# Satellite-class sloop

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The ***Satellite* class** was a class of 12-gun composite [sloops](/source/Sloop-of-war) built for the [Royal Navy](/source/Royal_Navy) between 1883 and 1888, and reclassified as [corvettes](/source/Corvette) in 1884.[2]

## Construction

### Design

Designed by [Nathaniel Barnaby](/source/Nathaniel_Barnaby),[1] the Royal Navy [Director of Naval Construction](/source/Director_of_Naval_Construction), the hull was of composite construction; that is, iron keel, frames, stem and stern posts with wooden planking. This class of composite sloops was unique in having an internal steel deck over the machinery and magazines for protection. The *Satellite* class were reclassified as corvettes in 1884, and no more composite or wooden corvettes were built - in fact, *Pylades* was the last corvette built for the Royal Navy until the [Second World War](/source/Second_World_War).

### Propulsion

Propulsion was provided by a horizontal compound expansion of 1,400 horsepower (1,044 kW) driving a single screw.

### Sail plan

All the ships of the class were built with a [barque](/source/Barque) rig.

### Armament

The class was designed with two [6-inch/100-pounder (81cwt) breech loaders](/source/BL_6_inch_gun_Mk_II_%E2%80%93_VI) and ten [5-inch/50-pounder (38cwt) breech loaders](/source/BL_5_inch_gun_Mk_I_%E2%80%93_V), plus a single light gun and four (or more) machine guns.[1] *Heroine*, *Hyacinth* and *Royalist* were built with eight 6-inch/100-pounder (81cwt) breech loaders in place of the 5-inch/6-inch mixture, and *Satellite* was converted to the same fit.[1]

## Ships

Name Ship Builder 2|Launched 2|Fate HMS Satellite Sheerness Dockyard 13 August 1881 RNVR drill ship at North Shields on the River Tyne[3] in 1904. Sold to J G Potts for breaking on 21 October 1947 HMS Heroine Devonport Dockyard 3 December 1881 Sold to King of Bristol for breaking on 28 August 1902 HMS Hyacinth Devonport Dockyard 20 December 1881 Sold to King of Bristol for breaking on 25 August 1902 HMS Royalist Devonport Dockyard 7 March 1883 Hulk in February 1900. Renamed Colleen on 1 December 1913 and transferred to the Irish Free State Government on 19 February 1923 HMS Rapid Devonport Dockyard 21 March 1883 Hulk in 1906. Became a coal hulk in 1912 and was renamed C7. Became an accommodation ship in 1916 and was renamed Hart. Sold at Gibraltar in 1948 HMS Caroline Sheerness Dockyard 25 November 1882 Hulk in 1897. Became a training ship in April 1908 and was renamed Ganges. Renamed Powerful III in September 1913 and Impregnable IV in November 1919. Sold on 31 August 1929 HMS Pylades Sheerness Dockyard 5 November 1884 Sold to Cohen of Felixstowe for breaking on 3 April 1906.

## Operational lives

These ships were designed to patrol the far-flung reaches of Britain's maritime [empire](/source/British_Empire), and so *Rapid* and *Royalist* both went to the [Australian Station](/source/Australian_Station), *Satellite* to the [Pacific Station](/source/Pacific_Station), *Pylades* to the [North America and West Indies Station](/source/North_America_and_West_Indies_Station) and *Heroine*, *Caroline* and *Hyacinth* all to the [China Station](/source/China_Station).[4]

## References

1. ["*Satellite*-class sloops at Battleships-Cruisers website"](http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/satellite_class__sloops.htm). Retrieved 2008-09-11.

1. *Shore Establishments of the Royal Navy (Being a list of the Static Ships and Establishments of the Royal Navy)* by Lt Cdr Warlow RN (1992), Maritime Books, Liskeard ISBN 0-907771-52-1

1. ["Naval Database website"](https://web.archive.org/web/20080515210440/http://www.pbenyon.plus.com/18-1900/Index.html). Archived from [the original](http://www.pbenyon.plus.com/18-1900/Index.html) on 15 May 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-10.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Satellite-class sloop](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satellite-class_sloop) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satellite-class_sloop?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.