HMS Defiance (1861)

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Defiance.

HMS Defiance was the last wooden line-of-battle ship launched for the Royal Navy. She never saw service as a wooden line-of-battle ship. In 1884 she became a school ship.

Defiance moored at Saltash
Class overview
Name	Defiance
Operators	Royal Navy
Preceded by	Renown class
Succeeded by	Bulwark class
Completed	1
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Defiance
Ordered	17 June 1855
Builder	Pembroke Dock
Cost	£119,442
Laid down	20 September 1858
Launched	27 March 1861
Completed	1862
Fate	Sold, 26 June 1931
General characteristics (Lambert[1])
Type	Steam two-decker ship of the line
Displacement	5,700 long tons (5,791 t)
Tons burthen	3475 tons bm
Length	246 ft 9 in (75.21 m) o/a 220 ft (67 m) keel-line
Beam	55 ft 4 in (16.87 m)
Draught	24 ft 6 in (7.47 m) forward, 24 ft 6 in (7.47 m) aft
Propulsion	Maudslay engine, 800 nhp, 3,550 ihp (2,647 kW)
Sail plan	Main mast : 67 ft (20 m) × 40 in Fore mast : 61 ft (19 m) × 37 in Mizzen mast : 51 ft 6 in × 27 in
Speed	11.884 knots (13.676 mph; 22.009 km/h) under power (not masted or stored)
Complement	860
Armament	Gun Deck: 34 × 8 inch (204 mm) 65 cwt shell guns Main deck: 36 × 32-pounder/56 cwt Upper Deck: 20 × 32-pounder/45 cwt, 1 × 68-pounder 95 cwt gun

Design

Defiance was a development of the Renown class. The second pair of Renowns, HMS Atlas and HMS Anson, had a modified, finer stern run. Defiance was originally laid down as to the same plan as Atlas, but a new plan dated 8 October 1858 was prepared giving Defiance a lengthened bow.^[2]

Defiance was the last ship to use the midsection design that Isaac Watts created for HMS James Watt.^[3]

Career

Her trials off Plymouth on 5 February 1862 were conducted when she was neither masted nor stored. The trial speed of 11.886 knots (22.013 km/h) was worse than the similar trials of Atlas 13.022 knots (24.117 km/h) and Anson 12.984 knots (24.046 km/h). However Defiance's lack of sea service means that there can be no certainty as to whether her design was an improvement on Atlas.^[4]

Defiance fires a salute in honour of the Queen's birthday

On 26 November 1884 Defiance became the Devonport torpedo and mining schoolship.^[5] In 1895, Captain H.B. Jackson was appointed to the command of Defiance, and over the next two years carried out experiments on wireless transmission that would lead to the introduction of wireless telegraphy to the Royal Navy.^[6]

Commander Frederick Hamilton was appointed in command on 1 November 1897,^[7] and re-appointed in early January 1898 after promotion to Captain.^[8] Captain James de Courcy Hamilton was appointed in command on 1 November 1900.

A special railway station to serve personnel travelling to and from the school, known as "Defiance Platform", was situated just west of Saltash railway station from 1905 until 1930.

She was sold on 26 June 1931 to Castle's Shipbreaking Yard for dismantling at Millbay, Plymouth.^[9] Doige's Annual for 1932 poignantly describes her as "the last of England's 'Wooden Walls'".