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Tourmaline in 1876
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Tourmaline
Namesake	Tourmaline
Builder	Raylton Dixon, Middlesbrough
Laid down	17 July 1874
Launched	30 October 1875
Completed	October 1876
Fate	Sold to be broken up, November 1920
General characteristics (as built)
Class and type	Emerald-class corvette
Displacement	2,120 long tons (2,150 t)
Length	220 ft (67 m) pp
Beam	40 ft (12 m)
Draught	18 ft (5.5 m)
Installed power	2,000 ihp (1,500 kW)
Propulsion	6 × cylindrical boilers 2-cylinder compound engine Single screw
Sail plan	Full-rigged ship (barque from the 1880s)
Complement	230
Armament	12 × 64-pounder RML guns

HMS Tourmaline was an Emerald-class composite screw corvette that served in the Victorian Royal Navy. The Emerald class was a development of the wooden Amethyst class but combined an iron frame and teak cladding. Launched in 1875, Tourmaline was deployed to the North America and West Indies Station in 1878. The ship joined the third flying squadron in 1880, sailing to South Africa at time of the First Boer War and then to Australia, Japan, Singapore and Egypt, arriving in Alexandria in time to participate in the Anglo-Egyptian War. During 1883, the corvette was stationed in Zanzibar and then, in response to the Franco-Hova Wars, was the senior officer's ship in Madagascar. Following an armament upgrade, the vessel returned to the North America and West Indies Station in 1886. Converted to a coal hulk in 1899, Tourmaline was sold in 1920 to be broken up.

Design and development

The Emerald class was a class of composite screw corvettes designed by Nathaniel Barnaby for the Royal Navy. The ships were a development of the preceding Amethyst class that replaced wooden construction with one that combined frames and keels of wrought iron, a stem and stern post of cast iron and a cladding of teak. The additional longitudinal strength of the metal frames was designed to afford the opportunity to build in finer lines, and thus higher speeds. The ships did not deliver this better performance, partly due to poor underwater design, and also were prone to oscillate in heavy weather. In service, however, they proved to be good sailing vessels in all sorts of weather. The ships were later redefined as third-class cruisers.

The corvette had a length between perpendiculars of 220 ft (67 m), with a beam of 40 ft (12 m) and draught of 18 ft (5.5 m). Displacement was 2,120 long tons (2,150 t). The engines were provided by Hawthorn. The ship was equipped with six cylindrical boilers feeding a compound engine consisting of two cylinders, working on low and high pressure respectively, rated at 2,000 indicated horsepower (1,500 kW). The engines drove a single shaft, to give a design speed of 13.2 knots (24.4 km/h; 15.2 mph). The vessel achieved 12.62 knots (23.37 km/h; 14.52 mph) from 1,972 indicated horsepower (1,471 kW). Range for the class varied between 2,000 and 2,280 nautical miles (3,700 and 4,220 km; 2,300 and 2,620 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). The steam engines used in the class were troublesome, and the one in Tourmaline was so far from satisfactory that the chief engineer committed suicide. The engine was complemented by 18,250 sq ft (1,695 m) of sail, which was ship-rigged. This proved difficult to handle as it meant the vessel was too responsive to weather. Between 1880 and 1890, this was altered to a barque rig.

Tourmaline had an armament consisting of 12 slide-mounted 64-pounder rifled muzzle-loading (RML) guns. Five were mounted to each side to provide a broadside, the remainder being fitted in pairs firing through embrasures at the ends of the ship. The guns were provided by the Ordinance Department at Chatham Dockyard. Between 31 August 1884 and 10 August 1885, the armament was upgraded to four 6 in (150 mm) 100 pounder breech loading (BL) guns mounted behind shields and a broadside of eight 5 in (130 mm) 50 pounder BL guns. The ship had a complement of 230 officers and ratings.

Construction and career

Laid down by Raylton Dixon's shipyard in Middlesbrough on 17 July 1874, Tourmaline was launched on 30 August the following year. The vessel cost £95,769 and was the first of the class to enter service. The warship was commissioned on 25 October 1876 and arrived in Simon's Town, South Africa, on 29 January 1877. The ship required further work before becoming operational and so returned to the UK, arriving in Plymouth on 22 August. Faults included limitations to the use of the engine that meant it was barely usable. On 31 January 1878, the corvette was ready for service and was dispatched to join the North America and West Indies Station. Tourmaline returned to the UK, arriving at Sheerness Dockyard on 12 September 1880 for a short refit.

On 2 November, the warship sailed to join third flying squadron under the command of the Earl of Clanwilliam at Madeira. The ships sailed via St Vincent, Cape Verde, where the corvette took on 120 long tons (120 t) of coal, and arrived at Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands on 9 January. However, the start of the First Boer War meant that the ship was dispatched back to Simon's Town, arriving 22 days later. The vessel took no part in the conflict but did contribute 21 shots of a 105 gun salute to mark the assassination of Alexander II of Russia. From South Africa, the squadron proceeded to Australia, spending the summer in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. The allure of the colony, and the opportunity that the gold rush then ensuing provided, meant that 30 sailors deserted during the time. From there, the vessels sailed via Fiji and Nauru to Japan, arriving in Yokohama in October. The ships then sailed through Wusong, Xiamen, Hong Kong and Singapore, returning to Simon's Town and then to Gibraltar, arriving on 1 July 1881. From there, the ship was dispatched to Alexandria to engage in the Anglo-Egyptian War. The vessel was involved in the bombardment and surrender of Abu Qir Bay on 20 August.

On 10 September 1883, Tourmaline was transferred to serve in the Indian Ocean on patrols to combat the Indian Ocean slave trade from a base in the Sultanate of Zanzibar. The vessel was in attendance when the sultan was invested into the Order of St Michael and St George. After a refit in Bombay that cost £25,000, the ship sailed to Toamasina, Madagascar, on 13 December 1883 in response to the Franco-Hova Wars. The vessel acted as senior officer's ship to the country, transporting the consul-general on diplomatic missions. Tourmaline returned to Sheerness Dockyard on 31 October 1884 to be broken up. Instead, a refit costing £39,833 was authorised, including updating the armament with 5 in (130 mm) BL guns, the vessel being recommissioned on 12 August 1886 to rejoin the North America and West Indies Station. On 15 August 1889, the corvette visited New York. Unusually for the time, the crew were given shore leave. Tourmaline was converted to a coal hulk in 1899, renamed C.115 in December 1904, and eventually sold to be broken up in November 1920.

Citations

1. ^ Roberts 1979, p. 51.
2. Archibald 1968, p. 87.
3. ^ Friedman 2012, p. 98.
4. Gibbs 1896, p. 119.
5. Brassey 2010, p. 556.
6. Gibbs 1896, p. 68.
7. "Naval And Military Intelligence". The Times. No. 28751. 4 October 1876. p. 6.
8. ^ "Naval And Military Intelligence". The Times. No. 31539. 31 August 1885. p. 5.
9. "Naval And Military Intelligence". The Times. No. 31835. 11 August 1886. p. 6.
10. Friedman 2012, p. 99.
11. Winfield & Lyon 2004, p. 289.
12. ^ "Naval And Military Intelligence". The Times. No. 31223. 27 October 1884. p. 10.
13. "The Mails". The Times. No. 28875. 28 February 1877. p. 6.
14. Wall 1879, p. 22.
15. "Naval And Military Intelligence". The Times. No. 29167. 1 February 1878. p. 5.
16. "Naval And Military Intelligence". The Times. No. 30010. 12 October 1880. p. 6.
17. Humble 1976, p. 129.
18. "Naval And Military Intelligence". The Times. No. 30028. 2 November 1880. p. 10.
19. Humble 1976, p. 130.
20. Humble 1976, p. 131.
21. Humble 1976, p. 132.
22. "Naval And Military Intelligence". The Times. No. 30549. 3 July 1881. p. 12.
23. "Reuter's Telegrams". The Times. No. 30549. 21 August 1881. p. 12.
24. "Naval And Military Intelligence". The Times. No. 30922. 11 September 1881. p. 12.
25. Howell 1987, p. 162.
26. Howell 1987, p. 164.
27. "Naval And Military Intelligence". The Times. No. 30922. 11 September 1881. p. 12.
28. "Naval And Military Intelligence". The Times. No. 31280. 1 November 1884. p. 10.
29. "Naval And Military Intelligence". The Times. No. 31837. 13 August 1886. p. 5.
30. "British War Ship in Port". The New York Times. Vol. 38, no. 11846. 16 August 1889. p. 3.
31. Colledge & Warlow 2006, p. 357.

References

• Archibald, Edward H. H. (1968). The Wooden Fighting Ship in the Royal Navy, A.D. 897–1860. London: Blandford. ISBN 978-0-71370-492-1.
• Brassey, Thomas (2010) . "Tables of Ships: British and Foreign". The British Navy: Its Strength, Resources, and Administration. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 549–605. ISBN 978-1-10802-465-5.
• Colledge, J.J.; Warlow, Ben (2006). Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of All Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy. London: Chatham Press. ISBN 978-1-93514-907-1.
• Friedman, Norman (2012). British Cruisers of the Victorian Era. Barnsley: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-099-4.
• Gibbs, E. W. C. (1896). The Illustrated Guide to the Royal Navy and Foreign Navies: Also Mercantile Marine Steamers Available as Armed Cruisers and Transport, &c. London: Waterlow Bros. & Layton. OCLC 841883694.
• Howell, Raymond (1987). The Royal Navy and the Slave Trade. London: Croom Helm. ISBN 978-0-70994-770-7.
• Humble, Richard (1976). Before the Dreadnought : the Royal Navy from Nelson to Fisher. London: Macdonald and Jane's. OCLC 3107352.
• Roberts, John (1979). "Great Britain". In Gardiner, Robert (ed.). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905. London: Conway Maritime Press. pp. 1–113. ISBN 978-0-85177-133-5.
• Wall, Henry F. (1879). The State of the Navy, 1878. Unarmoured Ships. London: G. Philip & Son. OCLC 38479026.
• 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.

• 1875 ships
• Corvettes of the Royal Navy
• Emerald-class corvettes
• Ships built on the River Tees