scrap in 1903.

Design and description[edit]

Right elevation plan from Brassey's Naval Annual 1888–1889

The Cyclops-class ships were modified versions of the Cerberus class.[1] The ships had a length between perpendiculars of 225 feet (68.6 m), a beam of 45 feet (13.7 m), and a draught of 16 feet 3 inches (4.95 m) at deep load. They displaced 3,480 long tons (3,540 t). Their crew consisted of 156 officers and men.[2] The ships had two 4-cylinder inverted compound steam engines, each driving a single propeller shaft. The engines produced a total of 1,528 indicated horsepower (1,139 kW) on 30 December 1871 during the ship's sea trials which gave her a maximum speed of 10.79 knots (19.98 km/h; 12.42 mph). Cyclops carried 250 long tons (250 t) of coal,[3] enough to steam 3,000 nautical miles (5,600 km; 3,500 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).[4]

The ships mounted four 10-inch rifled muzzle-loading guns in twin-gun turrets fore and aft of the superstructure. The guns could fire both solid shot and explosive shells.[5] They were mounted on carriages that used hydraulic jacks to elevate and depress the guns.[1]

The Cyclops class had a complete waterline belt of wrought iron that was 8 inches (203 mm) thick amidships and thinned to 6 inches (152 mm) at the ends. The superstructure and conning tower was fully armoured, the reason it was called a breastwork, with 8–9 inches (203–229 mm) of wrought iron. The gun turrets had 10 inches on their faces and 9 inches on the sides and rear. All of the vertical armour was backed by 9–11 inches (229–279 mm) of teak. The decks were 1.5 inches (38.1 mm) thick.[6]

Construction[edit]

HMS Cyclops was laid down on 10 September 1870 by the Thames Ironworks in London. She was launched on 18 July 1871 and commissioned in January 1872. The ship was towed to Devenport that same month for what proved to be a very lengthy fitting out period that was not completed until 4 May 1877.[7] Cyclops cost £156,782 to build.[2][Note 1]

Refit[edit]

Although a recommendation had been made while the ships were still under construction to extend the superstructure out to the sides of the ship to improve their stability and habitability, this was not acted upon until they were refitted during the 1880s. This refit also strengthened the breastwork and upper decks, added another watertight bulkhead as well as a false keel. Four quick-firing 3-pounder Hotchkiss guns were added on the breastwork for torpedo boat defence as well as five machine guns and several searchlights.[8] This increased their crew to approximately 191 men[2] and added 80 long tons (81 t) to their displacement.[9]

Service[edit]

HMS Cyclops was the third ship to be completed, although she was the lead ship of the class. She was placed in 1st Class Reserve after her completion. The ship, along with her sisters, was commissioned between April and August 1878 during the Russo-Turkish War for service with Admiral Sir Cooper Key's Particular Service Squadron in Portland Harbour. Cyclops was paid off at Chatham in August 1878 and refitted in 1887–89. All four ships of the class participated in the annual fleet manoeuvers in 1887, 1889–90 and 1892; in between times they were in Fleet Reserve. HMS Cyclops, like all of her sisters, was placed on the non-effective list in January 1902,[10][7] transferred to the E Division of the Dockyard Reserve at Sheerness in May 1902,[11] and sold on 7 July 1903[12] for £8,400.[7][Note 2]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Adjusted for inflation, the ship cost £22,021,548 in current pounds.
  2. ^ Adjusted for inflation, the ship sold for £1,139,347 in current pounds.

Footnotes[edit]

  1. ^ a b Parkes, p. 212
  2. ^ a b c Parkes, p. 213
  3. ^ Ballard, pp. 246–49
  4. ^ Silverstone, p. 169
  5. ^ Gardiner, p. 6
  6. ^ Parkes, pp. 213–14
  7. ^ a b c Parkes, p. 215
  8. ^ Parkes, pp. 212, 214
  9. ^ Gardiner, p. 25
  10. ^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36657. London. 6 January 1902. p. 8.
  11. ^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36771. London. 19 May 1902. p. 8.
  12. ^ Silverstone, p. 224

References[edit]

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