HMS Curacoa drydocked in Sydney Harbour c.1890.
History
United Kingdom
NameCuracoa
BuilderJohn Elder & Co., Govan
Yard number210
Launched18 April 1878
FateSold 1904 for breaking up.
General characteristics
Class and typeComus-class corvette
Displacement2,380 LT (2,420 t; 2,670 ST)
Length225 ft (69 m)
Beam44 ft (13 m)
Draught19 ft (6 m)
PropulsionSingle screw driven by compound engines of 2,590 ihp (1.93 MW)
Sail planBarque or ship rig
Speed13.75 kt (25.5 km/h) powered; 14.75 kt (27.3 km/h)
Armament
ArmourDeck: 1.5 in (38 mm) over engines

HMS Curacoa was a Comus-class corvette of the Royal Navy, built by John Elder & Co., Govan, launched in 1878, and sold in 1904 to be broken up.[2] She served on the Cape of Good Hope and West Africa Station, the Australia Station and as a training cruiser in the Atlantic.

Service history

HMS Curacoa was built by John Elder & Co., Govan, and launched on 18 April 1878.

The corvette commenced service on the Cape of Good Hope and West Africa Station before being transferred to the Australia Station arriving on 5 August 1890. She left the Australia Station in December 1894.[2]

Curacoa was sent to the Ellice Islands and between 9 and 16 October 1892 Captain Gibson visited each of the islands to make a formal declaration that the islands were to be a British Protectorate.[3] In June 1893 Captain Gibson visited the southern Solomon islands and made the formal declaration of the British Solomon Islands Protectorate.[4]

Her later years were spent as a training cruiser. In February–March 1900 she visited Madeira, Las Palmas and Sao Vicente, Cape Verde.[5][6]

She was sold in May 1904 to King of Garston for breaking up.[2]

Deck plan, elevation, and hull cross-section of Comus-class vessels.

References

  1. ^ Winfield, R.; Lyon, D. (2004). The Sail and Steam Navy List: All the Ships of the Royal Navy 1815–1889. London: Chatham Publishing. p. 272. ISBN 978-1-86176-032-6. OCLC 52620555.
  2. ^ a b c Bastock, J. (1988). Ships on the Australia Station. Frenchs Forest: Child & Associates Publishing. p. 107. ISBN 978-0-86777-348-4.
  3. ^ Teo, N. P. (1983). "Chapter 17: Colonial Rule". In Laracy, Hugh (ed.). Tuvalu: A History. Suva: University of the South Pacific and the Government of Tuvalu. pp. 127–139. OCLC 20637433.
  4. ^ Roberts-Wray, K. (1966). Commonwealth and Colonial Law. London: Stevens. p. 897. OCLC 510310.
  5. ^ "Naval & Military Intelligence". The Times. No. 36056. London. 3 February 1900. p. 14.
  6. ^ "Naval & Military Intelligence". The Times. No. 36083. London. 7 March 1900. p. 10.

External links

Media related to HMS Curacoa (ship, 1878) at Wikimedia Commons

Comus-class corvettes
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