HMS Psyche (1862)

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Psyche.

History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Psyche
Ordered	1861
Builder	Pembroke Dockyard Engines by John Penn and Sons
Laid down	8 January 1861
Launched	29 March 1862
Commissioned	1862
Fate	Wrecked on 15 December 1870 Wreck blown up in February 1871
General characteristics
Class and type	Psyche-class paddle despatch vessel
Displacement	985 long tons (1,001 t)
Tons burthen	835 bm
Length	220 ft (67 m)
Beam	28 ft 2 in (8.59 m)
Depth of hold	14 ft 6 in (4.42 m)
Installed power	1,440 ihp (1,070 kW)
Propulsion	2-cylinder oscillating steam engine
Armament	2 × 20 pdr (9.1 kg) guns

HMS Psyche was a wooden Psyche-class paddle despatch vessel built to an 1860 design by Isaac Watts. She was ordered from Pembroke Dockyard in and launched on 29 March 1862, having cost c. £43,000 to build.

She was at Suez for the opening ceremonies of the canal in 1869.

She was wrecked on 15 December 1870 off Catania, Italy, while carrying a party including George Howard Darwin to observe the solar eclipse from Sicily. Her wreck was blown up in February 1871.

References

• Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.
• Winfield, R.; Lyon, D. (2004). The Sail and Steam Navy List: All the Ships of the Royal Navy 1815–1889. London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-032-6. OCLC 52620555.