HMS Shannon (1855)

HMS Shannon
History
Name:	HMS Shannon
Ordered:	4 April 1851
Builder:	Portsmouth Dockyard Machinery by John Penn & Sons
Laid down:	January 1854
Launched:	24 November 1855
Completed:	By 29 December 1856
Fate:	Sold on 31 May 1871
General characteristics
Class & type:	Liffey-class steam frigate
Displacement:	3,915 tons
Tons burthen:	2,651 bm 2,667 bm as completed
Length:	285 ft (87 m) (length overall) 235 ft 1 in (71.65 m) (gundeck) 203 ft 10 in (62.13 m) (keel)
Beam:	50 ft 1.5 in (15.278 m)
Depth of hold:	18 ft 4.5 in (5.601 m)
Installed power:	600 nominal horsepower 2,125 ihp (1,585 kW)
Propulsion:	2-cyl. trunked single expansion Single screw
Sail plan:	Full rigged ship
Speed:	11.5 kn (21.3 km/h) under steam
Complement:	560
Armament:	Middle deck: 30 x 8in (65cwt) shell guns Upper deck: 20 x 32pdr (56cwt) 1 × 68pdr (95cwt) guns on upperdeck pivot

HMS Shannon was a Liffey-class steam frigate of the Royal Navy.

She was originally ordered as a sail driven Leander-class frigate,. but was re-ordered as screw frigate on 4 April 1851. She was built at Portsmouth Dockyard and launched on 24 November 1855. She was completed by 29 December 1856 with her hull having cost £62,759, her machinery £37,325, and a further £27,079 spent on fitting out.

Under the command of Sir William Peel, Shannon played an important role in the Indian Mutiny landing a naval brigade which fought at the Siege of Lucknow, including the Storming of the Sikandar Bagh. Five Victoria Crosses were won by the following crew of HMS Shannon: Lieutenant Thomas Young, Lieutenant Nowell Salmon, Leading Seaman John Harrison, Able Seaman Edward Robinson and Able Seaman William Hall, the first Black person and the first Canadian sailor to be awarded a Victoria Cross.^[1] Peel was wounded in the leg during the second relief of Lucknow, and was brought to Cawnpore, where he died of smallpox, having commanded Shannon's naval brigade during the campaign.

Captain George Alexander Waters took temporary command while Peel led the naval brigade, before taking permanent command until 1861.^[2]

Shannon was sold to Castle on 31 May 1871 to be broken up.

Notes

1. http://www.memorials.inportsmouth.co.uk/southsea/shannon.htm "Memorials in Southsea - HMS Shannon -", Memorials and Monuments in Portsmouth
2. "Waters, George Alexander, Captain, 1820-1903". Royal Museums Greenwich. Retrieved 6 July 2015.

References

• 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. OCLC 67375475.
• Winfield, Rif & Lyon, David (2004). The Sail and Steam Navy List: All the Ships of the Royal Navy 1815–1889. London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-032-6. OCLC 52620555.
• "Mid Victorian RN Vessels", William Loney RN