Cheerful-class gunboat

A typical 'Crimea gunboat'
Class overview
NameCheerful class
Operators Royal Navy
Preceded byAlbacore class
Succeeded byClown class
Built1855
In commission1855–1869
Completed20
General characteristics [1]
Type'Crimean' gunboat
Tons burthen211 64⁄94 tons bm
Length
  • 100 ft (30 m) (gundeck)
  • 85 ft 5.5 in (26.048 m) (keel)
Beam21 ft 10 in (6.65 m)
Draught6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Depth of hold6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Installed power
Propulsion
  • 1-cylinder horizontal direct-acting single-expansion steam engine
  • Single screw
Speed6.5 kn (12.0 km/h)
Crew30
Armament2 × 32-pounder SBML gun

The Cheerful-class gunboat was a class of twenty gunboats built for the Royal Navy in 1855 for use in the Crimean War.[1]

Design

The Cheerful class was designed by W.H. Walker (who also designed the preceding Dapper and Albacore classes). The ships were of particularly shallow draft [Note 1] for coastal bombardment in the shallow waters of the Baltic and Black Sea during the Crimean War.[1]

Propulsion

One-cylinder horizontal direct-acting single-expansion steam engines built by John Penn and Sons, with two boilers, provided 20 nominal horsepower through a single screw, sufficient for 6.5 knots (12.0 km/h; 7.5 mph).[1]

Armament

Ships of the class were armed with two 32-pounder smooth bore muzzle loading cannons.[1]

Ships

Name Ship builder[1] Launched[1] Fate[1]
Cheerful Deptford Dockyard 6 October 1855 Breaking completed at Haslar on 16 January 1869
Chub Sheerness Dockyard 15 October 1855 Breaking completed at Haslar on 29 January 1869
Daisy Thomas Westbrook, Blackwall 20 March 1856 Breaking completed at Haslar on 7 January 1869
Dwarf Thomas Westbrook, Blackwall 8 April 1856 Broken up at Haslar in 1863
Blossom John Laird, Sons & Company, Birkenhead 21 April 1856 Breaking completed at Haslar on 21 October 1864
Gadfly John Laird, Sons & Company, Birkenhead 21 April 1856 Broken up in November 1864
Gnat John Laird, Sons & Company, Birkenhead 10 May 1856 Broken up on 10 August 1864
Garland John Laird, Sons & Company, Birkenhead 7 May 1856 Broken up in June 1864
Fidget William Joyce, Greenwich 7 April 1856 Broken up at Haslar in 1863
Flirt William Joyce, Greenwich 7 June 1856 Breaking completed at Haslar on 30 April 1864
Onyx Young, Magnay & Company, Limehouse 3 April 1856 Dockyard craft (steam lump) 1869, sold in Jamaica on 8 July 1873
Pert Young, Magnay & Company, Limehouse 3 April 1856 Breaking completed on 12 March 1864
Midge Young, Magnay & Company, Limehouse 8 May 1856 Broken up in October 1864
Tiny Young, Magnay & Company, Limehouse 8 May 1856 Completed breaking at Plymouth on 28 January 1864
Angler Devonport Dockyard 8 March 1856 Breaking completed at Haslar on 21 January 1869
Ant Devonport Dockyard 22 March 1856 Breaking completed at Haslar on 23 February 1869
Nettle Pembroke Dockyard 9 February 1856 Broken up at Bermuda in October 1867
Pet Pembroke Dockyard 9 February 1856 Hulked 1865, renamed C17 from c.1900, sold to Castle for breaking on 12 April 1904
Decoy Pembroke Dockyard 21 February 1856 Breaking completed at Haslar on 8 February 1869
Rambler Pembroke Dockyard 21 February 1856 Breaking completed at Haslar on 7 January 1869

Notes

  1. ^ Winfield states a design draft of 4 ft (1.2 m) and an operational draft of 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m).[1]

Citations

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Winfield, p.229

References

  • Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.
  • 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.