HMVS Nepean explained

HMVS Nepean was a Victorian Naval Forces second-class torpedo boat and was later operated by the Commonwealth Naval Forces and the Royal Australian Navy.[1] [2]

Design and construction

Nepean was one of several torpedo boats ordered by the government of Victoria in 1882 to protect the colony from a possible Russian or French attack, and was built by John I. Thornycroft & Company, Chiswick.[3] [4]

Nepean was long, with a draught of, and a displacement of 12.5 tons.[5] She was designed with a low freeboard, to minimise her profile.[4] The boat had a maximum speed of .[5] [4]

History

Due to ‘Russian scare’ of 1882,[6] the government finalised the purchase of Nepean.[3] Following completion in the United Kingdom on 7 July 1884 Nepean arrived in Melbourne as deck cargo on the . In 1888, improved torpedo dropping apparatus was added during modifications.[7]

In 1901, the torpedo boats were taken over by the Commonwealth. In 1902, she was put up for auction which was unsuccessful so, until 1909 she continued to take part in manoeuvres. In 1911, she briefly became a unit of the Royal Australian Navy before being stripped of all her useful fittings at Williamstown in 1912 and being beached ashore on Swan Island.[7]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Sinking Torpedo Boats. The Argus (Melbourne, Victoria), Thursday 20 June 1912 p.10. . 20 June 1912 . 30 March 2011.
  2. Web site: Getting Shipshape: Evaluating Shipwreck Significance in Victoria .
  3. Web site: Cahill . Denis . H.M.V.S. Lonsdale 1882 - 1914.
  4. Web site: Queenscliff Maritime Museum - Special Historic Items . 29 March 2011 . 7 March 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120307081735/http://www.maritimequeenscliffe.org.au/HistoricItems.htm . dead .
  5. http://www.cerberus.com.au/lonsdale_nepean.html HMVS Lonsdale & HMVS Nepean
  6. Web site: Iron, Steel & Steamship Archaeology: Proceedings of 2nd Australian seminar, held in Fremantle, Melbourne and Sydney, 2006 .
  7. Web site: Navy . Royal Australian . HMAS Nepean (HMVS) . 2024-01-26 . www.navy.gov.au . en . 29 September 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230929110024/https://www.navy.gov.au/hmas-nepean-hmvs . live .

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