HMS Shah (1873)

The first HMS "Shah" was a 19th century unarmoured iron hulled, wooden sheathed frigate of Britain's Royal Navy designed by Sir Edward Reed. She was originally to be named HMS "Blonde" but was renamed following the visit of the Shah of Persia in 1873.

Building Programme

The following table gives the build details and purchase cost of the "Shah" and the other two iron frigates: "Inconstant" and "Raleigh". Standard British practice at that time was for these costs to exclude armament and stores. (Note that costs quoted by J.W. King were in US dollars.)

*Date first commissioned. [ [http://www.pdavis.nl/ShowShip.php?id=1607 HMS "Inconstant"] ] [ [http://www.pdavis.nl/ShowShip.php?id=1945 HMS "Raleigh"] ]

Her complement was 469 officers and men, 46 boys and 87 marines.

ervice career

She was only in service for three years, as the flagship of the British Pacific Squadron under Admiral de Horsey. She fought an action, the Battle of Pacocha, in company with the corvette HMS "Amethyst" on 29 May 1877 with the Peruvian armoured turret ship "Huáscar" which had been taken over by rebels opposed to the Peruvian Government and, it was feared, could be used to attack British shipping.

The armoured "Huáscar" proved virtually impenetrable to the British guns, but the two unarmoured British ships the Shah and the Amethyst had to keep clear of the Husacar’s turret guns. In the course of the action the "Shah" fired the first torpedo to be used in anger, although it missed – being outrun by "Huáscar".

During her time as flagship she also visited Pitcairn Island.On her voyage home she was diverted to South Africa to assist in the Anglo-Zulu War.

In December 1904 the ship was converted to a coal storage hulk and renamed "C.470". The hulk was sold on 19 September 1919, and subsequently wrecked in 1926 at Bermuda. [Colledge]

There is a monument to the ship's crew men in Victoria Park, Portsmouth.

References

* Brassey, Lord (ed) The Naval Annual 1887
* Chesnau, Roger and Kolesnik, Eugene (Ed.) "Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1860-1905". Conway Maritime Press, 1979. ISBN 0-83170-302-4
*Colledge
* King, JW, "Warships and Navies of the World", pub A Williams, 1881.
* Lyon, David and Winfield, Rif, "The Sail and Steam Navy List". Chatham Publishing, 2004. ISBN 1-86176-032-9
* [http://www.bluejackets.co.uk/ The Bluejackets - Victorian Naval Landing Party] (click on "ships" for additional information on HMS "Shah")
* [http://www.pdavis.nl/ShowShip.php?id=2054 HMS Shah]
* J Winton: "Hurrah for the Life of a Sailor"
* P Padfield: "Rule Britannia"

Footnotes

External links

* [http://www.bluejackets.co.uk/ The Bluejackets - Victorian Naval Landing Party] (click on "ships" for additional information on HMS "Shah")