HMS Waterwitch (1866)

HMS Waterwitch was one of only three armoured gunboats built for the Royal Navy. Uniquely, she was powered by Ruthven's "hydraulic propeller", making her the first ship to employ waterjets. She was launched in 1866 and conducted comparative trials with her two sister ships. She was not employed operationally and was sold in 1890.

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

Waterwitch under sail, from the Illustrated London News
History
United Kingdom
NameHMS Waterwitch
Ordered29 October 1864
BuilderThames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company
Laid down1864
Launched28 June 1866
Commissioned1867
FateSold for breaking 26 April 1890
General characteristics
Displacement1,280 tons
Tons burthen777 bm
Length162 ft (49.4 m) pp
Beam32 ft 1 in (9.8 m)
Draught11 ft (3.4 m)
Installed power
Propulsion
  • 2 × Maudslay iron fire-tube boilers
  • 6 × furnaces
  • 3-cylinder horizontal Ruthven "hydraulic reaction engine" by J & W Dudgeon
Sail planBarquentine rig
Speed8.9 kn (16.5 km/h)
Complement80
Armament
  • 2 × 7-inch (6½-ton) muzzle-loading rifled guns
  • 2 × RBL 20-pounder guns
Armour4+1⁄2 in (11 cm) iron belt and bulkheads with 10 in (25 cm) of teak backing
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