Arapiles

1868

• 1 History of the Arapiles
• 2 Arapiles Specification
  • 2.1 Basics
  • 2.2 Roles
  • 2.3 Dimensions and Weight
  • 2.4 Power and Performance

History of the Arapiles

The Spanish ironclad ship Arapiles was originally a wooden-hulled frigate from England. It was converted into an ironclad during construction. In 1873, it got damaged when it ran aground and had to be repaired in the United States during a tense period between the US and Spain. In 1879, it was no longer seaworthy and was scrapped in 1882.

Arapiles was 280 feet long, had a beam of 52 feet 2 inches, and displaced 3,441 long tons. It had a steam engine that produced 2,400 horsepower, giving it a speed of 8 knots. It was armed with two 10-inch and five 8-inch guns, along with ten 68-pounder guns. Its wrought-iron armor was 3 to 5 inches thick.

The ship was built in London, started as an unarmored frigate in 1861, and was converted into an ironclad in 1862. It was launched in 1864.

Arapiles ran aground in 1873 and underwent repairs in New York from May 1873 to January 1874. The Virginius Affair in 1873 led to further delays in repairs. In 1879, the ship was no longer useful and was eventually scrapped a few years later.

A bas relief on the statue of Richard Green commemorates the ship, which was under construction in his shipyard when he passed away. The statue is located outside the Poplar Baths in London.

Arapiles Specification

Basics

Years in Service: 1868

Origins: Spain

Roles

Sea Bombing

Maritime bombardment/attack of surface targets/areas primarily through ship-based ballistic weapons.

Land Assault

Littoral attacks against surface targets primarily through ship-based missiles/missile weapons.

Sea Patrol

Active patrolling of critical waterways and sea areas; also serves as a local deterrent against air and maritime threats.

Airspace Denial/Deterrence

Neutralization or deterrence of flying elements by airborne missile weapon ballistics.

Fleet Support

Provide support (fire or materiel) to major surface fleets in blue water environments.

Dimensions and Weight

Length: 282.0 feet (85.95m)

Ray: 54. 0 feet (16.46m)

Shift: 5,468 t

Power and Performance

Installed Power: 6 x boiler units provide 100 hp for 1 x steam engine driving 1 x axle.

Surface Velocity: 12.0 nodes(13.8 km/h)