Pre Dreadnought battleships of the
Lord Clyde Class. History of HMS Lord Clyde and HMS Lord Warden.
HMS
Lord Clyde was built at Pembroke Dockyard and laid down on the 29th September
1863m being launched 13th October 1864, completed on the 2nd July
1866..(Total purchase price £285,750 ) Lord Clyde and Lord Warden
were the last Broadside ships to be built for the Royal Navy. commissioned
at Plymouth in June 1866, and served for 2 years with the channel Fleet.
She was sent to the Mediterranean and was stationed at Malta she had
problems with the her engines which had worn badly, she was sent
back to the UK for new engines.. In 1869 she was sent into reserve at
Devonport. In 1871 she was again sent to Malta where she served for 6n
months. got stuck ashore at Pantellaria,m but was able to be
pulled free by her sister ship HMS Lord warden. she had structural
damage and had to be towed back to Malta. temporarily repaired at Malta
she was again sent back to the UK escorted by HMS Defence. it was
planned to give her a major complete overhaul at Plymouth but her hull
was found to be baldy rotten (her timbers had timber fungus.) The tried
to save the ship over a period of 3 years but at the end she had to be
sold for scrap before her decay made her to bad condition for purchase
for scrap.
HMS Lord Warden
was built at Chatham Dockyard. and laid down on the 24th December 1863,
launched on the 27th march 1865 and completed on the 30th august 1867.
Lord Clyde and Lord Warden were the last Broadside ships to be built for
the Royal Navy. Commission at Chatham in July 1866 she joined the
Channel fleet in 1867, but after only a few months she was transferred
to the \Mediterranean Squadron based at Malta. relieving HMS
Caledonia as Flagship. Took part in the demonstration of strength
against the Spanish Communists at Cartagena who were using Naval ships
for their Pirate purposes. In 1875 went into reserve for three
years until the Russian situation saw HMS Lord warden become part
of the Particular Service squadron. In 1884 she was fitted with
Torpedoes and Net Defence equipment. But finally paid off in 1885. due
to her bad condition due to Rot. Her crew were all transferred to
HMS Devastation. She was finally sold four years later in 1889.
NOTES:
These Wooden Broadside ironclads were considered to be the worst capital
ships in the Royal Navy for rolling at Sea.
Displacement:
7750 (lord Clyde) 7842 Tons (Lord Warden). Crew
605. Speed 13.4 knots. Armament: Two 9 inch MLR,
Fourteen 8 inch MLR Two 7 inch MLR, and two 20 pdr BL
