HMS Royal Albert (1854) facts for kids

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The launch of HMS Royal Albertat Woolwich Dockyard in 1854.

Another view of the launch of Royal Albertin 1854.

HMS Royal Albert was a very large warship belonging to the Royal Navy. She was a "three-decker," meaning she had three main decks for guns. The ship was built at Woolwich Dockyard and launched in 1854. Interestingly, she was first planned as a sailing ship. But while she was still being built, engineers decided to add a new technology: a screw propeller. This meant she could move using steam power as well as sails!

Contents

• Building a Mighty Ship
• Life at Sea

• An Unexpected Stop
• Later Years

History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Royal Albert
Ordered	As sailing ship: 26 March 1842 As screw propelled: 31 January 1852
Builder	Woolwich Dockyard
Laid down	August 1844
Launched	13 May 1854
Completed	By 19 November 1854
Decommissioned	1861
Fate	Sold to Castle for Breaking up, September 1884
General characteristics As sailing ship
Tons burthen	3,393 70/94 bm (enlarged to 3,463 on 24 March 1851)
Length	220 ft (67 m) (overall) 177 ft 2.75 in (54.0195 m) (keel)
Beam	60 ft 10 in (18.54 m)
Depth of hold	25 ft (7.6 m)
Sail plan	Full-rigged ship
Complement	1000
Armament	120 guns Lower deck: 28 x 32pdrs + 4 x 68 pdr guns Middle deck: 32 x 32pdrs + 2 x 68 pdr guns Upper deck: 34 x 32pdrs Forecastle/Quarterdeck: 6 x 32pdrs + 14 x short 32pdrs
General characteristics After conversion
Displacement	5,517 tons
Tons burthen	3,726 26/94 bm
Length	232 ft 9 in (70.94 m) (overall) 193 ft 8 in (59.03 m) (keel)
Beam	61 ft (19 m)
Draught	21 ft 6 in (6.55 m) (light) 25 ft (7.6 m) (deep load)
Depth of hold	24 ft 2 in (7.37 m)
Propulsion	Sails 2-cylinder horizontal single expansion trunk Single screw 500 nhp 1,801 ihp
Sail plan	Full-rigged ship
Speed	10 knots (under steam)
Complement	1,050
Armament	121 guns Lower deck: 32 x 8in guns Middle deck: 32 x 32pdrs Upper deck: 32 x 32pdrs Forecastle/Quarterdeck: 24 x 32pdrs + 1 x 68 pdr gun

• The End of an Era

Building a Mighty Ship

The Royal Albert was ordered in 1842 as a sailing ship. However, by 1852, plans changed to include a steam engine and screw propeller. This was a big step forward for naval technology. She was finally launched on May 13, 1854. Lithographs (a type of print) from that time show her launch. They also mention that John Penn & Sons of Greenwich fitted her with the new screw propellers.

A cross-section drawing of the Royal Albert, showing its internal structure.

Life at Sea

After being finished, the Royal Albert was ready for duty.

• Early Commands: Her first commander was Alexander Little, from June to October 1854. Then Captain Thomas Sabine Pasley took over for a short time.
• Crimean War Service: From February 1855 to April 1857, Captain William Robert Mends commanded the ship. During this time, she served as the main ship (flagship) for Rear-Admiral Edmund Lyons. Admiral Lyons was in charge of the Mediterranean Fleet. Their main job was to help with the Crimean War.

An interview between Admiral Lyons and Admiral Bruat on board the Royal Albert. This happened before the attack on Kinburn in October 1855.

An Unexpected Stop

In late December 1855, the Royal Albert had a problem. While sailing from the Crimea to Malta, she started leaking! The crew had to quickly beach the ship at San Nicholas, on the island of Kea in Greece. Luckily, she was later refloated and taken to Malta for repairs.

Later Years

After her repairs, the Royal Albert continued her service.

• More Commanders: From April 1857 to August 1858, Captain Francis Egerton was in charge.
• Channel Squadron: From August 1858 to October 1859, Captain Edward Bridges Rice commanded her. She was part of the Channel Squadron, a group of ships protecting the English Channel. Rear-Admiral Charles Fremantle led this squadron.
• Final Commander: Her last captain was Henry James Lacon, from October 1859 until she was taken out of service in January 1861.

The End of an Era

The Royal Albert was officially taken out of service in 1861. Many years later, in 1884, she was sold to a company called Castle. They broke her up for parts in Charlton. This was a common end for old warships.

The Royal Albert as a hulk (an old, stripped-down ship) in the Hamoaze in 1890.