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H.M.S. 'SAPPHO'

Built by:Money Wigram & Son's, at Blackwall.
Yard No.
Launched:20th November 1873 - Completed February 1874
Tonnage:894 designed - 949 tons actual
Length:160 feet
Breadth:31 1/2 feet
Depth:12 feet 6 inches - 14 feet.
Machinery:Horizontal trunk piston 38 x 66 x 24 Humphrys & Tennant. 936ihp. Boilers 3 cylindrical 60 psi. 10 1/2 - 11 1/2 knots.
Decks:
Built of:Composite
Type:Fantome Class (Designed by N. Barnaby) Screw Sloop.
Registered:
Off Number:
Built for:H.M. Government.
Other info:Laid down - 1872
Armament 2 x 7 pounders - 2 x 64 pounders.
Originally to be built by Oswald & Co. Sunderland.
Complement 125 officers and ratings.
History:1872. Keel laid down.
26th August 1874. Commanded by Commander Noel Stephen Fox Digby.
18th September 1874. To be immediately commissioned for service on the Australian Station.
9th October 1874. Met with an accident at Chatham which will detain her at that yard for some little time longer, although she was nearly ready to proceed to Australia.
December 1874. Commenced service on the Australia Station.
December 1874. Left Rio for Tristan d’Acunha.
December 1875. On a Cruise.
March 1877. Visited New Zealand and after a call at Wellington she sailed to Port Chalmers.
August 1877. Under Captain Noel S. F. Digby she participated in the search for the missing crew and passengers of ‘Queen Bee’ that had run aground on Farewell Spit, New Zealand. She successfully found the missing third mate whom she took to Nelson.
August 1878. Returned to England from the Australia Station.
1879. Chatham.
1881. Service on the Pacific Station.
1882. Visited Pitcairn Islands.
1886. Returned to England and paid off.
December 1887. Sold to Castle for scrap.


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