HMS Nimble (1860)

HMS Nimble was a Philomel-class gunvessel of the Royal Navy, launched in 1860 and sold out of service in 1869. As a gunvessel, she was designed for coastal patrol and suppressing piracy and the slave trade. She was constructed of wood.

Design and Construction

The Philomel-class gunvessels were designed by the Surveyor of the Navy and were intended to be small, fast, and heavily armed for their size. Nimble carried a main armament of one 7-inch/110 pounder Armstrong breech-loading gun and two 20-pounder breech-loading guns. She was powered by a two-cylinder horizontal single expansion steam engine producing 60 nominal horsepower, manufactured by Humphrys, Tennant and Company. This engine drove a single screw propeller. She also carried a barque rig, allowing her to operate under sail power when required, conserving coal and extending her range. Her hull was coppered to protect against marine growth.

Service History

Nimble was commissioned in 1860 and immediately deployed to the West Africa Squadron, a key part of Britain's efforts to suppress the slave trade. The West Africa Squadron patrolled the coast of Africa, intercepting slave ships and freeing enslaved people. Nimble served in this role until she was paid off in 1869 and sold. Her relatively short service life was typical of many smaller vessels of this era, as technological advances in shipbuilding and propulsion rapidly rendered them obsolete.

Fate

HMS Nimble was sold out of service in 1869.