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HMS Agincourt - Battleships-Cruisers.co.uk

HMS Agincourt

Name : HMS Agincourt
Laid Down : 30th October 1861
Launched : 27th March 1865
Completed : 1st June 1867
Type : Battleship
Class : Minotaur
Builder : Laird
Country : UK
Pennants :
Fate : Keel laid under name CAPTAIN, changed to AGINCOURT soon after. Became a training ship at Portland in 1895. Renamed TS BOSCAWEN III March 1904, GANGES II 1906, coal hulk C109 1908. Sold 1960.
Later became : HMS Boscawen III

Minotaur Class ironclad built 1863-66. Ships of the class were HMS Minotaur, HMS Agincourt and HMS Northumberland. Classed as 36 gun Third Rate. These Broadside Ironclades were initially designed as 50 gun armoured frigates. and they were similar to HMS Achilles except they were larger versions. Complement: 705. 10600 tons displacement. Length 407 ft.oa, beam 59 ft. 6 in., draught 27 ft. 9 in. Machinery: Maudslay 2 cyl. horizontal single expansion double piston rod engine. Single screw. Five masted. Speed 15.4 kts. Bunkers:750 tons. (1200 miles at 10 kts.). Armament: 4 x 9" RML, 24 x 7" RML, 8 x 24 pdr brass howitzers. Later 17 x 9" RML.

AGINCOURT was not ready for sea until the end of 1868. Her first duty, together with her near-sister NORTHUMBERLAND, was to tow a floating dock, destined for Bermuda, from Portsmouth to Madeira where it was handed over to BLACK PRINCE and WARRIOR. This task was accomplished in June/July of 1869. AGINCOURT was then commissioned as flagship of the second-in-command of the Channel Squadron 1869/73. In 1871 she ran upon the Pearl Rock off Gibraltar. After many difficulties she was pulled off by the HERCULES. She returned to England under her own power and was docked. The subsequent courts-martials led to the removal of two flag officers. In 1873 she hoisted the flag of the Commander-in-Chief of the Channel Squadron. In 1875 she paid off for a refit during which her armament was changed. She was commissioned again in 1877 as flagship of the second-in-command of the Mediterranean Fleet. This was at a time when Russia and Turkey were at war and the British government decided, in February 1878, to send a squadron off Constantinople to deter the Russians. Six ships of the Mediterranean Fleet, including AGINCOURT, passed through the Dardanelles under difficult weather conditions and anchored off the Golden Horn. This action was successful and the AGINCOURT returned to England to fly the flag of the second-in-command of the Channel Squadron once again. She remained as rear flagship of this Squadron for eleven years. In 1889 she was paid off and transferred to the non-effective list.

The Times Th 10th August 1871 THE RESCUE OF THE AGINCOURT. Sir, — The ship ran on the Pearl Rock at 10 50a.m. on Saturday, July 1. The following sextant angles were taken from the bridge immediately over the spot on which she was pivoted:- Centre of Carnaro Tower to east-end of Palomas Island 32 deg. 38 sec.; east end of Palomas Island to Frayle Tower, 54 deg. 59 sec.; centre of Carnaro Tower to Europa lighthouse, 55 deg. At first she was only supposed to rest on a ledge of rocks from the keel to the first bilge piece on the starboard side under the second mast. The length of this rock in a fore and aft direction was 24 feet, and on every side it was steep. A subsequent examination discovered the second and more dangerous rock immediately under the aft cylinder in the engine-room. It consisted of three pinnacles. A piece which the diver brought up showed the rock to be composed of a hard blue stone, and the surface when fractured was quite lustrous. Probably no ship was ever stranded in a more dangerous position, or in one which so severely tested her wonderful strength. It was fortunate that the section on which she rested was the strongest in the ship, as the sleepers of the engines, the keel, and bilge pieces all helped to sustain the enormous pressure. I did not go on board until Saturday evening. I am unable, therefore, to give any account of the first attempt to pull her off, except that the lower cable which they tried to pass to the Hercules took charge and upset the launch of the Monarch. The current at this time appeared to be flowing past the Agincourt at the rate of four or five miles per hour, and was swirling round in large eddies. No boat could stem it, and the whole of the pulling launches had to be towed up. The wind had been easterly for several preceding days, and the change to the south-west, joined to the influence of a full moon, probably caused this great increase in the velocity of the current. The Hercules succeeded in taking the end of a hemp cable on hoard, but it carried away before she had swung end on. Sunday, July 2. - At high water went astern with the engines, but she only slewed her head a little towards the land, and rolled slowly through small arcs. At day light the wind was south-west, and it gradually increased in strength, as the sun rose, until the force was 6 or 7. Several lighters came off, but it was blowing too hard to put any to windward; those to leeward were filled with provisions, shot, and shell On sounding round the ship at low water the least water found was 24 feet, although she was served three feet forward. Worked steadily throughout the day and night at throwing the coals overboard where the water was deep, and it varied all around, except on the 24 feet patch, from 5 to 9 fathoms. At sunset the wind fell, And the Warrior's party laid out a bower anchor on the port bow, with an 18-inch cable fast to it. This was taken in through the chock abreast of the fore rigging, and led to the steam capstan; but it came home when the strain was put on it. The Hercules had in the morning made a running moor astern of the Agincourt, dropping the second anchor close to the stern. A chain stream cable was passed from the quarter chocks of the Agincourt on the maindeck to the hawser of the Hercules, and shackled to her distant bower. When all was ready the Hercules knocked the slip off, weighed her remaining anchor, and steamed out of the way. The end of the iron sheet cable baring been passed round the steam capstan was brought aft and shackled to the bower cable of the Hercules after the stream had brought the end inboard. When the cable was taut, 6½ shackles (81 fathoms) were out. Both capstans were now manned, and heavy purchases applied to assist the steam capstan; the anchor came home immediately, and after heaving in to 5½ shackles (68 fathoms) the cable was secured as it might have assisted the ship if an easterly wind had set in. At high water made sail and set on the engines at 46 revolutions. The ship shifted the position of her head a point inshore, and many thought she was afloat, but the transit marks on shore remained the same. When the water began to fall the engines were stopped, and it now became evident that the ship was hanging amidships. Monday, July 3. - The diver discovered the rocks under the engine-room, and this explained the cause of the ship's hanging after she was apparently afloat. At 8 a.m. a number of rollers suddenly came up from the south-west, and the ship, although served 5ft. forward, rose and fell sensibly. Shortly afterwards water was heard rushing into the double bottom under the port after cylinder, and the inside skin bowed upwards under the great strain. In a few minutes the double bottom under this compartment was full and a slight leak was visible in the inner skin. Heavier timber was placed across the inside plating and shored up to the cylinders. In a few minutes a leak was reported in the slop and bread rooms, which are only separated by a wooden bulkhead. The water rose rapidly, and beds and bread were floating about. The Downton 7-inch pumps were set going and five rivets were knocked out of the water-tight bulkhead to allow the water to flow into the engine room. The main engine was disconnected, the bilge injection turned on, and the shaft turned occasionally at the rite of 12 revolutions per minute, which easily cleared the engine-room. The slop room was a more difficult undertaking, as the pumps at full swing, aided by the five rivet holes, took 14 hours to effect it. Once the water obtained a height of 12 feet. I may mention an anecdote which came under my personal observation at this time. Several of the men were swimming among the loose bales and slinging them. When all were cleared out I asked a man who was swimming what water he had. Elevating both hands over his head be plunged down perpendicularly until his fingers disappeared, and on coming to the surface called out "No bottom." In the interval shores and strengthening pieces had been made to secure the hatches of these compartments, as the combings were two feet below the level of the water outside. When the water was cleared out the carpenters cut away the lining of the skin and bulkhead, and reaching the sluice valve they found it would not close and water came through the next department. A wooden plug secured this and the ship was tight once more. Two bower and one sheet anchor, one bower cable, 19 six-ton guns, slides and carriages, all the boats' guns, the remainder of the powder and shell, all the spare sails and a great amount of small articles were put into lighters and towed on shore. Tuesday, July 4. - At daylight the wind came up fresh from the E.N.E., force 4; at noon, east, force 3 to 4. The current, which during the whole time the ship had been ashore had been constantly running to the eastward, turned at low water for a short time to the westward, and reduced its velocity from four or more knots per hour to two at the height of the flood. Two 12-ton guns were hoisted out and the coals thrown overboard or into lighters, as convenient. The Hercules weighed anchor and let it go square off the starboard quarter distant one cable, and slewed her stern towards the Agincourt with a Manilla six-inch hawser. A stream cable was laid out and passed in through her starboard stern pipe. To this her bower cable was shackled on and then hove in by the Agincourt and treble bitted. A second bower cable was passed in through the other stern pipe and secured in a similar manner. The Spanish paddle steamer of war Linias was sent square of the quarter with two six-inch hawsers. The Lion Belge (tug) had a third hawser from the same bitts, and was also sent square off. The Redpole and the Adelia (tugs) were on the port side. At low water the ship was served to 19 feet forward and 27 feet aft, On this day it was high water by our tide-tables at 3 53 p.m. and by the Sailing Directions at 3 20 p.m. At a few minutes before 3 p.m. the ship's head swung to the westward, thus leaving her suspended on one point. The draught of water before she commenced to swing was 23 feet forward and 23 feet aft. At 3 5 p.m. the ships were hailed to go ahead. The Spanish man-of-war set on full speed, and when the hawsers tautened her port towing bollard flew 20 feet into the air. The Hercules gathered way slowly, and as the chain cables tautened the strain was tremendous. Imperceptibly the ship slid off the rock and was towed into Getares Bay, as the engines had been set on to clear out the water from the double bottom up to the time she floated. When this had been effected the screw was connected, but it was unfortunately fouled by both the towing cables as she closed on the Hercules. The Agincourt is one of only two iron ships which have ever come off the Pearl Rock, and it his solved a problem successfully which had been deemed impracticable - viz., that if an ironclad of this sort got on shore it would be impossible to get her off. The other was the Liverpool steamer Lydia, which cleared out 600 tons of cargo in 24 hours, and being thus lightened floated off. From the collated reports of various divers the damage to the bottom does not appear to be of a serious nature. On the starboard side, where she rested on the ledge, a piece of the inner bilge keel is broken off or rolled up, but the underlying plates are sound. On the port side a butt is opened slightly for about two feet, and the adjoining plate is bulged in and cracked across in an irregular manner. A knife may be inserted in some part of this crack, and the remainder is closed at the edges. The keel plates where they rested on the pinnacle are arched a little upwards, but no flaws can be discovered. I cannot conclude this short description without again expressing my admiration of her wonderful strength and faultless workmanship - qualities which, it may be truly said, have saved us from a national disaster; and I may further add that none but an English-built ship would have escaped destruction under similar circumstances. Whatever errors may have been committed in allowing the Agincourt to run on the Pearl Rock, there were none in getting her off, and it will be gratifying to the pride of English seamen to learn that their brethren effected it with the ordinary resources of the ships present. Although the guns, which weighed from 6½ to 12½ tons each, anchors weighing seven tons each, and other weighty articles were hoisted over the side into lighters, and 2⅜-inch cables laid out from ship to ship, only one man was injured by accidentally falling into a boat alongside, and as Admiral Wellesley feelingly remarked in his general order to the fleet, - "We all wish him a speedy recovery." The conduct of the officers, seamen, and marines of the squadron made one feel proud of his country. Many worked unceasingly for 36 hours, and when relieved threw themselves down where they worked to snatch a short sleep as they best might, so thoroughly were they exhausted. Throughout the four days no murmur escaped their lips, and when the water was gaining on the pumps in the slop and bread rooms, and men were swimming in them, they worked on as bravely as ever. The Hercules was splendidly handled, and her captain was thanked in general orders. Your obedient servant,

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HMS Agincourt, 1867.


HMS Agincourt, 1867.


HMS Agincourt, 1867.


HMS Agincourt, 1867.

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HMS Agincourt.
HMS Agincourt at anchor in Bantry Bay c.1884 when she was second Flagship of the Channel Fleet.

Timeline Entries :


October 1861 - Laid down
27th March 1865 - Launched
March 1868 - Completed
March 1869 - Towed a large floating drydock to Madeira
March 1871 - Ran hard aground near Gibraltar
March 1875 - Refitted with larger guns
March 1877 - Sent to the Mediterranean Sea
March 1877 - Refit completed
February 1878 - Steamed through the Dardanelles
March 1878 - Joined Channel Fleet
23rd July 1887 - Took Part in the Jubilee Fleet Review at Portsmouth
July 1889 - In Reserve
3rd June 1892 - Prepaing at Portsmouth for refit at Chatham
7th June 1892 - Inspected by the Lords Commissioners at Portsmouth
9th July 1892 - Taken n hand at Chatham for refit
25th July 1892 - At Chatham having the boilers removed
June 1893 - Harbor training ship at Portland
9th January 1896 - At Chatham, A Division, Reserve Fleet
26th June 1897 - Cdr. J.M. Caulfield in Command
June 1901 - Finished Harbour training ship at Harwich
June 1904 - Converted To A Training Ship And Renamed Boscawen Iii

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