HMS St George (1840) facts for kids

HMS St George and Arethusa on the Hamoaze near Bull Point, by Edward Snell (engineer)
Quick facts for kids History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS St George
Ordered	27 May 1819
Builder	Plymouth Dockyard
Laid down	May 1827
Launched	27 August 1840
Fate	Sold, 1883
General characteristics
Class and type	Broadened Caledonia-class ship of the line
Tons burthen	2694 bm
Length	205 ft 5.5 in (62.624 m) (gundeck)
Beam	54 ft 6 in (16.61 m)
Depth of hold	23 ft 2 in (7.06 m)
Propulsion	Sails
Sail plan	Full-rigged ship
Armament	120 guns: Gundeck: 30 × 32 pdrs, 2 × 68-pdr carronades Middle gundeck: 34 × 32 pdrs Upper gundeck: 34 × 32 pdrs Quarterdeck: 2 × 18 pdrs, 14 × 32 pdr carronades Forecastle: 2 × 18 pdrs, 2 × 32 pdr carronades

HMS St George was a very large and powerful warship of the Royal Navy. It was known as a 'first-rate ship of the line', which meant it was one of the biggest and strongest ships of its time. This impressive vessel was launched on August 27, 1840, at Plymouth, England.

Meet HMS St George

The HMS St George was a huge sailing warship. It was part of the Royal Navy, the United Kingdom's navy. The ship was built at the Plymouth Dockyard. Its construction started in May 1827. It took many years to build this massive ship.

Building a Giant Ship

When it was finished, HMS St George was 205 feet long. That's about the length of two tennis courts! It was also 54 feet wide. The ship had 120 guns, making it incredibly powerful. These guns included 32-pounder cannons and 68-pounder carronades. Carronades were shorter, powerful cannons used for close-range fighting.

A Close Call with Fire

The Fire on the morning of 27 September 1840, which threatened to destroy the dockyard. St George pictured was far enough away from the blazing Talavera to escape destruction.

Even before HMS St George sailed, it faced a big danger. On September 25, 1840, a huge fire broke out at the Plymouth Dockyard. The fire started on two other ships, HMS Talavera and Imogene. These ships were completely burned.

The fire spread quickly to nearby buildings and equipment. It caused a lot of damage. People worked hard to stop the fire. They even tore down some buildings to create gaps. This helped to contain the flames. Luckily, HMS St George was far enough away. It escaped the fire and was not destroyed. The damage from the fire was very expensive. It cost a huge amount of money for that time.

Life After Sails

In 1859, HMS St George was updated. It was fitted with a screw propeller. This meant it could now be powered by an engine, not just sails. This was a big change for warships. It made them faster and more reliable. The ship served the Royal Navy for many years. Finally, in 1883, HMS St George was sold.