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
George Sayer (Royal Navy officer) George Sayer (Royal Navy officer) Rear-Admiral George Sayer CB (1773 - 29 April 1831) was a Royal Navy officer who twice became Commander-in-Chief of the East Indies Station. Sayer joined the Royal Navy at an early age and first saw action in HMS "Phoenix" in the campaign against Tipu Sultan on the Malabar Coast. Promoted to lieutenant in July 1793, he was serving in HMS Carysfort during the Frigate action of 29 May 1794 when the Carysfort recaptured the French ship "Castor". His first command was the sloop HMS "Lacedemonian" in 1796. He later commanded HMS "Albacore", HMS "Xenophon", and