HMS Polyphemus (1881) HMS Polyphemus (1881) The third HMS "Polyphemus" was a Royal Navy torpedo ram, serving from 1881 until 1903. A shallow-draft, fast, low-profile vessel, she was designed to penetrate enemy harbours at speed and sink anchored ships. Designed by Nathaniel Barnaby primarily as a protected torpedo boat, the ram was provided very much as secondary armament. It has been suggested that H. G. Wells’ fictional HMS "Thunder Child" from his novel "The War of the Worlds" may have been based on this ship, in part because he described "Thunder Child" as an ironclad torpedo ram, and "Polyphemus" was the only ship
John Evans (Royal Navy officer) John Evans (Royal Navy officer) Admiral John Evans (1717 – 8 July 1794) was a Royal Navy officer. Evans joined the Royal Navy in 1731. Promoted to captain on 20 April 1748, he was given command of the post ship HMS "Flamborough" on promotion, the sixth-rate HMS "Squirrel" later in the year and the sixth-rate HMS "Glasgow" later still in the year. He went on to take command of the sixth-rate HMS "Experiment" in December 1753, the fifth-rate HMS "Prince Edward" in July 1755 and the fourth-rate HMS "Preston" in January 1757 as well as the third-rate HMS "Augusta" in