The beginning of the 19th century saw the Royal Navy expand its ever-powerful fleet and continue to dominate the world’s oceans. Many ships were constructed during this time, one being known as HMS Britannia.
The Royal Navy actually gave the name Britannia to several of its sea-borne vessels. One of the most well-known was a ship-of-the-line that was laid down in 1813, and disposed of in 1869.
Completion & Launch
HMS Britannia was a 120-gun, 3-decker, first-rate ship of the Royal Navy. Her construction was completed in 1813, and she was officially launched on 20 October 1820. In 1823, Britannia was commissioned and ready for war.
Britannia saw service in the Mediterranean Sea from 1830 to 1831, and again in 1841. However, she was decommissioned in 1843, cast aside to be forgotten.
Returned For War
However, she was not forgotten, as the demands from the Crimean War saw Britannia return to service, once again among the fleet of the Royal Navy.
The Crimean War stretched from 1853 to 1856. During this time, Admiral Sir James Dean Dundas sailed Britannia as his flagship. Dundas commanded the British fleet in the Mediterranean and Black Sea from 1851 to 1854, primarily aboard Britannia.
One of the conflicts of the war that Britannia was engaged in was the Bombardment of Sebastopol on 17 October 1854. The conflict lasted over six hours, though Britannia and the Royal Navy had failed to inflict any serious damage on the opposing Russians. Many of Britannia’s ally ships were seriously damaged by Russian coastal artillery, though Britannia herself managed to avoid this and carried on the fight.
Britannia continued to prove herself valiant until 14 November 1854, when she was driven ashore on the Russian coast. Five feet (1.5m) of water had reportedly filled her hold. Britannia’s involvement in the Crimean War had come to a sudden end.
A New Life
By the beginning of 1855, Britannia was back in England. That same year, she became a hospital ship out of Portsmouth. This lasted for four years, when Britannia entered into her final service as a cadet training ship.
In 1862, Britannia was moved to Portland Harbor, though her exposed position there became a growing concern. By September 1863, she was sailed over to Dartmouth, where she served as residential barracks for naval cadets.
After six years of housing cadets in Dartmouth, Britannia was finally disposed of in 1869, then sold for parts and material. Her place at Dartmouth was taken by HMS Prince of Wales, which was renamed to Britannia for the role. In fact, this method of training naval cadets before they went to sea became known as the Britannia system for some time.
Conclusion
The old ship-of-the-line’s legacy had lived on, though the ship herself was now only a memory in history. In 1906, the final Britannia would be commissioned for the Royal Navy, as the name from the 1813 ship had been carried on.
