HMS Abyssinia (1870)

HMS "Abyssinia" was a breastwork monitor ordered, designed and built by the Dudgeon shipyard specifically for the defence of the harbour at Bombay (Mumbai).

She was designed by Sir Edward Reed, and was a smaller version of, and hence a half-sister to, the Cerberus class battleships HMS "Cerberus" and HMS "Magdala". It was intended that she and "Magdala" would serve in mutual support on the same station. Given that the stipulated naval requirement was for two ships for the coastal defence of the Bombay area, the India Office were pressed by the Board of Admiralty and the Chief Constructor to order two ships of the "Cerberus" class. After the placing of the order for "Magdala", however, budgetary limitation dictated the acquisition of a smaller, and therefore cheaper, companion to her.

"Abyssinia", while being similar in layout to "Magdala", was smaller and cost £20,000 less. She had slightly less freeboard, a shorter breastwork, could carry less coal and had about one knot less speed.

The ferry trip out to her base in Bombay was made under her own power, without the use of any sail whatsoever. Unlike her half-sisters, the hull was not built up for the trip, which she made in a faster time than they did.

ervice history

She remained at anchor in Bombay harbour, other than for occasional brief trips for firing practice, for the whole of her service career. When the Indian Harbour Defence Service was discontinued in 1903 she was sold locally and broken up.

References

* Oscar Parkes, "British Battleships" ISBN 0-85052-604-3
* Conway, "All the World's Fighting Ships" ISBN 0-85177-146-7
* [http://www.cerberus.com.au/mag_aby_slideshow.html "Magdala" & "Abyssinia" Slideshow]