Model of the Djambi Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, Netherlands
Collection Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, Netherlands. Made by Maarten Bos, 1863.
Medusa under fire by Japanese guns on 11 July 1863 in the Straits of Shimonoseki [Kanmon Straits]
An item reported that according to a tiding dated Nagasaki, Japan 31st October the Dutch screw steamship Zr.Ms. Djambi (1)arrived over there. Everything was well on board. Another Dutch screw steamship Zr.Ms. Medusa (2) was at the same time lying at Yokohama, Japan.
Notes
1. Laid down at the navy yard at Amsterdam, Netherlands on 29 December 1858, launched on 31 October 1860, commissioned on 1 June 1861 (?) and finally sold at sold at Cape Town/Simonstad, South Africa for 1.765 pond in 1874. The intention was to remove her engine and to convert her into a sailing vessel. With a displacement of 2.030 tons (A.J. Vermeulen) or a tonnage of 1.083 tons (Parliament papers) were her dimensions 58.00-62,84 x 12,25 x 5,50 metres. Wood-built. The coal bunker capacity of 340 tons allowed a range of 11 days. The horsepower was 250 hp allowing a speed of 8,5 knots. With a crew numbering 212-250 men consisted the armament of 8 long 30 pd guns and 8 rifled 16cm guns. The navy budget discussions for 1867 called her a large flush deck screw steam corvette. The ships of her type were suitable in times of war to secure an open connection between the Netherlands and her colonies, to act as commerce raiders and in the colonies successful act against troop transports and joined by our ironclads to prevent enemy landings. The design was described as a quite heavy armament, sufficient horsepower and good sailing qualities.
2. Screw steam corvette, laid down at the navy yard of Amsterdam, Netherlands by A.E. Tromp on 25 November 1852, launched on 22 June 1854, departed from the shipyard on 23 November 1854, decommissioned 1 May 1865, converted with small costs into an accommodation ship to serve at the naval establishment at Surabaya, Dutch East Indies ,displacement 1.241 tons and as dimensions 51,50 x 11,14 x 5,00 metres, horsepower of 150 hp, an armament of 19 guns and a crew numbering 240 men.
