HMS ''Nelson'' was a

armoured cruiser The armored cruiser was a type of warship of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was designed like other types of cruisers to operate as a long-range, independent warship, capable of defeating any ship apart from a battleship and fast eno ...

built for the Royal Navy in the 1870s. She was sold for

scrap Scrap consists of Recycling, recyclable materials, usually metals, left over from product manufacturing and consumption, such as parts of vehicles, building supplies, and surplus materials. Unlike waste, scrap Waste valorization, has monetary ...

in 1910.

Design and description

The ''Nelson''-class ships were designed as enlarged and improved versions of HMS ''Shannon'' to counter the threat of enemy armoured ships encountered abroad. The ships had a length between perpendiculars of , a beam of and a deep draught of . ''Nelson'' displaced , almost more than ''Shannon''. The steel-hulled ships were fitted with a ram and their crew numbered approximately 560 officers and other ranks.Parkes, p. 239 The ship had a pair of three-cylinder, inverted compound steam engines, each driving a single propeller, using steam provided by 10 oval boilers. The engines produced and ''Nelson'' reached her designed speed of on her sea trials. The ''Nelson''-class ships carried a maximum of of coal which gave them an economical range of at a speed of . They were barque-rigged with three

mast Mast, MAST or MASt may refer to: Engineering * Mast (sailing), a vertical spar on a sailing ship * Flagmast, a pole for flying a flag * Guyed mast, a structure supported by guy-wires * Mooring mast, a structure for docking an airship * Radio mast ...

Construction and career

HMS_Nelson_in_Sydney_Harbour_between_1885

''HMS Nelson'', named after Vice-Admiral

Horatio Nelson Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronte (29 September 1758 – 21 October 1805) was a British flag officer in the Royal Navy. His inspirational leadership, grasp of strategy, and unconventional tactics brought abo ...

, was laid down by John Elder & Co. in Govan, Scotland on 2 November 1874, launched on 4 November 1876, and completed in July 1881.Silverstone, p. 253 She sailed for the Australia Station after commissioning and became the

flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically the fi ...

there in 1885. She remained on station until returning home in January 1889 for a lengthy refit. The ship then became guardship at Portsmouth in October 1891 and was placed in fleet reserve in November 1894. ''Nelson'' was degraded to dockyard reserve in April 1901 and

hulked A hulk is a ship that is afloat, but incapable of going to sea. Hulk may be used to describe a ship that has been launched but not completed, an abandoned wreck or shell, or to refer to an old ship that has had its rigging or internal equipment ...

seven months later as a training ship for

stoker Stoker may refer to: Arts and entertainment * "The Stoker", a 1927 short story by Franz Kafka * ''The Stoker'' (1932 film), an American drama/romance film directed by Chester M. Franklin * ''The Stoker'' (1935 film) , a British comedy film direc ...

s. Commander

Harry Stileman Rear-Admiral Sir Harry Hampson Stileman, KBE (7 August 1860 – 28 October 1938) was a British Royal Navy officer who also served as Director of Dr Barnardo's Homes from 1920 to 1923. Stileman was the son of Major-General William Stileman o ...

was appointed in command on 12 June 1902. She was sold for scrap in July 1910 for £14,500.Parkes, p. 243

Notes

References

* * * * * *

External links

Pictures of HMS Nelson

Naval Historical Society of Australia

Shipping Times: Clydebuilt Database
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nelson Nelson-class cruisers Victorian-era cruisers of the United Kingdom Ships built on the River Clyde Ships built in Govan 1876 ships