HMS Orpheus (1860)

HMS Orpheus was a Jason-class Royal Navy corvette that served as the flagship of the Australian squadron. Orpheus sank off the west coast of Auckland, New Zealand on 7 February 1863: 189 crew out of the ship's complement of 259 died in the disaster, making it the worst maritime tragedy to occur in New Zealand waters.

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

Richard Brydges Beechey's 1863 painting of the disaster.
History
United Kingdom
NameHMS Orpheus
NamesakeOrpheus, a figure from Greek mythology, king of the Thracian tribe Cicones.
Ordered1 April 1857
BuilderChatham Dockyard
Laid down12 May 1858
Launched23 June 1860
CommissionedPortsmouth 24 October 1861
FateWrecked 7 February 1863
General characteristics
Class and typeJason-class corvette
Displacement2,365 tons
Tons burthen1,702 bm
Length225 ft (69 m)
Beam40 ft (12 m)
Draught
  • 18 ft 0 in (5.5 m) (forward)
  • 19 ft 9 in (6.0 m) (aft)
Installed power
Propulsion
  • 2-cylinder horizontal single-expansion engine
  • 4 × boilers
  • 4 × furnaces
  • Single screw
Sail planFull-rigged ship
Speed11.1 knots (20.6 km/h)
Complement258
Armament
  • 20 × 8-inch (68pdr/65cwt) muzzle-loading smoothbore broadside guns
  • 1 × pivot-mounted 7-inch (110-pdr/82cwt) Armstrong breech loader
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