HMS Tourmaline

HMS Tourmaline was an Emerald-class composite screw corvette that served in the Victorian Royal Navy. The Emerald class was a development of the wooden Amethyst class but combined an iron frame and teak cladding. Launched in 1875, Tourmaline was deployed to the North America and West Indies Station in 1878. The ship joined the third flying squadron in 1880, sailing to South Africa at time of the First Boer War and then to Australia, Japan, Singapore and Egypt, arriving in Alexandria in time to participate in the Anglo-Egyptian War. During 1883, the corvette was stationed in Zanzibar and then, in response to the Franco-Hova Wars, was the senior officer's ship in Madagascar. Following an armament upgrade, the vessel returned to the North America and West Indies Station in 1886. Converted to a coal hulk in 1899, Tourmaline was sold in 1920 to be broken up.