HMS Curacoa (1878)

HMS Curacoa was an Comus-class corvette of the Royal Navy, built by John Elder & Co., Govan, launched in 1878, and sold in 1904 to be broken up.[2] She served on the Cape of Good Hope and West Africa Station, the Australia Station and as a training cruiser in the Atlantic.

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

HMS Curacoa drydocked in Sydney Harbour c.1890.
History
United Kingdom
Name: Curacoa
Builder: John Elder & Co., Govan
Yard number: 210
Launched: 18 April 1878
Fate: Sold 1904 for breaking up.
General characteristics
Class and type: Comus-class corvette
Displacement: 2,380 tons
Length: 225 ft (69 m)
Beam: 44 ft (13 m)
Draught: 19 ft (6 m)
Propulsion: Single screw driven by compound engines of 2,590 ihp ( MW)
Sail plan: Barque or ship rig
Speed: 13.75 kt (25.5 km/h) powered; 14.75 kt (27.3 km/h)
Armament:
  • (As built)
  • Curacoa to Constance:[1]
  • 2 × 7-inch muzzle-loading rifles
  • 12 × 64-pounder muzzle-loading rifles
  • 2 × light guns
  • 8 × QF Nordenfelt guns
  • 2 × torpedo carriages
Armour: Deck: 1.5 in (38 mm) over engines

Service history

HMS Curacoa was built by John Elder & Co., Govan, and launched on 18 April 1878.

The corvette commenced service on the Cape of Good Hope and West Africa Station before being transferred to the Australia Station arriving on 5 August 1890. She left the Australia Station in December 1894.[2]

Recently discovered log books from descendants of Mr.(Cptn) J.P. Shipton, record the journey to Australia. Daily logs show Curacoa leaving port in the UK on 1 April 1889, with stops at Perth, Albany, Adelaide, Launceston, Melbourne, Sydney, Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch / Lyttleton, and the final entry shows 31 December 1890, in port at Lyttleton (near Christchurch), New Zealand.

Curacoa was sent to the Ellice Islands and between 9 and 16 October 1892 Captain Gibson visited each of the islands to make a formal declaration that the islands were to be a British Protectorate.[3] In June 1893 Captain Gibson visited the southern Solomon islands and made the formal declaration of the British Solomon Islands Protectorate.[4]

Her later years were spent as a training cruiser. In February–March 1900 she visited Madeira, Las Palmas and Sao Vicente, Cape Verde, Commander Herbert Lyon in command.[5][6]

She was sold in May 1904 to King of Garston for breaking up.[2]

Citations
  1. Winfield (2004) p.272
  2. Bastock, p.107.
  3. Noatia P. Teo, Hugh Larcy (ed) (1983). "Chapter 17, Colonial Rule". Tuvalu: A History. University of the South Pacific/Government of Tuvalu. pp. 127–139.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
  4. Commonwealth and Colonial Law by Kenneth Roberts-Wray, London, Stevens, 1966. P. 897
  5. "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times (36056). London. 3 February 1900. p. 14.
  6. "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times (36083). London. 7 March 1900. p. 10.
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References


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