Nemesis (1839)

Built at the shipyard of Birkenhead Iron Works (now Cammell Laird ), Mercy , for three months ^[1] . With a length between perpendiculars of 165 feet (50.3 m) (total length of 184 feet (56 m)), a midship width of 29 feet (8.8 m) and a draft of 6 feet (1.8 m), the displacement was 660 English tons ^{[ 2]} . The first seaworthy iron warship in the UK. In addition to sailing weapons, the movement of the vessel was provided by two steam engines manufactured by Forrester and Co. ^[3] of 60 liters each. with. each one. The need for steam engines was dictated by the long river system of China; machines allowed to conduct combat operations in calm. The artillery weapons were typical of the representative of the light cruising forces of that era - two 32- pound guns on the central machines , located at the ends of the ship on the upper deck, and allowing the guns to be transferred to the required side, and four (according to Hall & Bernard (1844 ). - five) 6- pound guns on board machines (fifth on the central machine on the bridge, according to the same source). In addition, the ship carried a launcher for launching Congreve missiles . The armament was supplemented by ten iron swivel guns mounted on boulevards , a set of boat guns and crew personal weapons. The stock of coal received in the coal pits was supposed to provide twelve days of travel, the stock of water and provisions was designed for four months, and according to the tradition of shipbuilding of that time, the ship had a full set of machine parts and mechanisms.

Watertight bulkheads were used for the first time in the design of the ship, which, along with an iron kit and casing, significantly increased the survivability of the ship and made it easier to deal with the leak, which was demonstrated during the transition to China in 1840 .

In 1840, the Nemisis went to China. The crew at the time of leaving Liverpool was five officers, a surgeon, and about sixty members of the team.

This trip, like the ship’s design itself, was distinguished by new technical solutions and related problems. For the first time, an iron ship circled the Cape of Good Hope . For the first time, scientific research and practical work was carried out to eliminate the magnetic deviation of the compass caused by the iron hull of the vessel. These works were carried out in 1839 by the royal astronomer George Airy , the inventor of the magnetic compass compensation method. However, it was not possible to completely eliminate the deviation, and the ship suffered from inaccurate compass readings until the end of the service ^[4] .

At the end of 1840, the Nemisis steam frigate arrived on the shores of China. According to one of the British officers ^[5] , "it was believed that the outbreak of the First Opium War provided an extremely favorable opportunity to study the advantages or disadvantages of steam military ships." The crew during the hostilities increased to six to seven officers, two surgeons, six engineers and about ninety people in the team. While in Chinese waters, the Nemisis carried on board a whole flotilla of boats - a captain’s tail , two cutters , a pinas , dinghy and a small boat ( jolly boat ). In addition, the ship was always accompanied by a large Chinese boat or junky. Armament was supplemented by a small howitzer on the platform between the propeller wheel casings.

The first use of the steamer occurred during the Second Battle of Chuanbi on January 7, 1841, against the Chinese fleet near the Chuanbi forts, blocking the path to Guangzhou along the Pearl River . The battle began at 8:00 a.m., at 9:00 a.m. British ships climbed the river to the forts, landed landing parties and engaged in a skirmish with the forts. In less than an hour, at about 10:00, the Nemisis was able to suppress the resistance of the upper fort with artillery fire, after which it was captured by the British ground units. Further, the steamship frigate transferred fire to a flotilla of 15 military junks under the flag of the commander of the Chinese naval forces, Guan Tianpei , and destroyed some of them with the fire of missiles . According to the descriptions of the participants of the battle on the British side, “... the first rocket launched by the Nemisis hit one of the big junks ... after which it exploded almost instantly, raising every living soul on the ship to eternity and throwing out a flame like a mighty burst of fire from the mouth of a volcano. The instant destruction of a huge ship terrified the participants in the battle from both sides. The smoke, and the flame, and the roar of the explosion falling around the wreckage of the ship and parts of the bodies torn to shreds were enough to strike a blow of reverence, if not fear, to the most brave heart that watched it ... " ^[6] After several explosions aboard the junks , around 11:30, the Chinese admiral lowered the flag ^[7] .

After the first experiment, which proved the usefulness of a steamer independent of the wind, Nemisis became the constant and most active participant in all military operations on the rivers and islands of Canton . The steam frigate carried out reconnaissance , landed tactical landings (and taking a regiment of infantry in full force aboard the steamship and the boats towed by them) in the rear of the Chinese troops upstream, delivered parliamentarians and fired on forts and cities. He played a particularly significant role in the siege and capture of the city of Canton and the capture of the Xiamen Islands.

After the First Opium War, Nemisis was given the task of suppressing pirates in Indonesia and the Philippines.

James Clavell ’s Tai-Peng novel contains the Royal Navy steamship Nemesis , which takes part in the First Opium War during the story.

• Hall, William Hutcheon; Bernard, William Dallas (1844). Narrative of the Voyages and Services of the Nemesis from 1840 to 1843 (2nd ed.). Henry Colburn.