HMS Achilles
1861 HMS Achilles was the first iron-clad ship built in the naval dockyards.
1861 'The Achilles. — The Rhadamanthus, paddle-wheel steam-vessel, arrived at the dockyard last night with a cargo of iron plates to be used in the building of the Achilles, and a large number of men have been actively employed this afternoon in the task of unloading her. Under the long open iron-roofed shed, extending the entire length of No. 2 dock, which was erected by Grissell and Co., of London, there are now placed two punching machines, two shearing machines, and one planing machine, by Collier and Co.. of Salford, and a drilling and boring machine by Nasmyth. It is expected that the entire system of machinery for working these and other machines to be employed on the iron for the Achilles will be ready for trial on Wednesday next ; this machinery is supplied by Simpson and Co., of Pimlico.' [1]
1907 A later HMS Achilles was a Duke of Edinburgh-class armoured cruiser built for the Royal Navy. She was laid down on 22 February 1904 at Elswick by Armstrong Whitworth. The ship was launched on 17 June 1905 and completed on 22 April 1907 at the cost of £1,191,103. Machinery was made by Hawthorn Leslie and Co at St Peter's, Newcastle.[2]
Achilles was transferred to the North America and West Indies Station in August 1917 for convoy escort duties, but returned to Britain for a refit between February and December 1918.
Upon completion of this refit Achilles became a stoker's training ship at Chatham.
The ship was sold for scrap on 9 May 1921
A later ship bearing the name was built by Cammell, Laird and Co in the 1930s
See Also
Sources of Information
- [1] Wikipedia