View source for HMS Rupert (1872)

{{other ships|HMS Rupert}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2017}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image= HMS Rupert (1872) Photo.jpg
|Ship caption=''Rupert'' circa. 1890
}}
{{Infobox ship career
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|Ship country=United Kingdom
|Ship flag= {{shipboxflag|United Kingdom|naval}}
|Ship name= HMS ''Rupert''
|Ship namesake=
|Ship ordered=
|Ship builder=[[Chatham Dockyard]]
|Ship laid down= 6 June 1870
|Ship launched= 12 March 1872
|Ship completed=1 July 1874
|Ship commissioned= 
|Ship decommissioned= 
|Ship in service=
|Ship out of service=
|Ship struck= 
|Ship reinstated=
|Ship homeport=
|Ship motto=
|Ship nickname=
|Ship honours=
|Ship fate= Broken up, 1907
|Ship notes=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
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|Header caption= 
|Ship type= turret ram [[battleship]]
|Ship displacement= {{convert|5440|LT|t|0|abbr=on}}
|Ship length= {{convert|250|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam={{convert|53|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship draught= {{convert|22|ft|6|in|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship propulsion=*Two-shaft Napier
*{{convert|4630|ihp|0|abbr=on}}
|Ship speed={{convert|13.6|kn|mph km/h|lk=in}}
|Ship range= 
|Ship complement=217
|Ship armament=*''1874'' :
*Armoured ram
*2 × [[RML 10 inch 18 ton gun|{{convert|10|in|mm|sigfig=3|adj=on}} 18 ton rifled muzzle-loading guns]]
*2 × 64-pounder smoothbore
*''1887'' :
*Armoured ram
*2 × {{convert|10|in|mm|abbr=on}} 18 ton muzzle-loading rifles
*2 × [[BL 6 inch gun Mk I - VI|BL {{convert|6|in|mm|adj=on|sigfig=4}} gun]]
*12 smaller guns
*4 × [[torpedo tube]]s
*''1892'' :
*2 × [[BL 9.2 inch gun Mk I - VII|BL {{convert|9.2|in|mm|adj=on|sigfig=4}} gun]]
*2 × [[BL 6 inch gun Mk I - VI|BL {{convert|6|in|mm|adj=on|sigfig=4}} gun]]
*4 × QF [[QF 6-pounder Hotchkiss|6-pounder]] guns
*8 smaller guns
*4 × torpedo tubes
|Ship armour=*Belt: {{convert|11|in|mm|abbr=on}} tapering to {{convert|9|in|mm|abbr=on}}
*Breastwork: {{convert|12|in|mm|abbr=on}}
*Turret: {{convert|14|in|mm|abbr=on}} face, {{convert|12|in|mm|abbr=on}} sides
*Conning tower: {{convert|12|in|mm|abbr=on}}
*Deck: {{convert|3|in|mm|abbr=on}} tapering to {{convert|2|in|mm|abbr=on}}
|Ship notes=
}}
|}
'''HMS ''Rupert''''' was a [[battleship]] of the Victorian [[Royal Navy]], whose principal weapon was designed to be her [[Naval ram|ram]].

==Design==
[[File:HMS Rupert (1872).jpg|thumb|left|Right elevation and plan as depicted in [[Brassey's Naval Annual]] 1888]]
She was similar in design to {{HMS|Hotspur|1870|6}}, but unlike her carried a revolving turret similar to that carried in {{HMS|Glatton|1871|6}}. For reasons not recorded, it would appear that the belief prevalent at the time of the design of ''Hotspur'' that a ramming attack would damage the turret mechanism no longer held sway when ''Rupert'' was proposed.

As was ''Hotspur'', she was designed at a time, shortly after the 1866 [[Battle of Lissa (1866)|battle of Lissa]], when it was believed that ramming attacks would, in the event of naval conflict, be the most effective form of offensive action. Artillery power was therefore given second priority to handiness and to frontal armour, including a prolongation of the belt armour to reinforce the ram. She carried two guns in her single turret, as against the single piece in ''Hotspur'', but there was no intention or expectation of achieving all-round fire. The guns would bear from the bow to just abaft the beam on either side, except for the obstruction of the foremast and associated shrouds.

The ship was fitted with a fore-and-aft rig on her two masts, which had been designed to allow progress in the event of engine failure. Her sail effort was, however, described by her first Captain as "not worth the inconvenience of keeping them up".

As the ram had only been seen to be effective against stationary targets, as at the battle of Lissa, and against friendly ships in the course of accidental collision, the high reputation it enjoyed is not wholly understandable. A report by Capt. W.E. Gordon, submitted to the [[Board of Admiralty]] in February 1878 and referring to ''Rupert'' says: "she is a comparatively simple weapon within the capacity of an ordinary man to make the best use of, whereas the Captain of the {{HMS|Alexandra|1875|2}} or {{HMS|Temeraire|1876|2}} in action would be like a man armed with sword, rapier, rifle and pistol, trying to use them all at the same time. No man's faculties are equal to making the ''best use'' of such complicated machines." The unattributed comments to this report include the phrase "good in theory but not practicable supposing enemy has 14–15 knots and ''Rupert'' 11-12".

Unlike every other battleship, ''Rupert'' did not have a centre-line conning tower. Uniquely, she possessed two armoured pilot towers, one on either side just abaft the waist. These gave a good view on the beam, but very limited view over the bow, and her first captain described them as "almost useless".

== Service history ==
[[File:Floating of the Twin-Screw Ram Rupert - ILN 1887.jpg|thumb|Floating of the Twin-Screw Ram Rupert at Chatham]]
She was commissioned at [[HMNB Devonport|Devonport Dockyard]] for the Mediterranean, and served there from 1876 to 1880. She was thereafter held in reserve at Portsmouth until being assigned to service in the [[Particular Service Squadron]] during the Russian war scare of April to August; 1885. She was then assigned as [[guard ship]] at [[Kingston upon Hull|Hull]] until 1890. After reconstruction and re-armament between 1891 and 1893 she was guardship at Pembroke until 1895. She was port guard ship at Gibraltar from 1895, then at [[Port Said]] until late April 1902, when she returned home.<ref>{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Naval & Military intelligence |date=25 April 1902 |page=8 |issue=36751}}</ref> Commander Algernon B Granville Grenfell was appointed in command in May 1898. She arrived at [[Plymouth]] in early May 1902,<ref>{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Naval & Military intelligence |date=7 May 1902 |page=10 |issue=36761}}</ref> and paid off at [[HMNB Devonport|Devonport]] on 28 May.<ref>{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Naval & Military intelligence |date=10 May 1902 |page=8 |issue=36764}}</ref> She was in Fleet Reserve until 1904, from when she served finally as guard ship at [[Bermuda]]<ref>Conway p6</ref> until her sale there in 1907.

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

== References ==
* {{cite book|last=Ballard |first=G. A., Admiral|authorlink=George Alexander Ballard |title=The Black Battlefleet |year=1980 |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, Maryland|isbn=0-87021-924-3}}
* Oscar Parkes ''British Battleships'' {{ISBN|0-85052-604-3}}
* {{cite book|title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905|editor1-last=Chesneau|editor1-first=Roger|editor2-last=Kolesnik|editor2-first=Eugene M.|publisher=Conway Maritime Press|location=Greenwich|year=1979|isbn=0-8317-0302-4|name-list-style=amp|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/conwaysallworlds0000unse_l2e2}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|HMS Rupert (ship, 1872)}}
{{British ironclads}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rupert (1872)}}
[[Category:Battleships of the Royal Navy]]
[[Category:Ships built in Chatham]]
[[Category:1872 ships]]
[[Category:Victorian-era battleships of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Steam rams]]