Driver-class sloop

The Driver class were a class of paddlewheel steam sloops of the British Royal Navy. Six Driver-class ships were ordered in 1840 and a further ten in March 1841, although only six were built. Five were ordered in 1847, but all were either built as paddle frigates or cancelled. Two wrecked in service, while the rest served until being retired and were either broken up or sold.

HMS Driver
Class overview
NameDriver-class paddle sloop
Operators Royal Navy
Preceded byAlecto class
Succeeded byBulldog class
CostDriver: £39,707[Note 1]
Built1840-1846
In commission1841–1870s
Completed10
Retired12
General characteristics [1]
TypeWooden paddle sloop
Displacement1,590 tons
Tons burthen1,055+62⁄94 bm
Length180 ft (54.9 m) (gundeck)
Beam36 ft (11.0 m)
Depth of hold21 ft (6.4 m)
Installed power280–300 nhp (except Devastation and Sphinx)
Propulsion
  • 2-cylinder direct-acting steam engine (except Spiteful, Devastation and Sphinx)
  • Paddles
Sail planBrig-rigged
Complement149 (later 160)
Armament
  • As built:
  • 2 × 10-inch/42-pounder (84 cwt) pivot guns
  • 2 × 68-pounder (64 cwt) guns
  • 2 × 42-pounder (22 cwt) carronades
  • After 1856:
  • 1 × 10-inch/42-pounder (84 cwt) pivot guns
  • 1 × 68-pounder (95 cwt) gun
  • 4 × 32-pounder (42 cwt) guns
  • Later:
  • 1 × 10-inch/42-pounder (84 cwt) pivot guns
  • 1 × 110 pdr Armstrong gun
  • 4 × 32-pounder (42 cwt) guns

Design

The ships were designed by Sir William Symonds. They were built of wood, displaced 1,590 tons and had a length on the gundeck of 180 feet (54.9 m).[1]

Propulsion

Power was provided by a two-cylinder direct-acting steam engine driving paddle wheels. Spiteful had a side-lever steam engine, Devastation had a 4-cylinder 'Siamese' steam engine and Sphinx had a 2-cylinder oscillating steam engine. The engines developed between 280 and 300 nominal horsepower, apart from Devastation (400 nhp) and Sphinx (500 nhp). All the ships were capable of about 9 knots (17 km/h) under steam, with the more powerful Devastation and Sphinx making 10 or 12 knots.[1] A brig rig was fitted for operating under sail.

Armament

All three ships were armed with two 10 in (250 mm) (84 cwt) guns on pivot mounts, two 68-pounder (64 cwt) guns and two 42-pounder (22 cwt) carronades.[Note 2][1] In 1856 the armament was changed to a single 10-inch pivot gun, a 68-pounder (95 cwt) gun and four 32-pounder (42 cwt) guns. Later, the 68-pounder was replaced by a 110 pdr Armstrong gun breech-loading gun.[1]

Crew

They had a complement of approximately 149 men, increasing later to 160.[1]

Construction

Six Driver-class ships were ordered in 1840[2] and a further ten in March 1841, although only six were built. Five were ordered in 1847, but all were either built as paddle frigates or cancelled.[1]

Ships
NameShip builder[1]Laid down[1]Launched[1]Commissioned[1]Fate[1]
DriverPortsmouth DockyardJune 184024 December 18405 November 1841Wrecked on Mayaguana Island in the Bahamas on 3 August 1861
StyxSheerness Dockyard22 June 184026 January 18414 October 1841Broken up 1866
VixenPembroke DockyardJune 18404 February 184128 December 1841Broken up 12 November 1862
DevastationWoolwich Dockyard27 July 18403 July 184130 November 1841Broken up September 1866
GeyserPembroke DockyardAugust 18406 April 18418 March 1842Broken up 1866
GrowlerChatham DockyardJanuary 184120 July 18419 March 1842Broken up at Portsmouth by January 1854
ThunderboltPortsmouth DockyardApril 184113 January 18428 February 1843Wrecked on Cape Recife, Algoa Bay, South Africa 3 February 1847
CormorantSheerness Dockyard17 May 184129 March 184228 June 1843Broken up at Deptford by August 1853
SpitefulPembroke DockyardAugust 184124 March 184224 March 1843Sold September 1883
EclairWoolwich DockyardAugust 184131 May 18439 September 1844Originally Infernal (renamed 26 August 1844 before commissioning. Renamed Rosamund 14 October 1846. Floating factory 1863. Broken up 1865
ViragoChatham Dockyard15 November 184125 July 184229 July 1843Broken up at Chatham November 1876
SphinxWoolwich DockyardMay 184417 February 18453 November 1846Broken up at Devonport September 1881
Rattler----Ordered 1841, but changed to Alecto-class sloop, then re-ordered as the screw sloop Rattler
Bulldog----Design lengthened, becoming the first ship of the Bulldog class
Inflexible----Built as Bulldog class
Scourge----Built as Bulldog class
Furious----Ordered in 1847 but then re-ordered as a paddle frigate
Magicienne----Ordered in 1847 but then re-ordered as a paddle frigate
Resolute----Ordered in 1847 but then re-ordered as a paddle frigate and finally cancelled in 1850
Tiger----Ordered in 1847 but then re-ordered as a paddle frigate
Valorous----Ordered in 1847 but then re-ordered as a paddle frigate

Notes
  1. A total cost accounting for inflation of approximately £3,803,500 in today's money.
  2. "cwt", or "hundredweight" refers to the weight of the gun itself. "42-pounder" refers to the weight of the ball fired.

References
  1. Winfield (2004), p. 160.
  2. Friedman, Norman (2012). British Cruisers of the Victorian Era. Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 9781473853126. Retrieved 9 November 2018.

Works cited
  • Winfield, R.; Lyon, D. (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.
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