HMS Dragon (1878)
HMS Dragon was an ironclad warship of the Audacious class built for the Royal Navy in the late 1860s. The Dragon, commissioned in 1878, was the third ship of her class, following Audacious and Invincible.
Design and Description:
The Audacious-class ironclads were designed as second-class ironclads intended for foreign service. They were intended to be smaller and cheaper than the larger battleships, but still powerful enough to defend British interests overseas. They were barque-rigged to allow for long voyages without the need to rely solely on coal.
Dragon had a length between perpendiculars of 275 feet (83.8 m), a beam of 54 feet 6 inches (16.6 m), and a draught of 22 feet 3 inches (6.8 m). She displaced 6,034 long tons (6,131 t). The ship was powered by a two-cylinder horizontal compound-expansion steam engine, built by Humphrys, Tennant and Company, driving a single propeller. Six cylindrical boilers provided steam to the engine, which developed a total of 4,240 indicated horsepower (3,160 kW), giving a maximum speed of 13.7 knots (25.4 km/h; 15.8 mph). She carried 550 tons of coal, giving her a range of 2,800 nautical miles (5,200 km; 3,200 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).
Armament:
Dragon was armed with four 9-inch (229 mm) muzzle-loading rifle guns in a central battery. These were mounted on the main deck, two on each broadside. She also carried six 6-inch (152 mm) breech-loading guns, used as chase guns, and several smaller quick-firing guns for close-range defence against torpedo boats.
Service History:
Upon commissioning in 1878, HMS Dragon was assigned to the China Station. She spent the majority of her active career serving in the Far East, protecting British interests and projecting naval power. The ship underwent several refits and upgrades during her service, including the removal of her sailing rig. Dragon was eventually paid off and placed in reserve. She was sold for scrap in 1903.
Fate:
HMS Dragon was sold for scrap in 1903, marking the end of her service with the Royal Navy.