HMS Hector (1862)

The Royal Navy broadside ironclad HMS "Hector" was commissioned at Portsmouth in January 1864. She was the first ship of the Hector class to be built, her only sister ship being HMS "Valiant".

She served with the Channel Fleet until 1867, when she paid of to undergo re-armament. She formed part of the Southern Reserve Fleet between 1868 until 1886; during this time her only military activity occurred when she was detailed to service in the Particular Service Squadron under the command of Admiral Hornsby during the Russian war scare of June to August, 1878.

She paid off at Portsmouth in 1886 and remained there, partly dismantled until 1900, when she briefly became part of the HMS Vernon torpedo school. In the course of fulfilling this function she became the first warship to have wireless telegraphy installed.

She was described as being among the worst sea-boats in the Fleet, with neither enough length to drive through the waves nor a full enough forward section to lift over them.

She was the first British ironclad warship to receive engines manufactured by her builders.

References

* Oscar Parkes "British Battleships" ISBN 0-85052-604-3
* Conway, "All the World's Fighting Ships" ISBN 0-85177-133-5