British iron screw steam frigate HMS Shannon 1873-1899

British HMS Shannon

Russian General Admiral

Designed by Nathaniel Barnaby originally as a response on the French Alma and La Gallissonière-classes armoured corvettes but also against the Russian commerce raiding armoured cruisers General Admiral and Gerzog Edinburgski. Laid down by Pembroke Dockyard on 29 August 1873, launched on 11 November 1875, commissioned on 17 September 1877, refitted in 1881 incuding the 10” guns, added for a short time as tender to the HMS Warrior, later that year became she a coast guard, active service again in 1878-1881, and sold to be broken up on 12 December 1899.

Displacement 5.670 tons and as dimensions 79 x 16,5 x 6,78 metres or 260 x 54 x 22.2 feet. Machinery consisted of a coal fired Laird compound horizontal steam engine and 8 cylindrical boilers supplying via a single shaft 3.370ihp allowing a speed of 12,25 (actual)-13 (design) knots. Coal bunker capacity 280 (original)-560 tons. Sail area 2.200 square metres/24.000 square feet (original)-2.000 square metres/21.500 square fee. Fitted out with a propeller which could be lifted when she was sailing. Crew numbered 452 men. Armour consisted of a 15cm/6”-23cm/9” thick belt backed by 25cm/10+ -33cm/13” teak belt, a 3,8/1.5”-7,6cm/3” thick deck, 20cm/8”-23cm/9” thick bulkheads with the conning tower protected by 23cm/9” thick armour. The original armament consisted of 2x1-25,4cm/10” muzzle loading guns and 7x1-22,9cm/9” muzzle loading rifled guns.