| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Gleaner class |
| Operators |  Royal Navy |
| Succeeded by | Dapper class |
| Built | 1854 |
| In commission | 1854 – 1864 |
| Completed | 6 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | 'Crimean' gunboat |
| Tons burthen | 215 53⁄94 tons bm |
| Length |
|
| Beam | 22 ft 0 in (6.71 m) |
| Draught | 7 ft 10 in (2.39 m) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 7.5 kn (13.9 km/h) |
| Crew | 36 |
| Armament |
|
The Gleaner (or Pelter)-class gunboat was a class of six gunboats built for the Royal Navy in 1854 for use in the Crimean War.
Design
The Gleaner class was designed by W.H. Walker (who also designed the subsequent Dapper and Albacore classes). The ships were wooden-hulled, with steam power as well as sails, but of shallow draught for coastal bombardment in the shallow waters of the Baltic and Black Sea during the Crimean War.
Propulsion
Two-cylinder horizontal single-expansion steam engines built by John Penn and Sons, with two boilers, provided 60 nominal horsepower through a single screw, sufficient for 7.5 knots (13.9 km/h; 8.6 mph).
Armament
Ships of the class were armed with one 68-pounder smooth bore muzzle loading cannon (SBML), one 32-pounder SBML (originally two 68-pounder SBMLs were planned but the forward gun was substituted by a 32-pounder) and two 24-pounder howitzers.
Ships
| Name | Ship builder | Launched | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pelter | W & H Pitcher, Northfleet | 28 August 1854 | Sold for breaking January 1864, breaking up completed by Tolpult on 1 February 1864 |
| Pincher | W & H Pitcher, Northfleet | 5 September 1854 | Breaking completed on 17 February 1864 |
| Badger | W & H Pitcher, Northfleet | 23 September 1854 | Broken up at Portsmouth in June 1864 |
| Snapper | W & H Pitcher, Northfleet | 4 October 1854 | Became a coal hulk in 1865, sold in 1906 |
| Gleaner | Deptford Dockyard | 7 October 1854 | Sold at Montevideo in April 1868 |
| Ruby | Deptford Dockyard | 7 October 1854 | Broken up October 1868 |
References
Bibliography
- Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) . Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.
- 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.
| Gleaner-class gunboat | |
|---|---|
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