Hector-class ironclad

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Hector-class ironclad

The Hector-class ironclads were two Royal Navy armored frigates built in the 1860s: Hector and Valiant. They were cheaper, smaller successors to the Warrior class, based on the Defence class but with extra armor and stronger engines.

Design and description
- Length: 280 ft 2 in; beam: 56 ft 5 in; draft: 26 ft 2 in. Displaced about 7,000 long tons. Crew of around 530.
- Hull features: watertight compartments, a double bottom under the engine and boilers, and a low center of gravity that made them steady in theory but prone to rolling.
- Sail plan: barque-rigged with a large sail area; the funnel was semi-retractable, and there was an intended gear to hoist the propeller for sailing, though this gear was never fitted.

Propulsion
- Each ship had one 2-cylinder horizontal return-connecting-rod steam engine driving a single 18-foot propeller, with six boilers.
- Indicated horsepower roughly 3,256–3,560 hp, giving about 12 knots on sea trials (Hector 12.36 knots; Valiant about 12.65 knots).
- Coal capacity was limited (about 450 long tons) due to overweight design, enabling roughly 800 nautical miles at speed.

Armament
- Initially, design called for 32 smoothbore 68-pounder guns on the broadside and four 110-pounder Armstrong breech-loaders as upper-deck chase guns.
- During construction, Hector was rearmed (1867–68) with sixteen 7-inch rifled muzzle-loaders (RML) and two 8-inch RMLs on the upper deck; the 12 remaining 7-inch guns were placed on the main deck.
- Valiant was affected by construction delays and gun shortages, and did not receive all guns as planned.
- The 8-inch shells weighed about 175 pounds; the 7-inch shells about 112 pounds. All guns could fire solid shot and shells.

Armor
- Wrought-iron belt armor, 4.5 inches thick, protected the midships for about 216 feet; ends were protected by transverse bulkheads.
- Armor extended about 5 feet 8 inches below the waterline. The main deck had 4.5-inch armor along the midsection, tapering to 2.5 inches toward the ends.
- The belt was backed by 18 inches of teak. The stern remained unarmored, leaving the steering gear vulnerable.

Ships and service
- Hector: built by Robert Napier and Sons in Govan; laid down March 1861, launched September 1862, completed February 1864. Served with the Channel Fleet, later re-armed and refitted, then assigned to the Southern Reserve Fleet. Paid off in 1886 and scrapped in 1905. Hector was also the Royal Navy’s early user of wireless telegraphy trials.
- Valiant: built by Westwood, Baillie, and Thames Ironworks; laid down February 1861, launched October 1863, completed September 1868. Spent much of its career in reserve or as a guard ship; paid off in 1885. Valiant had a longer post-war life, serving as a torpedo-school ship and later undergoing various conversions, including as a kite balloon storeship during World War I and as a floating oil storeship. It was eventually scrapped in 1956.

Overview
The Hector-class ships were intended to be economical, capable armored frigates that could operate in the Channel and Reserve Fleets. They saw limited action, spent much of their careers in reserve or as guard ships, and were gradually updated or repurposed as naval technology rapidly advanced in the latter half of the 19th century.