HMS Imogen

Six ships of the Royal Navy have been called HMS Imogen or HMS Imogene. A seventh was planned but never built:

HMS Imogen (1805)

HMS Imogen (or Imogene) was a British Royal Navy 16-gun brig-sloop of the Seagull class launched in July 1805. She served primarily in the Adriatic campaign before the Navy sold her in 1817.

Career

Commander Thomas Garth commissioned Imogen in August 1805 for the North Sea. On 18 April 1806 she captured the Prussian galliot Broderlusde, and on 23 August the Bergitta.

Garth sailed for the Mediterranean on 26 June 1807. On 13 September Imogen captured the Danish vessel Commandant van Scholten.

On 27 January 1808 Imogen captured the brig William Tell and her cargo. In March Commander William Stephens replaced Garth.

The British, having decided to capture the island of Saint Maura, north of Corfu, Stephens and Imogen became part of a squadron that also included Magnificent, under the command of Captain George Eyre, who was the naval commander, Belle Poule, three gunboats, and five transports carrying troops. When the squadron arrived on 21 March 1810, Eyre ordered Stephens to take the gunboats and to anchor as close to shore as possible to cover the landing of the troops and to silence two small shore batteries there. The next day the operations began. The batteries fired on Imogen and the gunboats, but were soon silenced. Stephens went ashore and was wounded in the foot storming the redoubts that protected the citadel. Even so, on 25 March he sailed with Imogen, Belle Poule, and the gunboats to the north of the island to prevent the enemy from landing reinforcements. The citadel finally capitulated on 15 April. The only casualty on Imogen was Stephens.

HMS Imogen (D44)

HMS Imogen was a I-class destroyer built for the Royal Navy in the mid-1930s. During the Spanish Civil War of 1936–1939, the ship enforced the arms blockade imposed by Britain and France on both sides as part of the Mediterranean Fleet. After the start of the Second World War the ship was transferred to Home Fleet and participated in the Norwegian Campaign in April 1940. Imogen sank two German submarines before her own sinking following an accidental collision in July 1940.

Description

The I-class ships were improved versions of the preceding H-class. They displaced 1,370 long tons (1,390 t) at standard load and 1,888 long tons (1,918 t) at deep load. The ships had an overall length of 323 feet (98.5 m), a beam of 33 feet (10.1 m) and a draught of 12 feet 6 inches (3.8 m). They were powered by two Parsons geared steam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft, using steam provided by three Admiralty three-drum boilers. The turbines developed a total of 34,000 shaft horsepower (25,000 kW) and gave a maximum speed of 35.5 knots (65.7 km/h; 40.9 mph). Imogen carried a maximum of 455 long tons (462 t) of fuel oil that gave her a range of 5,500 nautical miles (10,200 km; 6,300 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph). The ships' complement was 145 officers and ratings.