HMS Howe (1885)

Howe at anchor, before October 1904
History
United Kingdom
Name:	Howe
Namesake:	Admiral Richard Howe
Builder:	Pembroke Dockyard
Cost:	£639,434
Laid down:	7 June 1882
Launched:	28 April 1885
Commissioned:	18 July 1889
Out of service:	September, 1904
Fate:	Sold for scrap, 11 October 1910
General characteristics
Class and type:	Admiral-class ironclad battleship
Displacement:	10,300 long tons (10,500 t)
Length:	325 ft (99.1 m) (p.p.)
Beam:	68 ft (20.7 m)
Draught:	27 ft 10 in (8.5 m)
Installed power:	7,500 ihp (5,600 kW) (normal) 11,500 ihp (8,600 kW) (forced draught)
Propulsion:	2 × Humphreys compound-expansion steam engines 2 × screws
Speed:	16.9 kn (31.3 km/h; 19.4 mph) (forced draught)
Range:	7,200 nmi (13,300 km; 8,300 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Complement:	525–536
Armament:	2 × twin 13.5 in (343 mm) guns 6 × single 6 in (152 mm) guns 12 × single 6-pdr (2.2 in (57 mm)) Hotchkiss guns 10 × single 3-pdr (1.9 in (47 mm)) Hotchkiss guns 5 × 14 in (356 mm) torpedo tubes
Armour:	Waterline belt: 18–8 in (457–203 mm) Bulkheads: 16–7 in (406–178 mm) Barbettes: 11.5–10 in (292–254 mm) Conning tower: 12–2 in (305–51 mm) Deck: 3–2.5 in (76–64 mm)

HMS Howe was an Admiral-class ironclad battleship built for the Royal Navy during the 1880s. The ship was assigned to the Channel Fleet in mid-1890 and was badly damaged when she ran aground in late 1892. After repairs were completed, Howe was transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet in late 1893. She returned home in late 1896 and became a guardship in Ireland. Howe remained there until late 1901 when she was assigned to the Reserve Fleet. The ship was paid off in three years later and then sold for scrap in 1910.

The Admiral class was built in response to French ironclad battleships of the Hoche and Marceau classes.Howe and her sister ship, Rodney, were enlarged and improved versions of Collingwood with a more powerful armament. The sisters had a length between perpendiculars of 325 feet (99.1 m), a beam of 68 feet (20.7 m), and a draught of 27 feet 10 inches (8.5 m) at deep load. They displaced 10,300 long tons (10,500 t) at normal load, some 800 long tons (813 t) heavier than Collingwood, mainly due to the heavier armament, which also increased the draught by 18 inches (457 mm). The ships had a complement of 525–536 officers and ratings.