HMS Thunder Child HMS Thunder Child HMS "Thunder Child" is a fictional ironclad torpedo ram of the Royal Navy, destroyed by Martian fighting-machines in H. G. Wells' "The War of the Worlds" whilst protecting a refugee rescue fleet of civilian vessels. Torpedo rams were constructed in the 1870s and 1880s after the ramming and sinking of the "Re d'Italia" at the Battle of Lissa in 1866 by the Austrian flagship, "Ferdinand Max". Despite the Italian warship being stationary at the time, the successful attack influenced naval thinking for the next few decades. The result was specially designed low profile, fast, armoured vessels equipped
Richard Wells (Royal Navy officer) Richard Wells (Royal Navy officer) Admiral Sir Richard Wells (3 February 1833 – 9 October 1896) was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, The Nore. Wells joined the Royal Navy in 1847 and served in the Crimean War in 1855. He was on board HMS "Bombay" when she was accidentally burned in 1864 with the loss of 91 lives off Montevideo. Promoted to Captain in 1866, he commanded HMS "Revenge", HMS "Royal Alfred", HMS "Bellerophon" and then HMS " Agincourt". He became Captain of the training ship HMS "Britannia" in 1880 before being appointed Commander-in-Chief, Cape