''Mozaffari''
( fa, مظفری) was a
steam yacht that was converted to a
gunboat.
Launched in 1899 as a Belgian
merchant ship, it was purchased as a
royal yacht
A royal yacht is a ship used by a monarch or a royal family. If the monarch is an emperor the proper term is imperial yacht. Most of them are financed by the government of the country of which the monarch is head. The royal yacht is most often c ...
for
Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar and served
Persian navy from 1902 to 1914; and again between 1918 and 1936.
Royal Navy seized her in 1914 and used it until 1918 during
World War I.
History
The vessel was built in
Nantes
Nantes (, , ; Gallo: or ; ) is a city in Loire-Atlantique on the Loire, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the sixth largest in France, with a population of 314,138 in Nantes proper and a metropolitan area of nearly 1 million inhabita ...
,
France in 1899, according to ''
Jane's''. Originally named ''Selika'', she was owned by Robert Osterrieth.
Soon after it was launched,
Adrien de Gerlache took over as her
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
for an expedition to the
Persian Gulf, seeking
pearl. On her journey ''Selika'' decked at
Muscat and
Bahrain.
In April 1904, ''Mozaffari'' was used in an operation to hoist
Persian flag at
Abu Musa
, location = Persian Gulf
, coordinates =
, total_islands = 1
, area_km2 = 12.8
, highest_mount = Mount Halva
, elevation_m = 110
, country = Iran
, country_admin_divisions_title = Province
, cou ...
and
Tunbs
(Tonb-e Bozorg or Tonb-e Kuchak) ar, طنب الكبرى وطنب الصغرى (Tunb el-Kubra and Tunb el-Sughra)
, location = Persian Gulf
, coordinates = Greater: Lesser:
, archipelago =
, total_islands = 2
, major_is ...
after removing those of
Sharjah.
[
An American diplomat reported in 1925 that '' Persepolis'' and ''Mozaffari'' were the two largest vessels of Iran.]
See also
* List of ship launches in 1899
* Historical Iranian Navy vessels
This is a list of naval ships that were in service with the naval forces of Iran after 1885, and had been either decommissioned or lost since then.
List of ships Cruiser
* ''Persepolis'' (1885–1925)
Destroyer
* ''Damavand'' (ex-''Artemi ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mozaffari
1899 ships
Merchant ships of Belgium
Naval ships of Iran
Royal and presidential yachts
Steam yachts
Gunboats
Captured ships
World War I naval ships of the United Kingdom
Ships built in France
Military history of Qajar Iran