Nelson class Armoured cruisers (1875)

United Kingdom (1874-1881): Nelson, Northampton

The Nelson class were two armoured cruisers (HMS Nelson, HMS Northampton) designed by Chef Constructor Nathaniel Barnaby as an improved version of HMS Shannon, much improved. Construction was quite long due to design revision after Shannon’s own sea trials. Both were equally disappointing with an armament only valuable against coastal ironclads of the time and not fast enough to play a role in chasing off commerce raiders, a main threat for the RN at the time, played by the US, France and Russia. They were laid down at Glasgow in Elder & Co and Robert Napier yards as central battery ironclads originally and were assigned at the Australia Station in 1881 or North America and West Indies Station in 1879 respectively. In 1891 Nelson became a guardship at Portsmouth, in reserve in 1894, dockyard reserve in April 1901, hulked as stokers TS and sold in July 1910 while her sister became a boys’ training ship in 1894, paid off in 1904, sold April 1905.

Adm. Baird’s RN squadron in order of battle for manoeuvers in the mouth of the Thames river for naval manoeuvers in 1888. Northumberland is in the lead and Noerrthampton closes the line.

The concept of the armoured cruiser had many origins and claiming nations. In the case of Russia, it is argued that the General Admiral class (1875) is a serious contender. In fact exactly the same year, the British Royal Navy claimed their own: HMS Shannon. Started in 1873 at Pembroke Dockyard, she was a repeat of the ironclad concept but on a nimbler hull (faster) with a bit less armour but longer range and defined to act independently against trade (and against defending cruisers). She was an incremental step compared to armoured frigates built a decade earlier but with a better armament and protection overall, and referred in the literature specifically as a “cruiser”, not a frigate. Soon after her, two improved ships were built, the Nelson class.

The previous HMS Shannon

Design

The Nelson-class were designed by Nathaniel Barnaby at the time Chief Constructor of the Royal Navy. Her already worked on HMS Shannon, considered as the very first British cruiser. These were both enlarged and improved versions and had speed, protection and armament sufficient to deal with any type of armoured frigate or converted wooden ironclad frigate of the time. The basic design was that of a central battery ironclad, with an armament all concentrated amidships.

Their opponents were typically French 2nd class Ironclads such as the Alma and La Galissonnière classes. The Audacious and Swiftsure classes later benefited from changed requirements after the construction of the first Russian armoured cruisers (General-Admiral and Gerzog Edinburgski) which started the Russo-British naval arms race.
The increased size of both vessel enabled the adoption of a more powerful machinery for an expected a 1.7 knots increase and more coal storage for extra range, plus an improved protection and better armament.

Hull and general design

The Nelsons measured perpendiculars 280 feet (85.3 m), for a beam of 60 feet (18.3 m) and a ratio of 4.7 and a deep draught of 25 feet 9 inches (7.8 m). They were thus larger than Shannon 260 x 54 x 22 ft 3 in ft or 79 x 16.5 x 6.78 m). They displaced 7,473–7,630 long tons (7,593–7,752 t) also more than Shannon (5,670 tons or about 2,000 long tons (2,000 t)). They had a steel-hull fitted with a ram but a straight prow above. The crew amounted to 560 officers and rating, also more than Shannon (452). The main reason was due to a large armament.

Armour protection layout

Shannon (top) and Nelson’s schemes comparison
The general distribution of armour was similar than Shannon but forward with a protective deck which was doubled by a deep bulkhead. There was an upper deck armour screen for corner gunnery ports (10-in/254mm guns) fore and aft. The added protective deck aft was enabled by twin screws rather than a single one, so that the steering gear was placed below the waterline under the 76mm lower deck. On Shannon it was protected by side armour. They had no forecastle and poop but instead a full length deck which but the battery of six 9-inches or 229mm guns remained largely unprotected but from light arms fire and shrapnel. The 25mm steel bulkheads between casemates were from splinter and raking fire (several guns being knocked out by one hit).
In short:
-Main belt, upper strake (iron): 55.2m long, 229 mm thick (9 inches) backed by teak like Shannon.
-Main belt, lower strake (iron): 55.2m long, 152mm thick (6 inches), same. Like Shannon.
-Main deck, same length: 75mm (3 inches) down to 51mm (2 inches).
-Main deck gun bulkheads: 25mm steel (1 inch) walls for splinter protection.
-Side plating abreast midships guns: 25mm steel (1 inch).
-Conning Tower likely 229mm or 9 inches

Powerplant and rigging

Both armoured ships counted on two 2/3-cylinder and inverted compound steam engines. They drove a single two-bladed 18-foot (5.5 m) propeller. Steam came from 10 oval boilers at a working pressure of 60 psi (414 kPa; 4 kgf/cm2) for an output of 6,624 indicated horsepower (4,940 kW) on Nelson) and 6,073 ihp (4,529 kW) on Northampton. The cylinders of the latter had to be adjusted in volume in order to optimize steam production (3 cylinder engines unlike Nerlson’s 2-cylinders) but they proved troublesome in service and Northampton ended 1 knot (1.9 km/h; 1.2 mph) slower than Nelson, despite efforts made to alleviate this. Help from the rigging was thus necessary to try to improve this figure, and on sea trials, Nelson reached 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) as designed. Northampton failed and only reached 13.17 knots (24.39 km/h; 15.16 mph) leading to some builder’s penalties. This was rather unfortunate as Robert Napier would sign amazing engines later in the company’s career.
They carried a total of 1150 tonnes of coal for c5,000 nautical miles at 10.5 knots estimated. This was better than Shannon and her 280 tonnes and later 560 tonnes of coal.
The rigging was imposing, three masted and composites with three stages, barque rig representing 2300 m2 of sail area. Unlike Shannon they were intended mainly for steam cruising. The coal stowage to provide as enough for 7,500nm at 7 knots, unlimited under sails, but if they were reasonable sea boats, they proved to be poor sailers. The added full sail did not bring much to Northampton in service, perhaps one knot in favourable conditions.

Armament

They carried four 10-inch (254 mm) rifled, muzzle-loading guns (RML) in casemates, main battery and eight 9-inch (229 mm) RML guns on the upper deck, loosing a chase gun. This was rounded by six 20 pdr guns. This was comparable but greater than Shannon with only two 10-in MLRs, and seven 9-in MLRs instead. She gained two main guns but lost on secondary gun.

The main armament comprised 10-inch guns placed in four armoured embrasures fore and aft in the central position. These were recent RML 10-inch guns Mk II, large rifled muzzle-loading guns designed for battleships and monitors, entering service in 1868. They fired 400 to 410 pounds (181.4 to 186.0 kg) Palliser, Common, Shrapnel shell at 1,364 to 1,028 fps, up to 6,000 yards (5,500 m)

The 9-inch guns were on the open deck amidships, Mark II rifled muzzle-loading models entering service in 1865. At 12 tons for 125 inches (3.2 m) barrel they fired a 250 to 256 pounds Palliser, Common, Shrapnel at 1,420 fps (430 m/s) up to 9,919 yards (9,070 m), so they fires 1/3 further than the main guns.
Unlike Shannon she missed the detachable ram. It was fixed on both vessels. The propellers were neither detachable (lifted) for sailing. Both features were considered unnecessary complications.
They also had from the start six 20-pounder (9 kg) breech-loading guns on the upper deck as well.

In 1886, Northampton had a new military rig with fighting tops and lost six 20 pdr (100mm/21) and three 3 inches (76mm)/16 guns for the addition of six 12-pdr or 57mm/40 Hotchkiss Mk I, and eight 6 pdr or 47mm/40 Hotchkiss Mk I, as well as two 15 inches (356mm) Torpedo tibes above water in the beam.
Her sister Neslon was completely rebuilt in 1889-1891. She also received a military rig with fighting tops, fore and mizzen. She had a torpedo net added. She lost her 20-pdr guns and three of her 3-inches guns for four single 4.5 inches or 120mm/40 QF Mk I/II/III/IV guns and six 12 pdr or 57mm/40 Hotchkiss Mk I, and fourtnee 6-pdr or 47mm/40 Hotchkiss Mk I, as well as two 15 inches TTs like her sister.

Author’s rendition of HMS Nelson

Named after the famous Napoleonic era admiral, Lord Horatio Nelson, she was laid down at Elder & Co., Glasgow on 2 November 1874, launched on 4 November 1876 but only completed on 26 July 1880 at a cost of £303,310 for the hull and £87,545 for the machinery (£390,865 total). She was first posted at the Australia Station after commissioning and as flagship from 1885. She sailed for home in January 1889 for a long refit and rearmament. She then became guardship at Portsmouth from October 1891, until 1894. She was placed in fleet reserve later taat year in November. She ended in dockyard reserve from April 1901 (small guard crew). She was hulked in November and became a training ship for stokers. Her last captain was Cr. Harry Stileman on 12 June 1902, and from February 1903 Price Vaughan Lewes. She was eventuallt stricken and sold for scrap in July 1910 for £14,500.

Nelson in 1880

Nelson at Sydney in 1885

Nelson in Sydney 1887

Nelson moore off farm cove Sydney

Nelson in torpedo drills Jervis Bay 1888

Nelson engraving, Britsh Navy vol. I 1882

Nelson in Sydney

HMS Northampton was laid down at Robert Napier and Sons of Glasgow with the engine made by John Penn and Sons (same as Nelson) on 26 October 1874, launched on 18 November 1876 and completed on 7 December 1878 with the hull costing £296,836 and machinery £98,968 for a totak of £395,804. Northampton was flagship of the North America and West Indies Station until she was placed in reserve in 1886. She was hulked as a boys’ training ship in 1894 and used in home waters. Captain Herbert Arthur Walton Onslow was in command from July 1897 to February 1902. After a refit in late 1899, she left in March 1900 for an extended recruiting cruise until August that year, visiting Portsmouth, Plymouth, Queenstown, Tarbert, Foynes, Lough Swilly, Campbeltown, Holyhead and Torbay. In November 1901 she put up at Chatham Dockyard for alterations and a refit, and was not finished until June the following year, when she was back as a training cruiser. Captain William G. White was in command in 1902, when she took part in the fleet review held at Spithead on 16 August 1902 for the coronation of King Edward VII. Captain Arthur John Horsley was appointed in command in October 1902. She was sold for breaking up in 1905 to Thos. W. Ward, of Morecambe.

Northampton as completed

Read More

Books

John Beeler, Birth of the Battleship – British capital ship design 1870–1881, Chatham Publishing, 2001
Brassey, T.A. (ed) The Naval Annual 1895
Chesneau, Roger & Kolesnik, Eugene M., eds. (1979). Conway’s All the World’s Fighting Ships 1860–1905.
Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy, Complete Record, Chatham Publishing.
Friedman, Norman (2012). British Cruisers of the Victorian Era. Barnsley, South Yorkshire, UK: Seaforth
David Lyon, The Ship – Steam, steel and torpedoes, National Maritime Museum, 1980
Parkes, Oscar (1990). British Battleships (reprint of the 1957 ed.). NIP
Silverstone, Paul H. (1984). Directory of the World’s Capital Ships. Hippocrene Books.
Sondhaus, Lawrence Naval Warfare 1816–1914. Routledge, London, 2001.

Links

https://web.archive.org/web/20030223015143/http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/
https://www.navypedia.org/ships/uk/brit_cr_nelson.htm
https://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/nelson_class1.htm

Videos