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Class overview
Name	Bulldog-class sloop
Builders	Chatham Dockyard Sheerness Dockyard Pembroke Dockyard Portsmouth Dockyard
Operators	Royal Navy
Preceded by	Driver class
Succeeded by	Trident class
Built	1844–1847
In commission	1846–1865
Completed	4
Lost	4
Retired	6
General characteristics
Type	Steam Vessels (SV2) First Class Sloop
Tons burthen	1122+11⁄94 bm
Length	190 ft 0 in (57.9 m) gundeck 166 ft 0.75 in (50.6 m) keel for tonnage
Beam	36 ft 0 in (11.0 m) maximum 35 ft 8 in (10.9 m) for tonnage
Depth of hold	21 ft 0 in (6.4 m)
Propulsion	2-cylinder VSE direct acting steam engine Paddles
Armament	2 × 42-pdr (84 cwt) MLSB guns on pivot mounts 2 × 68-pdr (64 cwt) MLSB guns on broadside trucks 2 × 42-pdr (22 cwt) carronades

The Bulldog-class steam vessels (SV2) later reclassed as First Class Sloops, were designed by Sir William Symonds, the Surveyor of the Navy. Designed from the Driver class by Admiralty Order of 26 December 1843, the design was approved in 1844. The changes included lengthening the bow by 10 feet to provide 6 feet of extra space in the engine room. Three vessels would have a single funnel whereas Scourge would have two and be completed as a bomb vessel. In July 1844 it was queried if Fury was to be completed as a screw vessel, however, since her construction was well along she would be completed as a paddle steamer. Four vessels were ordered and completed.

Inflexible was the third vessel to carry this name since it was used for an 18-gun sloop, launched by St John's at Lake Champlain on 1 October 1776 and whose fate is unknown.

Scourge was the sixth named vessel since it was used for a 14-gun brig-sloop, launched by Allin of Dover on 26 October 1779, purchased on the stocks and foundered off the Dutch coast on 7 November 1795.

Bulldog was the third vessel so named since it was used for a 16-gun sloop, launched by Ladd of Dover on 10 November 1782, made a bomb in 1798, converted to a powder hulk 1801 Breaking completed at Portsmouth in December 1829. The vessel had been in French hands from 27 February 1801 to 16 September 1801.

Fury was the eighth named vessel since it was used for a 14-gun sloop, launched by Lime & Mackenzie of Leith on 18 March 1779 and broken in April 1787.

Design and specifications

The first three vessels were ordered on 18 March 1841 with the fourth vessel ordered on 19 February 1844. The ships were laid down as follows: Inflexible - January 1844 at Pembroke; Scourge February 1844 at Portsmouth; Bulldog July 1844 at Chatham; and Fury in June 1845 at Sheerness. The vessels were launched between November 1844 and December 1845. The gundeck was 190 feet 0 inches (57.91 metres) with the keel length of 166 feet 0.75 inches (50.62 metres) reported for tonnage. The maximum beam was 36 feet 0 inches (10.97 metres) with 35 feet 8 inches (10.87 metres) reported for tonnage. The depth of hold was 21 feet 0 inches (6.40 metres). The builder's measure calculated at 1122+11⁄94 tons.

The machinery was supplied by various suppliers. All had rectangular fire-tube boilers installed. The engine manufacturers were as follows:

• Inflexible – supplied by Fawcett, Preston & Company of Liverpool. The engine was a two-cylinder vertical single expansion (VSE) direct-acting steam engine rated at 378 nominal horsepower (NHP). When run on trials the engine generated 680 indicated horsepower (IHP) for a speed of 9.5 knots.
• Scourge – supplied by Maudslay, Sons & Field of Lambeth. The engine was a two-cylinder VSR direct-acting steam engine rated at 420 NHP.
• Bulldog – supplied by J. and G. Rennie of Greenwich. The engine was a two-cylinder VSR direct-acting steam engine rated at 420 NHP then rerated at 500 NHP and had a speed of 10.2 knots.
• Fury – supplied by Rigby of Liverpool. The engine was a two-cylinder VSR direct-acting steam engine rated at 515 NHP for a speed of 10.5 knots.

Their initial armament for Inflexible, Bulldog, and Fury was two 42-pounder 84 hundredweight (cwt) 10-foot muzzle-loading smooth bore (MLSB) guns on pivot mounts with two 68-pounder 64 cwt 9-foot MLSB guns and two 42-pounder 22 cwt carronades on broadside trucks. In 1862 the armament was changed to either one 68-pounder 84 cwt 10-foot MLSB gun or one Armstrong 7-inch (110-pounder) rifled breech-loading (RBL) gun on a pivot mount with four 32-pounder 42 cwt MLSB guns on broadside trucks. Scourge being completed as a bomb was armed with one 13-inch mortar with two 68-pounder 95 cwt 10-foot MLSB guns on broadside trucks on the upper deck.

Initial cost of vessels

• Inflexible: Total cost £50,114 (Hull - £22,338; Machinery - £18,458; fitting - £9,418)
• Scourge: Total cost £55,002 (Hull - £21,328; Machinery - £20,390; Fitting - £13,284)
• Bulldog: Total cost £58,122 (including Hull - 23,342; Machinery - £24,892; Fitting - £8,338)
• Fury: Total cost £51,688 (Hull - £24,764; Machinery - £22,142; Fitting - £4,782)

Notes

1. "cwt", or "hundredweight" refers to the weight of the gun itself. "68-pounder" refers to the weight of the ball fired
2. A total cost accounting for inflation of approximately £6,129,900 in today's money for Inflexible.
3. A total cost accounting for inflation of approximately £6,727,800 in today's money for Scourge.
4. A total cost accounting for inflation of approximately £7,109,400 in today's money for Bulldog.
5. A total cost accounting for inflation of approximately £5,966,400 in today's money for Fury.

Citations

1. Winfield
2. Colledge, Inflexible
3. Colledge, Scourge
4. Colledge, Bulldog
5. Colledge, Fury
6. Lyon Winfield, page 161
7. Lyon Winfield, page 161
8. Lyon Winfield, page 161
9. Winfield
10. Winfield
11. Winfield
12. Winfield
13. Winfield
14. Winfield
15. Lyon Winfield, page 161
16. Winfield
17. Winfield

References

• Lyon Winfield, The Sail & Steam Navy List, All the Ships of the Royal Navy 1815 to 1889, by David Lyon & Rif Winfield, published by Chatham Publishing, London © 2004, ISBN 1-86176-032-9
• Winfield, British Warships in the Age of Sail (1817 – 1863), by Rif Winfield, published by Seaforth Publishing, England © 2014, eISBN 9781473837430, Chapter 11 Steam Paddle Vessels, Vessels acquired since November 1830, Stromboli Class
• Colledge, Ships of the Royal Navy, by J.J. Colledge, revised and updated by Lt Cdr Ben Warlow and Steve Bush, published by Seaforth Publishing, Barnsley, Great Britain, © 2020, e ISBN 978-1-5267-9328-7 (EPUB)
• The Navy List, published by His Majesty's Stationery Office, London

• Paddle sloops of the Royal Navy
• Sloop classes