HMS Eclipse - Name History

TThe sixth “ECLIPSE” was a 12-gun screw sloop, launched at Sheerness in 1867.  When laid down she had been called “Sappho.”  She was of 1273 tons, 350 horse-power, and 10 knots speed.  Her length, beam, and draught were 212ft., 36ft., and 11ft.   In 1882 the “Eclipse,” commanded by Captain Edmund St. John Garthforth, was engaged in the Egyptian War.  In August 1882 the “Eclipse” contributed to a Naval Brigade which was disembarked at Suez.  The inhabitants understood that the town was in danger of being burnt, but the Naval Brigade, composed mostly of marines, occupied the town, and the Egyptian troops fled.  The “Eclipse” was lent to the War Office in 1888, taken over again in 1892, and ended her career as a Naval ordnance mine depot at Plymouth.

HMS Dido - Name History

The fourth “Dido” was a 12-gun screw corvette, launched at Portsmouth in 1869.  She was of 1760 tons, 2520 horse-power, and 13.6 knots speed.  Her length, beam, and draught were 212ft., 36ft., and 16ft.  In 1871 the “Dido,” commanded by Captain William Cox Chapman, an officer of great tact and good temper, was instrumental in settling without bloodshed a dispute among the Kings of New Calabar, Bonny, and Ekrika, on the Niger, and in procuring safety for British trade in that river.  In 1873 the “Dido” was similarly successful in settling a number of difficulties which had arisen in Fiji between the natives and the white settlers.  In 1874 the “Dido” was present at the formal transfer of the Fiji Islands to the British flag, and was so unfortunate as to introduce measles among the native population, which resulted in a lamentable loss of life.   In 1876 the “Dido” returned to England after a five-years commission full of valuable though unostentatious work.  In 1881 the “Dido,” commanded by Captain Compton Edward Domvile, took part in the first Boer War.  After the battle of Laing’s Nek, the “Dido” contributed to a Naval Brigade of 50 men and two field guns, which went to the front under Lieutenant Henry Ogle of the “Dido.”  This brigade shared in the disaster at Majuba on February 27^{th ,}  where the “Dido’s” lost 3 killed and wounded 3, and the “Boadicea’s” lost 11 killed, 6 mortally wounded, and 10 severely wounded.  Captain Compton Domvile then proceeded to the front to take charge of the Naval Brigade, but no further took place before a peace was concluded.  This vessel’s name was subsequently changed to “Actaeon,” and she was merged into the Torpedo School at Sheerness, after some service as a mine depot on the Forth.   

HMS Diamond - Name History

The twelfth “DIAMOND” was a 14-gun screw corvette launched at Sheerness in 1874.  She was of 1970 tons, 2150 horse-power, and 13.7 knots speed.  Her length, beam, and draught were 220ft., 37ft., and 18ft.  In 1889 the “Diamond” was sold.  

HMS Encounter - Name History

The third “Encounter” was a 14-gun screw corvette, launched at Sheerness in 1873.  She was of 1970 tons, 2130 horse-power, and 13 knots speed.  Her length, beam, and draught were 220ft., 37ft., and 17ft.   In 1873 the “Encounter,” commanded by Captain Richard Bradshaw, took part in the Ashantee War.   In November the “Encounter” contributed to a Naval Brigade under Captain the Hon.Edmund Fremantle, which marched inland to the relief of Abrakrampa, then sorely pressed by the Ashantees.  The enemy were seized with a panic and retired hastily, abandoning almost all their stores. On December 26^th the “Encounter,” bombarded a village on Alboaddi Point, and then sent her boats under Lieutenant Alfred Loveridge in to burn the place.    In 1875 the “Encounter,” commanded by Captain Richard Bradshaw, was one of 7 ships which co-operated in a punitive expedition up the river Congo under Commodore Sir William Hewett with his broad pennant in “Active.”  It was undertaken on account of the looting of the British schooner “Geraldine” and the murder of four of her crew.   On August 31^st the boats from the “Encounter” and two other ships were towed to the entrance of Chango Creek.  One hundred and fifty marines were landed under Captain Bradshaw and succeeded in burning three villages, although they were fired at by natives concealed in the bush.  All the villages on the north bank were destroyed, and further punishment was inflicted in Luculla Creek and other places. The labours of the expedition were most arduous, some of the creeks being overgrown with luxuriant vegetation which had to be cut away to admit of an advance, and the country generally was very difficult.  Captain Richard Bradshaw was mentioned in despatches as having rendered conspicuous service, and the loss suffered was but 1 killed and 6 wounded.  In 1888 the “Encounter” was sold.   

Flower Class Corvettes

Castle Class Corvettes

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Modified Flower Class Corvettes Built in Canadian Dockyards