HMS Prince Albert (1864) facts for kids
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Quick facts for kids History |
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 United Kingdom |
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| Name | HMS Prince Albert |
| Builder | Samuda Brothers, Cubitt Town, London |
| Laid down | 29 April 1862 |
| Launched | 23 May 1864 |
| Completed | 23 February 1866 |
| Fate | Broken up, Thos. W. Ward 1899 |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement | 3,687 long tons (3,746 t) |
| Length | 240 ft (73 m) p/p |
| Beam | 48 ft 1 in (14.66 m) |
| Draught |
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| Propulsion |
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| Sail plan | Fore and aft steadying sail only |
| Speed | 11.26 knots (12.96 mph; 20.85 km/h) |
| Complement | 201 |
| Armament | 4 × 9-inch (229 mm) muzzle-loading rifles |
| Armour |
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HMS Prince Albert was a special warship built for the British Navy. She was designed to protect coasts because she could sail in shallow waters. What made her truly unique was that she was the very first British warship built with her main guns inside spinning towers called turrets.
The ship was named after Prince Albert, who was Queen Victoria's husband. Queen Victoria liked the ship so much that she wanted it to stay in service until 1899. This meant Prince Albert was active for 33 years, even though she wasn't very useful for fighting anymore by then.
Designing a New Warship
When the Board of Admiralty (the people in charge of the navy) decided how to build this ship, they had many ideas. They wanted the ship to be stable, have strong armor, powerful guns, and be fast.
Captain Cowper Coles had a big idea in 1859. He believed warships should have their guns in turrets. His ideas helped create the design for Prince Albert.
Key Features of the Design
The ship's deck was about seven feet (2.1 m) above the water. This helped keep the ship stable. It also allowed the guns to shoot over the water easily.
Prince Albert had four armored turrets. Each turret held one very heavy gun. These guns were the biggest and strongest available at the time. They were 9-inch (230 mm) muzzle-loading rifles.
The ship did not have a raised front or back deck. This meant it might have been harder to sail in rough seas. However, it allowed the guns in the front and back turrets to shoot straight ahead or behind the ship.
How the Turrets Worked
Unlike some American warships of the time, Prince Albert's turrets were turned by hand. It took eighteen men to spin a turret all the way around. They could do this in about one minute.
Service History
Prince Albert was officially put into service at Portsmouth. Soon after, she was taken out of service for tests and changes. These tests lasted until 1867.
After that, she became part of the Devonport Reserve fleet. In August 1878, she joined a special group of ships called the Particular Service Squadron. She then stayed in reserve.
Prince Albert was brought back into service for the Jubilee Review in 1887. She also took part in naval exercises in 1889. In 1898, Prince Albert was moved to the Dockyard Reserve. She was broken up in 1899.
