HMS Calcutta (1831)

HMS "Calcutta" was an 84-gun second-rate ship-of-the-line of the Royal Navy, built in teak to a draught by Sir Robert Seppings and launched on 14 March 1831 in Bombay. She was the only ship ever built to her draught. She carried her complement of smooth-bore, muzzle-loading guns on two gundecks. Her complement was 720 men (38 officers, 69 petty officers, 403 seamen, 60 boys and 150 marines). [ [http://www.kinghallconnections.com/wkh.html#calcutta Diaries of William King-Hall] ]

In 1855 the ship had been in reserve, but was recommissioned for the war between Russia and Britain and sailed for the Baltic. After two months she was sent home again, as being useless for modern naval actions. [cite book|author=Robert Massie|title=|page=410|publisher=Random House|year=1991 ISBN 0 3945 2833 6.]

She saw action in the Second Opium War as the flagship of Rear Admiral Sir Michael Seymour, under the command of Captain William King-Hall. In 1858 "Calcutta" visited Nagasaki where she stayed for one week, becoming the first ship-of-the-line to visit Japan.

In 1865, she was converted to a gunnery ship, moored at Devonport, Devon, with HMS "Cambridge". [ [http://www.cyber-heritage.co.uk/waiting/cam.htm HMS Cambridge and HMS Calcutta at Devonport] ] She was sold to breakers in 1908. Her figurehead was acquired by Admiral Lord Fisher, then First Sea Lord, as she had been his first seagoing ship. [Morris, J. "Fisher's Face", London (1994), p 196]

Notes and references

*Mackay, Ruddock F. "Fisher of Kilverstone". London: Oxford University Press, 1973.
*Lavery, Brian (2003) "The Ship of the Line - Volume 1: The development of the battlefleet 1650-1850." Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-252-8.

ee also

*James Tissot