HMS Niger (1846)

	HMS Niger at Vera Crux (Illustrated London News)
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Niger
Ordered	20 February 1845
Builder	Woolwich Dockyard
Laid down	May 1845
Launched	18 November 1846
Honours and; awards	Crimea/Black Sea 1854 - 55, China 56 - 58, New Zealand 1860
Fate	Sold to Castle in 1869 for breaking
General characteristics
Class and type	Niger-class
Type	wooden screw sloop (later "corvette")
Displacement	1,072 6/94 bm; 1,454 long tons (1,477 t);
Length	194 ft 4 in (59.23 m) gundeck; 170 ft 11.75 in (52.1145 m) keel reported for tonage;
Beam	34 ft 8 in (10.57 m) maximum, 34 ft 4 in (10.46 m) beam reported for tonnage
Draught	15 ft 6 in (4.72 m)
Depth of hold	21 ft 5.5 in (6.541 m)
Installed power	1002 indicated horsepower
Propulsion	4-cylinder horizontal single-expansion steam engine; Single 12 ft 6 in (3.81 m) screw;
Sail plan	Full-rigged ship
Speed	10.25 kn (18.98 km/h) under power
Complement	160
Armament	As built:; 2 × 56-pdr (87cwt) guns; 4 × 8-inch/68-pdr (65cwt) guns; 2 × 32-pdr (17cwt) guns; From 1850:; 14 × 32-pdr (17cwt) guns; From 1856:; 14 × 32-pdr (17cwt) guns; 1 × 68-pdr gun;

HMS Niger was originally slated to be built as a Sampson designed sloop; however, she was ordered as a First-Class sloop with screw propulsion on 20 February 1845 to be built at Woolwich Dockyard, along the design developed by Oliver Lang and with a hull like the Basilisk designed paddle sloops. Her armament and engine were to be like the Encounter Design building at Pembroke. A second vessel (Florentia) was ordered on 26 March 1846 but after her keel was laid at Pembroke Dockyard, her construction was suspended on 6 October 1846 then cancelled three years later, on 22 May 1849. Niger She conducted important propulsion trials, finally proving the superiority of screw propulsion and served in West Africa, the Crimea, China, the East Indies and Australia. She took part in the New Zealand wars in 1860 and was sold for breaking in 1869.^[3]

Niger was the third named vessel since its introduction for a 33-gun fifth rate launched at Sheerness on 25 September 1759, converted to a prison ship in 1810, renamed Negro in 1813 and sold on 29 September 1814.^[4]

Florentia introduced this name to the Royal Navy.^[4]

^ Rif Winfield, Battles and Campaigns
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Winfield, p.212
^ Rif Winfield, Chapter 12
^ ^a ^b 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.

[1] Rif Winfield, Battles and Campaigns

[RW-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Winfield, p.212

[Rif_Winfield,_Chapter_12-3] Rif Winfield, Chapter 12

[Colledge-4] 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.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

History
HMS Niger at Vera Crux (Illustrated London News)
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Niger
Ordered	20 February 1845
Builder	Woolwich Dockyard
Laid down	May 1845
Launched	18 November 1846
Honours and awards	Crimea/Black Sea 1854 - 55, China 56 - 58, New Zealand 1860^[1]
Fate	Sold to Castle in 1869 for breaking
General characteristics
Class and type	Niger-class
Type	wooden screw sloop (later "corvette")
Displacement	1,072 6/94 bm 1,454 long tons (1,477 t)^[2]
Length	194 ft 4 in (59.23 m) gundeck 170 ft 11.75 in (52.1145 m) keel reported for tonage^[2]
Beam	34 ft 8 in (10.57 m) maximum, 34 ft 4 in (10.46 m) beam reported for tonnage^[2]
Draught	15 ft 6 in (4.72 m)^[2]
Depth of hold	21 ft 5.5 in (6.541 m)^[2]
Installed power	1002 indicated horsepower
Propulsion	4-cylinder horizontal single-expansion steam engine Single 12 ft 6 in (3.81 m) screw^[2]
Sail plan	Full-rigged ship
Speed	10.25 kn (18.98 km/h) under power^[2]
Complement	160
Armament	As built: 2 × 56-pdr (87cwt) guns 4 × 8-inch/68-pdr (65cwt) guns 2 × 32-pdr (17cwt) guns From 1850: 14 × 32-pdr (17cwt) guns From 1856: 14 × 32-pdr (17cwt) guns 1 × 68-pdr gun^[2]