The ''Jackal''-class gunvessel (alternatively spelled ''Jackall'') was a class of two second-class iron paddle

gunvessel A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies. History Pre-stea ...

s built for 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 ...

in the mid 1840s. They served in the Mediterranean and South Atlantic, and latterly on fishery protection duties off Scotland.

Design

Orders for both ships were placed on 16 January 1844. They were designed by the builder,

Robert Napier and Sons Messrs Robert Napier and Sons was a famous firm of River Clyde, Clyde shipbuilders and marine engineers at Govan, City of Glasgow, Glasgow founded by Robert Napier (engineer), Robert Napier in 1826. It was moved to Govan for more space in 1841. Hi ...

and approved on 17 April 1844 by the

Surveyor of the Navy The Surveyor of the Navy also known as Department of the Surveyor of the Navy and originally known as Surveyor and Rigger of the Navy was a former principal commissioner and member of both the Navy Board from the inauguration of that body in 15 ...

, Sir William Symonds. They were each fitted with a Napier two-cylinder side-lever steam engine driving side paddles. The engine was rated at 150

nominal horsepower Horsepower (hp) is a unit of measurement of power, or the rate at which work is done, usually in reference to the output of engines or motors. There are many different standards and types of horsepower. Two common definitions used today are the ...

and on trials developed . Two

gaff-rig Gaff rig is a sailing rig (configuration of sails, mast and stays) in which the sail is four-cornered, fore-and-aft rigged, controlled at its peak and, usually, its entire head by a spar (pole) called the ''gaff''. Because of the size and sha ...

ged masts were provided, making them schooners. The armament consisted of a single 18-pounder (22 cwt) carronade on a pivot mounting and two 24-pounder (13cwt) carronades.

Construction

Both ships were built at Napier's

Govan Govan ( ; Cumbric?: ''Gwovan'?''; Scots: ''Gouan''; Scottish Gaelic: ''Baile a' Ghobhainn'') is a district, parish, and former burgh now part of south-west City of Glasgow, Scotland. It is situated west of Glasgow city centre, on the south ba ...

yard. ''Jackall'' was built as yard number 8, and ''Lizard'' as number 9. ''Jackall'' was launched on 28 November 1844, and ''Lizard'' followed exactly a month later.

Service

''Jackall'' served in the Mediterranean and at Ascension, and by 1864 she was employed on fishery protection duties off the west coast of Scotland. ''Lizard'' also served in the Mediterranean, and took part in an Anglo-French action in Uruguay in 1845, receiving serious damage and losing 4 men. By 1858 she was also engaged in fishery protection duties off Scotland.

Ships

Notes

References

* * {{Early Royal Navy paddle gunvessels Ships built on the River Clyde 1844 ships Victorian-era gunboats of the United Kingdom Gunvessels of the Royal Navy Gunboat classes