HMS Waterloo (1833) facts for kids

Waterloo, of 120 guns, launched in the Reign of William IV
Quick facts for kids History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Waterloo
Ordered	9 September 1823
Builder	Chatham Dockyard
Laid down	March 1827
Launched	10 June 1833
Decommissioned	Paid off 1866
Renamed	HMS Conqueror, 1862 HMS Warspite, 1877
Fate	Burnt, 1918
Notes	Converted to steam 89-gun 2-decker, 1 April 1859–12 December 1859
General characteristics
Class and type	Broadened Caledonia-class ship of the line
Tons burthen	2,694 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	From 1859, 500 nhp Maudlay engine, single screw
Sail plan	Full-rigged ship
Armament	As designed: 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 As steam line-of-battle ship: Gundeck: 32 × 8 in/65 cwt Main deck: 34 × 32 pdr/56 cwt Upper deck: 22 × 32 pdr/42 cwt 1 × 68 pdr/95 cwt (on a pivot mounting)

Launch of HMS Waterloo at Chatham

HMS Waterloo was a very large warship, known as a first-rate ship of the line, built for the Royal Navy in the 1800s. It was launched on June 10, 1833, at Chatham Dockyard. This powerful ship was originally designed to carry 120 guns.

A Ship's Changing Role

Over time, ships like Waterloo needed updates. In 1859, Waterloo was changed from a sailing ship to a steamship. This big job happened at Chatham Dockyard. The ship was also made smaller, becoming an 89-gun, two-deck ship.

New Names for a Grand Ship

In 1862, Waterloo got a new name: HMS Conqueror. This happened after another modern ship, also named Conqueror, was lost. It was common for the Royal Navy to reuse famous ship names.

Waterloo served in different parts of the world. In 1864, it was part of the China station fleet. This means it sailed in the waters around China. The ship was taken out of active service in 1866.

From Warship to Training Ship

In 1877, the ship was renamed again, becoming HMS Warspite. This time, it had a new and important job. It became a training ship for young boys. These boys learned how to be sailors on the River Thames, near Greenhithe and Woolwich.

The End of HMS Warspite

HMS Warspite served as a training ship for many years. However, in 1918, a fire destroyed the ship. About 250 boys were on board at the time, but thankfully, they were safely evacuated. The fire was later found to have been started by some teenage boys.