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HMS ''Champion'' was one of nine s of the Royal Navy, built in the late 1870s and early 1880s to a design by Nathaniel Barnaby. ''Champion'' was one of three in the class built by J. Elder & Co., Govan, Scotland and was launched on 1 July 1878.〔Bastock, p.107.〕 She was the third vessel under this name in the Royal Navy. ==Design and construction== ''Champion'' was a single-screw corvette (later classified as a third-class cruiser) designed for distant cruising service for the British Empire. The intention of the Royal Navy was to use the class as scout vessel for the fleet, but due to their slow speed, the class was mainly used for protection across the globe. Built with iron frames and steel plating, ''Champion'' was sheathed with two layers of teak wood and sheathed with copper. The hull was unprotected except for a 1.5 in (38 mm) of armour over the machinery spaces.〔 with some additional protection offered by the coal bunkers flanking the engine spaces and magazines.〔Osbon, pp. 195–98〕 They marked a dramatic step forward in basic habitability, with improved below-decks ventilation, a sick bay, bathroom for ratings and even a ship’s library. 〔Chesneau, '' Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1860–1905'', p. 52-53. 〕 ''Champion'' had a ship rig, with sqaresails on all three masts.〔Osbon, p. 201〕 She and her class were among the last of the sailing corvettes.〔Archibald, p. 43〕 The vessel was also equipped with a steam engine driving a single screw with 2,590 indicated horsepower;〔Archibald, p. 49〕 to reduce resistance, this propeller could be hoisted into a slot cut in the keel when the vessel was under sail.〔Osbon, p. 196〕 ''Champion'' initially carried two 7-inch muzzle-loading rifles, four breechloading 6-inch 80-pounder guns and eight 64-pdr muzzle-loading rifles, but the breech loaders proved unsatisfactory and were replaced in 1885 with four 6 inch BL MK III, eight 5 inch BL MK III, four QF 3 pounder Hotchkiss and two light guns, six machine guns and two torpedo carriages. Laid down on 17 August 1876 as yard number 207, ''Champion'' was launched on 1 July 1878 and commissioned on 7 December 1880.〔Chesneau, p. 52-53.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「HMS Champion (1878)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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