HMS Bombay (1828)
{{short description|Ship of the line of the Royal Navy}}
{{other ships|HMS Bombay}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2017}}
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{{Infobox ship image |Ship image=File:HMS Bombay, lately destroyed by Fire at Montevideo ILN 1865.jpg |Ship caption=HMS Bombay }} {{Infobox ship career |Hide header= |Ship country=United Kingdom |Ship flag=File:Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg |Ship name=HMS Bombay |Ship ordered=26 January 1825 |Ship builder=Bombay Dockyard |Ship laid down=May 1826 |Ship launched=17 February 1828 |Ship acquired= |Ship commissioned= |Ship decommissioned= |Ship in service= |Ship out of service= |Ship renamed= |Ship struck= |Ship reinstated= |Ship honours= |Ship captured= |Ship fate=Caught fire, exploded and sank; 14 December 1864 |Ship notes= }} {{Infobox ship characteristics |Hide header= |Header caption=Lavery, Ships of the Line, vol. 1, p. 190. |Ship class={{sclass|Canopus|ship of the line|3}} |Ship tons burthen=2279 bm |Ship length={{convert|193|ft|10|in|m|abbr=on}} (gundeck) |Ship beam={{convert|52|ft|4.5|in|m|abbr=on}} |Ship draught= |Ship hold depth={{convert|22|ft|6|in|m|abbr=on}} |Ship sail plan=Full-rigged ship |Ship propulsion=Sails, since 1861 sails + steam engine |Ship complement= |Ship armament=*84 guns:
|Ship notes= }} |
HMS Bombay was an 84-gun second rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 17 February 1828 at Bombay Dockyard.
She was fitted with screw propulsion in 1861 at Chatham Dockyard. This was a significant modification and involved cutting the ship in half and inserting a section to lengthen her, as well as fitting a Humphrys, Tennant and Dykes steam engine that gave a speed of 10 knots.{{Cite web |url=https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-4189899 |website=Christies|title=William McAlpine The Loss of HMS Bombay off Mondevideo}} Under the command of Captain Colin Andrew Campbell, she was sent to South America as the flagship of Rear-Admiral Charles Elliot.
On 8 December 1864, members of the crew fielded a cricket side to play against the Buenos Aires Cricket Club in the opening of the BACC's new game field in Parque Tres de Febrero in Palermo, Buenos Aires, located where the Galileo Galilei planetarium is today. That day the BACC defeated the Bombay team by 85 runs to 31.{{Cite web |url=http://www.bacrc.com/historia.php |title="Historia del Club" at BACRC official website |access-date=30 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140913164020/http://www.bacrc.com/historia.php |archive-date=13 September 2014 |url-status=dead }}
Loss
File:The Bombay on fire 1861 RMG PU6226.tiff, National Maritime Museum collection.{{Cite web |title=HMS 'Bombay' on fire off Montevideo, Uruguay, 14 December 1864 | publisher=Royal Museums Greenwich |url=https://www.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/rmgc-object-110377 |access-date=2023-04-30 |website=www.rmg.co.uk}}]]
The ship would be destroyed in a fire on the River Plate, in a freak target practice accident. Her efficient ventilation system spread the fire of unknown origin during the target practice off Uruguay near Isla de Flores near Montevideo in the River Plate on 14 December 1864. destroying her and costing the lives of 93 of her crew of 619.Gossett (1986), p.117.{{cite web |last1=Davis |first1=P. |title=Loss of Her Majesty's ship Bombay |url=http://www.pdavis.nl/Bombay.php |website=William Loney RN - Life and Career |access-date=30 September 2018 |archive-date=30 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180930155135/http://www.pdavis.nl/Bombay.php |url-status=dead }}
At the time the ship was under sail, and the engines were not in use. The fire was reported at 3.35pm, having started in the area of the aft-hold. It spread quickly; by 4pm flames were coming out of the hatchways and setting the sails on fire. The ships boats were launched, but many men went into the water; some were killed by the ship's anchors when the cables holding them burnt through and they dropped into the sea. At 8:25pm, the ship's after gunpowder magazine exploded and she quickly sank in shallow water.{{cite news |title=Casualties and Crimes-The Loss of HMS Bombay |work=Bury and Norwich Post |date=24 January 1865 |issue=4309 }}
Bombay's bowsprit remained visible above the water for some years afterwards, though it had disappeared by 1885.{{Cite web |date=1885 |title=The South American Pilot: The east coast of South America from Cape St. Roque to Cape San Antonio, Rio de la Plata; and the north coast from Cape St. Roque to the Rio Maroni in French Guyana. Part I |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yjEBAAAAQAAJ |access-date=2023-04-30 |publisher=The Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty |page=211 |language=en}}
See also
- Arthur Philpotts, Member of Parliament who was a sub-lieutenant on Bombay when she sank.{{Cite book |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1158346242 |title=Who Was Who. Vol.2, 1916-28. |date=1992 |publisher=Black |isbn=0-7136-3143-0 |edition=5 |location= |pages=649 |oclc=1158346242}}
- Edmund Poë, Admiral who was serving as a Midshipman{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Naval and Military Intelligence |date=1864-04-07|page=14 |issue=24840 |column= }} on-board Bombay the ship sank.{{Cite book |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1158346242 |title=Who Was Who. Vol.2, 1916-28. |date=1992 |publisher=Black |isbn=0-7136-3143-0 |edition=5 |location= |pages=654 |oclc=1158346242}}
Notes
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References
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- {{cite book|last=Gossett|first=William Patrick|year=1986|title=The lost ships of the Royal Navy, 1793-1900|publisher=Mansell|isbn=0-7201-1816-6}}
- Lavery, Brian (1983) The Ship of the Line - Volume 1: The development of the battlefleet 1650-1850. Conway Maritime Press. {{ISBN|0-85177-252-8}}.
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{{1864 shipwrecks}}
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Category:Ships of the line of the Royal Navy
Category:Canopus-class ships of the line
Category:British ships built in India
Category:Maritime incidents in December 1864
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