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HMS Driver
Class overview
Name	Driver-class paddle sloop
Operators	Royal Navy
Preceded by	Alecto class
Succeeded by	Bulldog class
Cost	Driver: £39,707
Built	1840-1846
In commission	1841–1870s
Completed	12
Retired	12
General characteristics
Type	Wooden paddle sloop
Displacement	1,590 tons
Tons burthen	1,055+62⁄94 bm
Length	180 ft (54.9 m) (gundeck)
Beam	36 ft (11.0 m)
Depth of hold	21 ft (6.4 m)
Installed power	280–300 nhp (except Devastation and Sphinx)
Propulsion	2-cylinder direct-acting steam engine (except Spiteful, Devastation and Sphinx) Paddles
Sail plan	Brig-rigged
Complement	149 (later 160)
Armament	As built: 2 × 10-inch/42-pounder (84 cwt) pivot guns 2 × 68-pounder (64 cwt) guns 2 × 42-pounder (22 cwt) carronades After 1856: 1 × 10-inch/42-pounder (84 cwt) pivot guns 1 × 68-pounder (95 cwt) gun 4 × 32-pounder (42 cwt) guns Later: 1 × 10-inch/42-pounder (84 cwt) pivot guns 1 × 110 pdr Armstrong gun 4 × 32-pounder (42 cwt) guns

The Driver class were a class of paddlewheel steam sloops of the British Royal Navy. Six Driver-class ships were ordered in 1840 and a further ten in March 1841, although only six were built. Five were ordered in 1847, but all were either built as paddle frigates or cancelled. Two wrecked in service, while the rest served until being retired and were either broken up or sold.

Design

The ships were designed by Sir William Symonds. They were built of wood, displaced 1,590 tons and had a length on the gundeck of 180 feet (54.9 m).

Propulsion

Power was provided by a two-cylinder direct-acting steam engine driving paddle wheels. Spiteful had a side-lever steam engine, Devastation had a 4-cylinder 'Siamese' steam engine and Sphinx had a 2-cylinder oscillating steam engine. The engines developed between 280 and 300 nominal horsepower, apart from Devastation (400 nhp) and Sphinx (500 nhp). All the ships were capable of about 9 knots (17 km/h) under steam, with the more powerful Devastation and Sphinx making 10 or 12 knots. A brig rig was fitted for operating under sail.

Armament

All three ships were armed with two 10 in (250 mm) (84 cwt) guns on pivot mounts, two 68-pounder (64 cwt) guns and two 42-pounder (22 cwt) carronades. In 1856 the armament was changed to a single 10-inch pivot gun, a 68-pounder (95 cwt) gun and four 32-pounder (42 cwt) guns. Later, the 68-pounder was replaced by a 110 pdr Armstrong gun breech-loading gun.

Crew

They had a complement of approximately 149 men, increasing later to 160.

Construction

Six Driver-class ships were ordered in 1840 and a further ten in March 1841, although only six were built. Five were ordered in 1847, but all were either built as paddle frigates or cancelled.

Ships

Notes

1. A total cost accounting for inflation of approximately £4,515,800 in today's money.
2. "cwt", or "hundredweight" refers to the weight of the gun itself. "42-pounder" refers to the weight of the ball fired.

References

1. ^ Winfield (2004), p. 160.
2. Friedman, Norman (2012). British Cruisers of the Victorian Era. Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 9781473853126. Retrieved 9 November 2018.

Works cited

• Winfield, R.; Lyon, D. (2004). The Sail and Steam Navy List: All the Ships of the Royal Navy 1815–1889. London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-032-6. OCLC 52620555.

• Paddle sloops of the Royal Navy
• Sloop classes