Intrepid-class gunvessel

Victor in her later guise as CSS Rappahannock in c.1864
Class overview
Name	Intrepid-class gunvessel
Builders	Pembroke Dockyard Money Wigram & Sons, Blackwall J. Scott Russell, Millwall
Operators	Royal Navy Confederate States Navy
Preceded by	Vigilant class
Succeeded by	Philomel class
Built	1855-1856
In commission	1855-1865
Planned	8
Completed	6
Scrapped	5
General characteristics
Type	Wooden gunvessel
Displacement	1,042 tons
Tons burthen	868 49/94 bm
Length	200 ft (61 m) pp
Beam	30 ft 4 in (9.25 m)
Draught	12 ft 6 in (3.81 m) (deep)
Depth of hold	14 ft 6 in (4.42 m)
Installed power	350 nominal horsepower
Propulsion	2-cylinder horizontal single-expansion steam engine Single screw
Sail plan	Barque
Speed	About 11.5 knots (21.3 km/h)
Complement	100
Armament	As built: 1 × 68-pounder muzzle-loading rifle 4 × 32-pounder (25cwt) muzzle-loading smoothbore guns Later: 1 × 7-inch/110-pounder breech loader 1 × 40-pounder breech loader 4 × 20 pounder breech loaders

Intrepid-class gunvessels were a class of six Royal Navy first-class wooden gunvessels built in 1855-56. They were rated as sloops from 1859 to 1862, and were scrapped by 1865. Victor was sold to the Confederate States of America as the raider CSS Rappahannock, but she was interned by the French at Calais and never fulfilled her intended function.

Design and construction

Designed in 1855, the Intrepid-class gunvessels were intended to serve in the shallow waters of the Black and Baltic seas during the Crimean War. They were built quickly, and of inferior wood, which explains their short lifespan of 10 years.

Propulsion

A two-cylinder horizontal single-expansion steam engine produced between 930 indicated horsepower (690 kW) and 1,302 ihp (971 kW) through a single screw, giving a speed of about 10.5 knots (19.4 km/h). Twin funnels distinguished them from most other British classes of gunvessel.

Sail plan

The vessels of the class were designed to be barque-rigged, which required less manpower than the traditional full-rigged ship.

Armament

The Intrepid-class gunvessels were designed with one 68-pounder muzzle-loading rifle and four 32-pounder (25cwt) muzzle-loading smoothbore guns. This armament was later replaced with a single 7-inch/110-pounder breech loader, one 40-pounder breech loader and four 20 pounder breech loaders.

Ships

The first pair were ordered on 18 April 1855, the second pair were ordered on 15 May 1855, and the final pair were ordered on 27 July 1855. A further two were ordered on 9 April 1856 from Pembroke Dockyard, but were cancelled.