HMS Terrible (1845)

HMS Terrible was when designed the largest steam-powered wooden paddle wheel frigate built for the Royal Navy. She was designed by Oliver Lang [Bernard Dumpleton, "The Story of the Paddle Steamer" (Intellect Books, 2003, ISBN 184 15080 12.] and laid down at HMNB Devonport under the name HMS "Simoom", but was renamed at her launch on 6 February 1845. With three masts and four funnels in two widely-spaced pairs, she had a unique appearance among ships of this type.

"Terrible" was commissioned on 5 December 1845 under the command of Captain William Ramsay and was first attached to the Channel Fleet. In 1847 she was sent to Angola to transport the Portuguese exiles under the leadership of the Count of Bonfim back to Lisbon, as stipulated by the Convention of Gramido. ["The Times", 22 October 1847 (report of arrival in Lisbon).] Subsequently she served in the Mediterranean. On 6 November 1853, commanded by Captain James Johnstone McCleverty, she left England carrying Rear-Admiral Sir Edmund Lyons, who had been appointed second-in-command of the Mediterranean Fleet. ["Russian War, 1854, Baltic and Black Sea, Official Correspondence" edited by D. Bonner-Smith and Captain A. C. Dewar, Navy Records Society, 1943, p. 209.] "Terrible" then joined the British Fleet that Admiral James Dundas had led into the Black Sea, where she served during the Crimean War. On 7 October 1854 she landed some of her 68-pounder guns at Balaclava to be used in the siege of Sevastopol. ["Russian War, 1854, Baltic and Black Sea, Official Correspondence", p. 332.] At the naval bombardment of Sevastopol on 17 October "Terrible" was the northernmost ship of the Allied line and successfully bombarded Fort Constantine, the northern fortress protecting Sevastopol harbour. ["Russian War, 1854, Baltic and Black Sea, Official Correspondence", pp. 339-340, and map facing p. 344.] In 1866, commanded by Captain John Commerell, she helped the "Great Eastern" to lay the fifth (and first successful) Atlantic cable. In 1869 she was one of three ships employed to move the specially built 'Bermuda' Dry Dock across the Atlantic from Madeira to Ireland Island, Bermuda. The dock was towed by HMS Warrior and HMS Black Prince with "Terrible" lashed astern to act as a rudder, the voyage lasting 39 days. [ [http://www.bermuda-online.org/rnd.htm Bermuda's Royal Navy base at Ireland Island began in 1815 ] ] . She was broken up in 1879.

Notes

References

*
* "Encyclopedia of Ships" ed. Tony Gibbons (London: Amber Books, 2001), p. 87 ISBN 978-1-905704-43-9
* http://www.pdavis.nl/ShowShip.php?id=2168