HMS Decoy (1871)

HMS Decoy was an Ariel-class composite gunboat of the Royal Navy, built at Pembroke Dockyard and launched on 12 October 1871. She served in both the Third Anglo-Ashanti War in 1873 and the Bombardment of Alexandria in 1882. She rapidly became obsolete and was sold in 1885.

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Decoy.
H.M's Gunboat Decoy at sea
History
Name: HMS Decoy
Ordered: 1871
Builder: Pembroke Dockyard
Launched: 12 October 1871
Fate: Sold in 1885
General characteristics
Class and type: Ariel-class gunboat
Displacement: 430 tons
Tons burthen: 295 bm
Length: 125 ft 0 in (38.10 m)
Beam: 22 ft 6 in (6.86 m)
Draught: 10 ft 3 in (3.12 m) max
Installed power:
Propulsion:
  • 2-cylinder horizontal single-expansion steam engine
  • Two boilers
  • Single (hoisting) screw
Sail plan: Three-masted barquentine rig
Speed: 9.5 kn (17.6 km/h)
Armament:
  • 2 × 6-inch (150 mm) 64-pounder (56 cwt) muzzle-loading rifles
  • 2 × 4-inch (100 mm) 20-pounder Armstrong breech loaders

Design and construction

Designed by Sir Edward Reed, Chief Constructor of the Royal Navy, the Ariel-class gunboats were the first gunboats of composite construction. She was armed with two 6-inch (150 mm) 64-pounder (56cwt) muzzle-loading rifles and two 4-inch (100 mm) 20-pounder Armstrong breech loaders. All 4 guns were mounted on traversing carriages. All the ships of the class carried a three-masted barquentine rig.

Operational service

Decoy was deployed off the coast of West Africa to support the operations on the Gold Coast. She deployed with Druid and Argus.[1] She also took part in the bombardment of Bootry.

In 1882 she formed part of the Naval and Military forces at the Bombardment of Alexandria.[2] Argus, Isis, and Beacon blockaded Damietta.[3]

Fate

She was sold at Malta in 1885.

References
  1. Illustrated London News, 26 July 1873, p. 89
  2. Goodrich, Caspar F (Lt Cdr), Report of the British Naval and Military Operations In Egypt 1882, Navy Department, Washington, 1885, p. 30
  3. The Graphic, 7 October 1882, p. 369

Publications
  • 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.
  • "HMS Decoy at the Naval Database website". Retrieved 1 May 2017.
  • Preston, Antony; Major, John (2007). Send a Gunboat: The Victorian Navy and Supremacy at Sea, 1854–1904 (2nd ed.). London: Conway. ISBN 978-0-85177-923-2.

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