HMS Vixen
Gunboat · United Kingdom · Lost 1896 · Bermuda
An experimental Victorian ironclad ram gunboat that ended her days as a Royal Navy floating battery at Bermuda before being sunk as a deliberate blockship.
The Vessel and Her Loss
Launched in 1865, HMS Vixen was an experimental armoured composite gunboat and the first Royal Navy vessel fitted with twin propellers. Found unsuitable for open-sea service, she was towed to Bermuda with her sister ship Viper to serve as a floating defensive battery for the Royal Naval Dockyard. Sold at Bermuda in December 1895, she was deliberately sunk around 1896 as a blockship in Daniel's Head Channel, where her well-preserved teak-clad hull has since been studied by archaeologists.
Vessel
- 1865
- Charles Lungley
- Deptford, England
- Composite (iron frames, teak-clad hull)
- 160 ft
- 32 ft
- 1228
- Steam, twin screw, with barquentine sail rig (removed 1873)
- Royal Navy
Loss
- January 1, 1896
- Intentional sinking
- Daniel's Head Channel, Bermuda
- Atlantic Ocean, Bermuda reef platform
- Not established
- Not established
- 0
- 0
- Not established
The Wreck Today
- Not established
- Substantial hull remains survive owing to her armoured teak-clad composite construction.
- Not established
- Not established
- Protected historic wreck zone, Daniel's Head
Position
- Not established
- Position not established
- Daniel's Head, Sandys Parish, Bermuda
Evidence
Overall confidence: Documented (80/100)
The precise date and depth of the final sinking are not established in the sources reviewed.
International Journal of Nautical Archaeology (Richard A. Gould, 1991)
Archaeological study of the wreck's construction and condition.
Wikipedia (sourced naval history entry)
Build details, service history, disposal as blockship.
