Breastwork Monitors: HMS Cerberus, Magdala (1967-1924)Alongside turret ironclads, some in the British admiralty saw in turreted, steam-only and low-freeboard ironclads, a vision of future. The type developed in the US by John Ericson 1861 started with the namesake ship, USS Monitor. Derided in the US by some as the “cheesebox on a raft” was nevertheless a revolution in naval warfare. The Union built dozens of them. Back in Europe, this gave credence to the other pioneer of turrets, J.P. Coles to see the type adopted as well. The director of naval construction at the time, Sir Edward Reed, worked on such design from 1866 design for the defence of colonial outposts. One eventually would be assigned to Australia and the other to India. They were called “turret ships” but in reality were the first British breastwork monitors, really tailored for their coastal defence job, and an influencial design. Cerberus, defending Victoria and then Melbourne, ended as a breakwater in 1924. Magdala, defended Bombay until sold for BU in 1903. A third ship was inspired by them, Abyssinia, also to defend Bombay, but of a smaller design.
Development
The American Civil war was observed by many nations of Europe, taking on many useful advices for ground warfare and logistics, but also this war launched several innovations at sea: New types of mines and early torpedoes, submersibles and semi-submersibles, casemate ironclads and of course, Monitors. The type was invented by John Eriscon, which came from Sweden to New York in 1839 and proposed the USS Princeton for the USN in 1843, a revolutionary ship of its own. In September 1854 he developed already a very futuristic monitor design to Napoleon III, but it was not accepted. This very early monitor had a large cast turret amidship and a turtle back hull. He also patented a new type engine and the “caloric ship” powered by its revolutionary engine in 1852. But after the civil war broke out in 1861, union informants passed on intel on the conversion of the former frigate Merrimack into a casemate ironclad, later CSS Virginia from February 1862.
Thus the US Congress recommended in August 1861 to adopt Ericson’s armoured ship design. Bushnell also competed but Ericsson’s design won but he teamed up with Bushnell on the Galena, another, revolutionary casemate ironclad. The later was delayed, the Monitor received all priority in September. The whole enterprise pushed hard by Gideon Welles resulted in USS Monitor nearing completion at the same time as CSS Virginia by February 1862. USS Monitor was fitted out and prepared at Brooklyn Navy Yard and ordered to proceed right away to Hampton Roads on 26 February. The expected clash happened on 8 March 1862. Albeit it was inconclusive, it showed that despite having only two guns versus Virginia’s ten, the nature and low velocity of the guns meant none managed to punch each other to the knockout. Both parted away for repairs after an inconclusive encounter, but at least Virginia was no longer threatening the blockade.
No foreign observers were present that day of the battle, but it was relayed in the press. All admiralties were aware since 1859 of the ironclad, with France and Britain in the lead, but the concept of a turret ship was still immature and risky in 1862. Still, the futuristic ship gave ideas to several admiralties. In Britain, DNC (Director of Naval Construction) Sir Edward Reed already designed notable vessels, the central battery HMS Bellerophon intoducting the bracket-frame system, and HMS Monarch as a counterpoint to HMS Captain from Coles.
In early 1866, the Victorian government asked a coastal defence ship to supplement the shore-based fortifications of Port Philip Bay and defend the Australian colony against a possible Russian attack. Cerberus was ordered for the defence of Victoria, part of the Victoria Naval Forces (hence the HMVS), and later the Commonwealth Naval Forces (CNF), then Royal Australian Navy (RAN). Her cost would be of £117,556 to build, paid by the admiralty for 80% of the cost. In July the same year the India Office asked for two floating batteries to defend Bombay. The Controller of the Navy, Vice Admiral Spencer Robinson recommended monitors, and a design with 12-inch (305 mm) armour belt plus 15 inches (381 mm) protecting the turret and equally large guns, likely 12-in. But the planned cost was £220,000, found way too expensive by the India Office, ordering instead a repeat of HMVS Cerberus for £132,400. The second ship ordered, Abyssinia, would be even cheaper.
This was a twin-turret ironclad with a good freeboard, full rig, and yet no stability issues unlike Captain, which capsized as a result. When the admiralty expressed the need for a turreted armoured ship for coastal defence, Reed proposed a monitor design. It was called “turret ship” officially and naval historians would later class them as breastwork ironclads. They were much larger than USS Monitor, had a proper superstructure with two turrets in the axis, fore and aft of a smaller bridge, mast and funnel island structure amidship. The freeboard was however very low according to “monitor standards”, which presented a small target, but might be seen as an issue for seaworthiness. However like civil war monitors which were by essence shore and riverine, shallow waters vessels. The ships designed by Reed were indeed harbour defence vessels, supposed to interdict a protected bay or harbour to the enemy. There was no question of going out in open sea, but for a transfer.
This was a design as radical as classic monitors since she completely lacked any rigging. She depended on steam power alone, which was also a leap of faith in 1860. A decade prior, boiler explosions and reltiability issues were not uncommon and most navies preferred mixed vessels (steam and sails) as the least risky choice. The absence of rig had another advantage, it reduced top weight that could be invested in armour. However the obvious compromise was that by relying on their steam plant alone and having no sails, range was very limited, which again was accepted given the coastal, habrour defensive nature of these ships. The admiralty was submitted the design in 1867 and it was approved, shipyards were attributed the orders, HMVS Cerberus for the Australian station (Victoria), and HMS Magdala for the Indian station (Bombay). Construction of the first started at Palmers, Jarrow in September 1867 for the first, and October the next year for the second at Thames Ironworks, Blackwall, London.
They were technically challenging in some of their aspects, yet construction took three years for the first, even two for the second. The pair were revolutioanry ships, introducing to the Royal Navy, the modern monitor type. The name of breastwork monitor was due to the presence of a tall structure around and below the turrets, keeping them, the hatchways, vents and funnels, completely clear of water. This enabled to leave the main flush deck devoid of any hatch that could be subjected to flooding. This principle was new and a new spin of the Monitor genre, that was quite inspiring. The Cerberus class having no flying deck or structures unlike Captain and Monarch that interfered with their main turret’s arc of fire, saw the fore and aft turrets having almost uninterrupted arcs of fire. They were however hand operated.
The success of the formula led to HMS Abyssinia (started at Dudgeon, Poplar in 1868), also for the Bombay station, but smaller, slower, with a bit less armour. Later were started more “Victorian odballs”, Glatton, Hotspur, and Reed’s crowning achievement, HMS Devastation, a first true seagoing vessel.
Design of the class
Hull and general design
The Cerberus class displaced 3,344 long tons (3,398 t), for an overall length of 225 ft (69 m), a beam of 45 ft (14 m) and a draught of 15 ft 4 in (4.67 m); They had a low freeboard (about 5.5-6 feet) but bulwards were placed at the prow and stern to break incoming waves. Due to the shape and placement of the turrets, they had a near-constant beam with ogival, short entries and exit lines. There was no “Clutter” on the forward deck but bollards, anchors cranes (four total), a main and secondary capstan and anchor chain apparatus. The breastwork that followed, about 1/2 of the total lenght, located amidship, was shaped both around the main structure and the two turrets. It was as tall as a full deck, but without any doors, but in the small structure extensing the turret base forward.
Between the two turrets was located a flying bridge, with the extremities on Cerberus affixed on a central, axial support, so that the turret could perform a 270° arc without any effect for the platform above. On Magdala, they were cut short off the turrets. That flying bridge, supported also by a narrow structure amidship, had forward helmsman’s post, in open air, access hatches, the main funnel, a conning tower aft of it, then the main composite mast with a spotting top, boats under davits on both sides and the aft platform with an enclosed bridge. The aft deck was however given a few hatches and vents, as less impacted by seawater by its position. This was the blueprint for many designs to come.
Powerplant
Cerberus in drydock in Williamson, notably to show the pair of large 4-bladed windmill style propllers
They diverged between ships: Cerberus received a two shaft arrangement and Maudslay Son & Field horizontal twin-cylinder, double-acting steam engines, for 1,360 ihp and two Ravenhill horizontal direct-acting steam engines for 1,436 ihp on Magdala. They had associated boilers, five. The Maudsley engines had a 43-inch (110 cm) bore, 27-inch (69 cm) stroke. The five coal-fired boilers with 13 furnaces produced a pressure of 30 psi (210 kPa) for Cerberus and 30 psi (207 kPa; 2 kgf/cm2) on Magdala.
This divergence in powerplant had Cerberus slower than her sister at 9.75 knots (11 mph; 18 km/h) versus 10.6 knots (12 mph; 20 km/h) on Magdala. The carried 200+ tonnes of coal allegedly for a range unknown, likely around 400-500 nm, which was ok for their operation. Magdala was reported to carry 220 long tons (220 t) of coal for 450 nmi (830 km; 520 mi) at 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph). With their twin screws and balanced rudders they manoeuvered well.
As seen above they had no rigging. However it was obvios that they needed at some point to leave their shipyards and depart to their respective stations, via the Mediterranean and Suez canal. Both were indeed completed in late 1870. For this crossing, they could be either towed by steamships, of proceed by themselves and either recoal along the way at frequent opportunities, or received a provisional rigging. The latter choice was made.
When HMVS Cerberus was completed in England, she faced indeed a massive technical challenge: it had to travel over 11,000 miles to its destination in Victoria, Australia, but its bunker capacity was restricted to only about 10 days’ worth of coal. To overcome this and ensure the ship wouldn’t be stranded mid-ocean, shipwrights radically altered her profile exclusively for the journey:Three-Masted Barque Rig: Temporary wooden masts were stepped and fully rigged to allow the monitor to catch wind and conserve fuel. She also sported for this occasion provisional built-up Sides: Temporary iron and wooden bulwarks were added above its incredibly low hull to protect the ship against massive ocean waves. This created a very odd visual profile. The sails completely obsructed and covered the turrets. However this rigging proved problematic. The flat bottom caused Cerberus to roll aggressively up to 40 degrees in rough seas, making sail handling nearly impossible and driving the merchant crew* close to mutiny. Upon safely reaching Melbourne in April 1871, the ship was placed in dry dock, where the towering ocean-passage rigging was permanently stripped away to restore her intended unobstructed layout.
Unlike Cerberus, Magdala, tasked of the same crossing, missed the high wooden/iron bulwarks to deflect ocean waves. Indeed the RN staff Royal Navy deemed her hull layout seaworthy enough to face the voyage without building up her sides. She retained her low freeboard and looked even lower and more stranded in the water than Cerberus with her towering canvas sails. Structurally, her flying deck was cut shorter over the superstructure compared to her sister and her singular pole mast was positioned in front of the funnel. Magdala set off into the open ocean in the dead of winter, completely without escort. She actually handled the rough winter seas and the sail handling was better than for Cerberus. The third hhalf-sister HMS Abyssinia would do the same trip purely under steam. Arriving safely in Bombay Magdala’s three-masted rig was then permanently stripped away.
Protection
The Cerberus class ships had a low freeboard, which increased the steadiness of the ship while allowing the hull armour to be applied more thickly over a more limited height of exposed hull. It was assumed inded below the surface, low velocity projectiles would be nearly harmless. Yet, unlike Ericson’s designs the hull was “full” below water, no slanted inwards flanks underwater.
Both had the same structure, a complete wrought iron waterline belt 8 inches (203 mm) thick amidships, thinned to 6 inches (152 mm) at both ends.
The superstructure and conning tower were also armoured with 8–9 inches (203–229 mm) of wrought iron.
The gun turrets had walls 10 inches (250 mm) thick for the face, 9 inches (230 mm) elsewhere.
The vertical armour was backed by 9–11 inches (229–279 mm) of teak.
The decks were 1.5 inches (38.1 mm) thick, also backed by 10 inches (250 mm) of teak.
Armament
Both ships came out with two turrets, each carrying a pair of 10-inch rifled muzzle-loading guns. As seen above they had an excellent fire arc of 270° to support each others. The 18 long tons (18 t) Armstrong 15 caliber MLR Mk I/II 10-inch (254 mm) weighed 407 pounds (184.6 kg) ahd had a muzzle velocity of 1,365 ft/s (416 m/s). They were credited with the ability to penetrate 12.9 inches (330 mm) of wrought iron armour at 100 yards (91 m). They were provided with solid shot and explosive shells. They were slow firing at 3 minutes (2 with very well drilled crews) per shot, as the guns needed to be withdrawn completely inside the turret to be reloaded. Magdala was modernized in 1892 and fitted with two pairs of four breech-loading BL 8-inch 30 celiber Mk VI guns. She is also represented with extra guns on the upper platform, two single 2-pdr and four Nordenfelt 5-tube 1-pdr, likely installed at the time. 
⚙ specifications |
|
| Displacement | 3,344 long tons (3,398 t) |
| Dimensions | 225 x 45 ft x 15 ft 4 in (69 x 14 x 4.67 m) |
| Propulsion | 2 shafts Maudslay, 1,360 ihp/Ravenhill 1,436 ihp |
| Speed | 9.75 knots Cerberus, 10.6 knots Magdala |
| Range | 450-500 nm at 10 knots |
| Armament | 2×2 10-inch Rifled Muzzle Loading guns |
| Protection | Belt 6-7 in +b, Turret 9-10 in, breastwork 8-9 in, deck 1-1.5 in |
| Crew | 155 |
Career of the Cerberus class
For their assessments, there are diverging opinions. If Conways (Gardiner, Chesneau, Kolesniks) is mostly flattering to the design in All the World’s Fighting Ships 1860–1905. They stated “the beginnings of practical turret ship design in Britain, having no sail power and being fitted with fore and aft turrets with almost uninterrupted arcs of fire.”
On the other hand Admiral George Alexander Ballard described them as “full-armoured knights riding on donkeys, easy to avoid but bad to close with.” Still, when they arrived in the Australasian region they were without equivalents. Sir Edward Reed just essentially scaled up and improve the design with the revolutionary HMS Devastation in 1871, describe as the first modern turreted ironclad battleship, hugely influencial.
HMVS Cerberus (1869)
Named from the three-headed guard dog of Hades, Cerberus was registered as a merchant vessel for the trip to Australia with themodifications described above, new hull sides built up to the height of the breastwor to improve seakeeping but no full rig yet. She was intended to sail in her first attempt from Chatham on 29 October 1870 on steam alone, but failed due to the gale conditions. She was simply uncontrollable. Back, she was fitted with temporary masts to be rigged as a three-masted barque and departed again on 7 November, travelled to the mediterranean after encountering difficult weather in the Bay o Biscaye, rounded Spain, crossed Gibraltar and crossed to the east, entered the jus completed Suez Canal flying Victoria’s personal flag instead of the merchant Red Ensign in order to play with the transit rates. She recoaled frequently due to her 10-day bunker capacity and in heavy weather showeved her flat bottom and shallow draught caused excessive rolling, up to 40°. Since she was crewed by merchantmen with less stringent discipline, they almost mutinied along the way.
Cerberus reached Melbourne on 9 April 1871, and designated flagship of the Victorian Navy. The press and general public however were appealed by her apparence and she was derided as the ‘Floating Gasometer’.On
On 5 March 1881, five men were killed when in exrcise their boat struck a mine, her only fatalities ever. With the disater of the flood at the New Australasian Gold Mine at Creswick in Victoria by December 1882, two divers from Cerberus helped locating miners trapped in air pockets from 14 December, two days afterwards but could not dive due to their incorrectly fitting dive suits and too short 500 feet (150 m) air hose. The miners were located 1,500 feet (460 m) from the entrance.
In 1887 there was a limited refit, in which she obtained torpedo netting and spars. In the 1890s she became a storeship. In May 1900, she suffered cases of bubonic plague and was quarantined at Point Nepean. With the creation of the Federation of Australia in 1901, Cerberus, was transferred to the Commonwealth Naval Forces. In 1911 she became HMAS Cerberus as part of the Royal Australian Navy. By 1909, her boilers were completely worn out. Instead of a new refit, she became a static guard ship and munitions storeship and spent 1914-18 as such. Before that, the Royal Australian Naval College founded in 1913 had its personnel enlisted in Cerberus, waiting for a commission.
In 1914 her guns were inspected and declared too dangerous to use. She was then armed only with light guns as described above. After the British transferred to the RAN six J class submarines, Cereberus was renamed HMAS Platypus II on 1 April 1921, as secondary submarine tender aside Platypus I. She was towed to Geelong and served as such until 1924, HMAS Protector taking her name. She was at last decommissioned, then stricke, and sold to a Melbourne Salvage Company on 23 April 1924, rfitted for the trip, and towed from Corio Bay, Williamstown Naval Dockyard on 14 May for disassembly, then resold to the Sandringham council, scuttled on 26 September 1926 at Half Moon Bay as breakwater for the Black Rock Yacht Club.
Today it’s still a popular site for scuba diving. In the 1970s some proposed to raise and restore her as amuseul ship, but this was just too costly. In 1993 her degradation forbade teh site to divers, with a exclusion zone placed around the wreck. From 2001, the Friends of the Cerberus organisation was formed, tring to preserve the wreck, and she was stabilized by 14 December 2005, listed on the Victorian Heritage Register. She is now on a jacking frame and support cradle and later focused on fighting corrosion.
HMS Magdala (1870)
HMS Magdala was laid down on 6 October 1868 by the Thames Ironworks in Leamouth, London, launched on 2 March 1870, completed in November 1870. For her delivery voyage to India, Magdala was fitted with three temporary masts but not the hull sides extensions, and she sailed and steamed out in the middle of winter without escort. Her builder believed she was sufficiently seaworthy for a safe passage. She arrived in Bombay Harbour, never to departed again, nor fire any shot in anger. She was modernized in 1892 (main guns, possibly also light guns) and had occasional short trips for firing practice. Magdala was transferred to Royal Navy the same year on the 31 October. Her general state degraded still, especially her machinery. She was eventually returned to Royal Indian Marine on 19 March 1902. At some point she was decommissioned, stricken and eventually sold for scrap in January 1903.
Read More/Src
Books
Paloczi-Horvath, George (1996). From Monitor to Missile Boat: Coast Defence Ships and Coastal Defence Since 1860. Conway Maritime Press
Archibald, E.H.H. (1971). The Metal Fighting Ship in the Royal Navy 1860–1970. Arco Publishing Co.
Brown, David K. (1997). Warrior to Dreadnought: Warship Development 1860–1905. Chatham Publishing.
Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record. Chatham Publishing.
Friedman, Norman (2018). British Battleships of the Victorian Era. Naval Institute Press.
Parkes, Oscar (1990) [1966]. British Battleships, Warrior 1860 to Vanguard 1950 NIP
Roberts, John (1979). “Great Britain+ Empire Forces”. In Chesneau, Roger & Kolesnik, Eugene M. (eds.). Conway’s All the World’s Fighting Ships 1860–1905.
Links
navypedia.org
cerberus.com.au
en.wikipedia.org
globalsecurity.org
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