HMS James Watt
Class overview
Name	Agamemnon
Operators	Royal Navy
Preceded by	Princess Royal class
Succeeded by	Renown class
In service	August 1852 — 1904
Completed	5
General characteristics
Type	Steam Ship of the line
Displacement	4614 long tons
Tons burthen	3085 bm
Length	239 ft 3 in (72.92 m) (overall) 193 ft 3 in (58.90 m) (keel)
Beam	55 ft 4 in (16.87 m)
Draught	23 ft 1 in (7.04 m)
Propulsion	Sails & 600nhp steam engine with single screw
Sail plan	Full-rigged ship
Speed	11.9 knots (steaming)
Complement	860 officers and men
Armament	91 guns: Gundeck: 34 × 8 in shell guns (65cwt) Main deck: 34 × 32-pounders (56cwt) Upper deck: 22 × 32-pounders (45cwt) + 1 × 68-pounder (95cwt)

The Agamemnon-class (sometimes known as the James Watt-class) steam battleships, or steam ships of the line, were a class of five 91-gun steam second rates of the Royal Navy. The original design was produced by John Edye in 1847, as a response to the French Le Napoléon, which was rumoured to be under development.

The first ship of the class, Agamemnon, was originally designed as a two decker, 80 gun sailing ship of the line. But was re-ordered as the first purpose built steam screw ship for the British Navy.^[1]

Ships

• HMS Agamemnon

Builder: Woolwich Dockyard

Ordered: 25 August 1849

Launched: August 1852

Fate: Sold, 12 May 1870

• HMS James Watt

Builder: Pembroke Dockyard

Ordered: 14 January 1850

Launched: 23 April 1853

Fate: Sold, 23 January 1875

• HMS Victor Emmanuel

Builder: Pembroke Dockyard

Ordered:

Launched: 27 September 1855

Fate: Sold, 1898

• HMS Edgar

Builder: Woolwich Dockyard

Ordered:

Launched: 23 October 1858

Fate: Sold, 1904

• HMS Hero

Builder: Chatham Dockyard

Ordered:

Launched: 15 April 1858

Fate: Sold, 20 June 1871

References & Citations

References