Contents

Vigilant-class gunvessel

Surprise
Class overview
Name	Vigilant-class gunvessels
Builders	C J Mare & Company, Leamouth R & H Green, Blackwall Yard J & R White, Cowes Wigram & Son, Blackwall Yard Young, Magnay & Co, Limehouse Fletcher & Fearnall, Limehouse
Operators	Royal Navy Chinese Imperial Customs Egyptian Government
Cost	£27,437 (Foxhound) - £33,906 (Renard)[1]
Built	1855-1856
In commission	1856–1872
Completed	14
Lost	2
General characteristics [1]
Type	Second-class wooden gunvessel
Displacement	860 tonnes
Tons burthen	669 79/94 bm
Length	180 ft 0 in (54.9 m) (gundeck) 160 ft 7.5 in (49.0 m) (keel)
Beam	28 ft 4 in (8.6 m)
Draught	8 ft 0 in (2.4 m) (designed)[2]
Depth of hold	14 ft 0 in (4.3 m)
Installed power	200 nhp 593 to 778 ihp (442 to 580 kW)
Propulsion	2-cylinder horizontal single-expansion steam engine Single screw
Sail plan	Barque-rigged
Speed	11 kn (20.4 km/h)[2]
Complement	80
Armament	As designed: 2 × 68-pounder Lancaster guns on pivots 2 × 12-pdr howitzers As completed: 1 × 7-inch/110-pdr breech loader 1 × 68-pdr muzzle-loading rifle 2 × 20-pdr breech loaders

The Vigilant-class gunvessel of the Royal Navy was an enlarged version of the Arrow-class gunvessel of 1854. Both classes were designed for shallow-water operations in the Baltic and Black Seas during the Crimean War. Fourteen of the class were completed, but were ready too late to take part in that conflict. Cormorant was sunk in action at the Taku Forts, Osprey was wrecked on the coast of Africa in 1867 and the rest were all sold during the 1860s, with Sparrowhawk lasting until 1872.

Design[edit]

The class were designed as second-class despatch and gunvessels. They were intended to operate close inshore during the Crimean War and were essentially enlarged versions of the Arrow-class gunvessel, which has been designed by the Surveyor’s Department in 1854.^[1]

Propulsion[edit]

A two-cylinder horizontal single expansion steam engine produced (varying between vessels) between 593 ihp (442 kW) and 778 ihp (580 kW) through a single screw,^[1] and gave a top speed of about 11 knots.^[2]

Sail plan[edit]

All Vigilant-class gunvessels were barque-rigged.^[1]

Armament[edit]

Although designed with a pair of 68-pounder Lancaster muzzle-loading rifles, the Vigilant class were finished with one 7-inch (180 mm)/110-pound (50 kg) Armstrong breech-loading gun, one 68-pound (31 kg) Lancaster muzzle-loading rifled gun and two 20-pounder breech loaders.^[1]

Ships[edit]

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Citations[edit]

References[edit]

• 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.
• Preston, Antony; Major, John (2007). Send a Gunboat: The Victorian Navy and Supremacy at Sea, 1854–1904 (2nd ed.). London: Conway. ISBN 978-0-85177-923-2.