700-53 HMS "SCORPION" 1865 ROYAL NAVY IRONCLAD

HMS Scorpion was a British armored sail-steamer from the mid-19th century. The keel for this unit was laid in 1862, the launch took place in 1863, and entry into service with the Royal Navy - in 1865. The length of the ship was 68.4 meters and a width of 12.9 meters. The displacement was around 2,700 tons and the maximum speed was around 10-11 knots. The deck armament at the time of launching consisted of four 229 mm guns. HMS Scorpion was ordered in 1862 and built by the John Laird and Sons Company in Birkenhead. The ordering party was the Confederated States of America, commonly known as the Confederation, which, suffering from the shortcomings of its own shipbuilding industry, sought to enlarge its fleet by ordering units from Great Britain and France. However, in 1863 the British government decided to take over the unit and name it HMS Scorpion. The unit at that time had a good top speed, and its armament was placed in two rotating turrets. HMS Scorpion - already under the British flag - served until 1869 on the English Channel, and later was transferred to the Caribbean Sea, where she served as a coastal defense ship. The unit ended its life in 1901 as a target ship.