HMS James Watt

HMS James Watt was a 91-gun second rate steam and sail-powered Agamemnon-class ship of the line built for the Royal Navy during the 1850s. Completed in 1854, she served in the Crimean War of 1854–1855. The ship was sold for scrap in 1875.

James Watt
History
United Kingdom
Name	James Watt
Namesake	James Watt
Ordered	25 April 1847 (as sailing ship) Reordered on 14 June 1849 (as steam and sail)
Builder	Pembroke Dock
Laid down	September 1850
Launched	23 April 1853
Completed	By 27 March 1854
Renamed	Ordered as Audacious, renamed, 18 November 1847
Fate	Sold to Castle for breaking up at Charlton in January 1875
General characteristics as planned
Class & type	84-gun Cressy-class second rate ship of the line
Tons burthen	2,537 80/94 bm
Length	198 ft 5 in (60.5 m) (overall)
Beam	55 ft (16.8 m)
Depth of hold	21 ft 8.25 in (6.6 m)
Propulsion	Sails
Complement	750
Armament	84 guns Lower deck: 6 × 8in guns, 24 × 32pdrs Upper deck: 2 × 8in guns, 30 × 32pdrs Quarter deck/Forecastle: 22 × 32pdrs (6 long, 16 short)
General characteristics (as built)
Class & type	91-gun second-rate
Tons burthen	3,082 79⁄94 bm
Length	230 ft 3 in (70.2 m) (overall)
Beam	55 ft 5 in (16.9 m)
Draught	19 ft 8 in (6.0 m)
Depth of hold	24 ft 8 in (7.5 m)
Installed power	1,548 ihp (1,154 kW)
Propulsion	1 screw; 1 single-expansion steam engine
Sail plan	Full-rigged ship
Speed	9.4 knots (17.4 km/h; 10.8 mph)
Complement	860
Armament	91 muzzle-loading, smoothbore guns: Lower deck: 36 × 8 in (203 mm) shell guns Upper deck: 34 × 32 pdrs Quarter deck & Forecastle: 22 × 32 pdrs; 1 × 68 pdr

Description

James Watt measured 230 feet 3 inches (70.2 m) on the gundeck and 194 feet 6 inches (59.3 m) on the keel. She had a beam of 55 feet 5 inches (16.9 m), a depth of hold of 24 feet 8 inches (7.5 m), a deep draught of 19 feet 8 inches (5.99 m) and had a tonnage of 308289⁄94 tons burthen. The ship was fitted with a four-cylinder single-expansion steam engine built by Boulton & Watt that was rated at 600 nominal horsepower and drove a single propeller shaft. Her boilers provided enough steam to give the engine 1,548 indicated horsepower (1,154 kW) that was good for a speed of 9.4 knots (17.4 km/h; 10.8 mph). Her crew numbered 860 officers and ratings.^[1]

The ship's muzzle-loading, smoothbore armament consisted of thirty-four 8 in (203 mm) shell guns on her lower gundeck and thirty-four 32-pounder (56 cwt) guns^{[Note 1]} on her upper gundeck. Between her forecastle and quarterdeck, she carried twenty-two 32-pounder (45 cwt) guns and a single 68-pounder gun.^[1]

Construction and career

The Queen's Birthday in 1856. James Watt with colours Flying and Manned at the Yards

James Watt was originally ordered on 25 April 1847 as a steam-powered 80-gun second-rate ship of the line to take the engines of the paddle frigate Vulcan after that ship had been converted into a troopship under the name of Audacious, but she had been quickly renamed on 18 November in honour of James Watt,^[1] the only ship of that name to serve in the Royal Navy.^[2] The ship was reordered as a screw-propelled ship in 14 June 1849 and she was reclassified while under construction as a 91-gun second rate. She was laid down on September 1850 at Pembroke Dock, launched on 23 April 1853, commissioned at Plymouth on 20 January 1854 by Captain George Elliot, and completed on 27 March 1854.^[1]

She served in the Baltic campaigns of 1854 and 1855. Her second-hand machinery was found to be unsatisfactory, requiring repeated repairs.^[1] In August 1855 she was present at Kronstadt, the Russian Baltic naval base; along with HMS Imperieuse, Centaur and Bulldog. The fleet was involved in a minor long-range engagement near the Tolbukhin lighthouse [ru] with the port's batteries and gun-boats on 16 August 1855.^[3]

'The Snap' Gun-Boat of James Watt, sent to intercept along-shore traffic early 1855, in the Baltic

From 1856 to 1857 she was commanded by Captain Talavera Anson.^[1] She was sold for scrap on 23 January 1875 to be broken up at Charlton.^[4]

Notes

1. "Cwt" is the abbreviation for hundredweight, 56 cwt referring to the weight of the gun.