HMS Hecate (1871)

Right elevation plan from Brassey's Naval Annual 1888–1889
History
United Kingdom
Name	Hecate
Namesake	Hecate
Builder	J & W Dudgeon, Cubitt Town, London
Cost	£156,782
Laid down	5 September 1870
Launched	30 September 1871
Completed	24 May 1877
Commissioned	April 1872
Out of service	1901
Refit	1885–86
Fate	Sold for scrap, 12 May 1903
General characteristics
Class and type	Cyclops-class breastwork monitor
Displacement	3,480 long tons (3,540 t)
Length	225 ft (68.6 m) (p/p)
Beam	45 ft (13.7 m)
Draught	16 ft 3 in (5.0 m) (deep load)
Installed power	1,579 ihp (1,177 kW)
Propulsion	2 shafts, 2 inverted compound steam engines
Speed	10.5 knots (19.4 km/h; 12.1 mph)
Range	3,000 nmi (5,600 km; 3,500 mi) at 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Complement	156
Armament	2 × twin 10-inch rifled muzzle loaders
Armour	Belt: 6–8 in (152–203 mm) Deck: 1.5 in (38 mm) Superstructure: 8–9 in (203–229 mm) Conning tower: 8–9 in (203–229 mm) Gun turret: 9–10 in (229–254 mm)

HMS Hecate was the last ship completed of the four Cyclops-class breastwork monitors built for the Royal Navy during the 1870s.

The Cyclops-class ships were modified versions of the Cerberus class.^[1] The ships had a length between perpendiculars of 225 feet (68.6 m), a beam of 45 feet (13.7 m), and a draught of 16 feet 3 inches (4.95 m) at deep load. They displaced 3,480 long tons (3,540 t). Their crew consisted of 156 officers and men.^[2] Hydra had two 4-cylinder inverted compound steam engines, each driving a single propeller shaft. The engines produced a total of 1,472 indicated horsepower (1,098 kW) during the ship's sea trials which gave her a maximum speed of 11.2 knots (20.7 km/h; 12.9 mph). The ships carried 250 long tons (250 t) of coal,^[3] enough to steam 3,000 nautical miles (5,600 km; 3,500 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).^[4]

The ships mounted four 10-inch rifled muzzle-loading guns in twin-gun turrets fore and aft of the superstructure. The guns could fire both solid shot and explosive shells.^[5] They were mounted on carriages that used hydraulic jacks to elevate and depress the guns.^[1]

The Cyclops class had a complete waterline belt of wrought iron that was 8 inches (203 mm) thick amidships and thinned to 6 inches (152 mm) at the ends. The superstructure and conning tower was fully armoured, the reason it was called a breastwork, with 8–9 inches (203–229 mm) of wrought iron. The gun turrets had 10 inches on their faces and 9 inches on the sides and rear. All of the vertical armour was backed by 9–11 inches (229–279 mm) of teak. The decks were 1.5 inches (38.1 mm) thick.^[6]

Together with her sister ships, Cyclops and Gorgon, she was placed on the non-effective list of ships in January 1902,^[7] and sold for scrap the following year.

• Ballard, G. A., Admiral (1980). The Black Battlefleet. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-924-3.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
• Gardiner, Robert, ed. (1979). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905. Greenwich: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-8317-0302-4.
• Parkes, Oscar (1990). British Battleships (reprint of the 1957 ed.). Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-075-4.
• Silverstone, Paul H. (1984). Directory of the World's Capital Ships. New York: Hippocrene Books. ISBN 0-88254-979-0.