HMS ''Espiegle'' was a
''Doterel''-class sloop
A sloop is a sailboat with a single mast typically having only one headsail in front of the mast and one mainsail aft of (behind) the mast. Such an arrangement is called a fore-and-aft rig, and can be rigged as a Bermuda rig with triangular sa ...
of the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
, built at the
Devonport Dockyard and launched on 3 August 1880.
[Bastock, p.77.]
Design
The ''Doterel'' class was designed by
Nathaniel Barnaby
Sir Nathaniel Barnaby, (25 February 1829 – 16 June 1915) was Chief Constructor of the Royal Navy from 1872 to 1885.
Biography
Born on 25 February 1829 in Chatham, Barnaby began his career as a naval apprentice at Sheerness in 1843. He won a ...
as a development of
William Henry White
Sir William Henry White, (2 February 1845 – 27 February 1913) was a prolific British warship designer and Chief Constructor at the Admiralty.
Biography
White was born in Devonport, the son of Robert White, a currier, and his wife, Jane M ...
's 1874 . The graceful clipper bow of the ''Osprey''s was replaced by a vertical stem and the engines were more powerful. The hull was of composite construction, with wooden planks over an iron frame.
[
]
Propulsion
Power was provided by three cylindrical boilers, which supplied steam at to a two-cylinder horizontal compound-expansion steam engine driving a single screw. This arrangement produced and a top speed of .[Winfield (2004) p.292]
Armament
Ships of the class were armed with two 7-inch (90cwt) muzzle-loading rifled guns on pivoting mounts, and four 64-pounder muzzle-loading rifled guns (two on pivoting mounts, and two broadside). Four machine guns and one light gun completed the weaponry.[
]
Sail plan
All the ships of the class were provided with a barque
A barque, barc, or bark is a type of sailing ship, sailing vessel with three or more mast (sailing), masts having the fore- and mainmasts Square rig, rigged square and only the mizzen (the aftmost mast) Fore-and-aft rig, rigged fore and aft. Som ...
rig,[ that is, square-rigged foremast and mainmast, and fore-and-aft sails only on the mizzen mast.
]
Crew
''Espiegle'' would have had a normal complement of 140–150 men.[
]
Construction
''Espiegle'' was ordered from Devonport Dockyard and laid down on 23 September 1879. She was launched on 3 August 1880 and was commissioned on 11 October 1881[ at Devonport.]
Service
She commenced service on the Australia Station
The Australia Station was the British, and later Australian, naval command responsible for the waters around the Australian continent.Dennis et al. 2008, p.53. Australia Station was under the command of the Commander-in-Chief, Australia Station, ...
in November 1881.China Station
The Commander-in-Chief, China was the admiral in command of what was usually known as the China Station, at once both a British Royal Navy naval formation and its admiral in command. It was created in 1865 and deactivated in 1941.
From 1831 to 18 ...
. She assisted during the Chilean Revolt in 1891. She was fitted out as a boom defence vessel in 1899 and stationed at Southampton; she was renamed ''Argo'' in 1902.[
]
Fate
She was sold to W. Thorpe for breaking on 25 August 1921.[
]
References
*Bastock, John (1988), ''Ships on the Australia Station'', Child & Associates Publishing Pty Ltd; Frenchs Forest, Australia.
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Espiegle (1880)
1880 ships
Doterel-class sloops
Victorian-era sloops of the United Kingdom
Ships built in Plymouth, Devon