HMS
Erebus was a Hecla class
The Hecla class was a class of bomb vessels of the Royal Navy of the early 19th century. They were designed for use as bomb or mortar ships and were very heavily built. Eight ships were launched; all were converted for use as exploration or survey ships...
bomb vesselA bomb vessel, bomb ship, bomb ketch, or simply bomb was a type of wooden sailing naval ship. Its primary armament was not cannon - although bomb vessels carried a few cannon for self-defence - but rather mortars mounted forward near the bow and elevated to a high angle, and projecting their fire...
designed by Sir Henry Peake and constructed by the
Royal NavyThe Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of HM Armed Forces . From the beginning of the 18th century until well into the 20th century, it was the most powerful navy in the world, playing a key part in establishing the British Empire as the dominant world power from 1815 until the early...
in
Pembroke dockyardPembroke Dock is a town in Pembrokeshire, south-west Wales, lying north of Pembroke on the River Cleddau. It is the third largest town in Pembrokeshire.- History :...
,
WalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom, bordered by England to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It is also an elective region of the European Union...
in 1826. The vessel was named after the dark region in
HadesHades refers both to the ancient Greek underworld, the abode of Hades, and to the god of the underworld. Hades in Homer referred just to the god; the genitive , Haidou, was an elision to denote locality: "[the house/dominion] of Hades"...
of
Greek mythologyGreek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
called
ErebusIn Greek mythology, Erebus , also Erebos or Erebes , was the son of a primordial god, Khaos, and represented the personification of darkness and shadow, which filled in all the corners and crannies of the world. His name is used interchangeably with Tartarus and Hades since Erebus is often thought...
. The 372-ton ship was armed with two
mortarsA mortar is a muzzle-loading indirect fire weapon that fires shells at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It typically has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber.- Function :...
- one 13-inch and one 10-inch - and 10 guns.
After two years service in the
Mediterranean SeaThe Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by Africa, and on the east by the Levant. The sea is technically a part of the Atlantic Ocean, although it...
, Erebus
was refitted as an exploration vessel for Antarctic| style="border-top:solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding:0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align:top;" | 14,000,000 km
2 280,000 km
2 13,720,000 km
2 |-! style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top;...
service and on 21 November 1840, captained by James Clark RossSir James Clark Ross , was a British naval officer and explorer. He explored the Arctic with his uncle Sir John Ross and Sir William Parry, and later led his own expedition to Antarctica.-Arctic explorer:...
, she departed from TasmaniaTasmania is an Australian island and state. It is located south of the eastern side of the continent, from which it is separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania – the 26th largest island in the world – and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 500,000 ,...
for Antarctica in company with HMS Terror
HMS Terror was a bomb vessel designed by Sir Henry Peake and constructed by the Royal Navy in the Davy shipyard in Topsham, Devon. The ship, variously listed as being of either 326 or 340 tons, carried two mortars, one and one .-War service:...
.
HMS
Erebus was a Hecla class
The Hecla class was a class of bomb vessels of the Royal Navy of the early 19th century. They were designed for use as bomb or mortar ships and were very heavily built. Eight ships were launched; all were converted for use as exploration or survey ships...
bomb vesselA bomb vessel, bomb ship, bomb ketch, or simply bomb was a type of wooden sailing naval ship. Its primary armament was not cannon - although bomb vessels carried a few cannon for self-defence - but rather mortars mounted forward near the bow and elevated to a high angle, and projecting their fire...
designed by Sir Henry Peake and constructed by the
Royal NavyThe Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of HM Armed Forces . From the beginning of the 18th century until well into the 20th century, it was the most powerful navy in the world, playing a key part in establishing the British Empire as the dominant world power from 1815 until the early...
in
Pembroke dockyardPembroke Dock is a town in Pembrokeshire, south-west Wales, lying north of Pembroke on the River Cleddau. It is the third largest town in Pembrokeshire.- History :...
,
WalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom, bordered by England to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It is also an elective region of the European Union...
in 1826. The vessel was named after the dark region in
HadesHades refers both to the ancient Greek underworld, the abode of Hades, and to the god of the underworld. Hades in Homer referred just to the god; the genitive , Haidou, was an elision to denote locality: "[the house/dominion] of Hades"...
of
Greek mythologyGreek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
called
ErebusIn Greek mythology, Erebus , also Erebos or Erebes , was the son of a primordial god, Khaos, and represented the personification of darkness and shadow, which filled in all the corners and crannies of the world. His name is used interchangeably with Tartarus and Hades since Erebus is often thought...
. The 372-ton ship was armed with two
mortarsA mortar is a muzzle-loading indirect fire weapon that fires shells at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It typically has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber.- Function :...
- one 13-inch and one 10-inch - and 10 guns.
Ross expedition
After two years service in the
Mediterranean SeaThe Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by Africa, and on the east by the Levant. The sea is technically a part of the Atlantic Ocean, although it...
, Erebus
was refitted as an exploration vessel for Antarctic| style="border-top:solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding:0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align:top;" | 14,000,000 km
2 280,000 km
2 13,720,000 km
2 |-! style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top;...
service and on 21 November 1840, captained by James Clark RossSir James Clark Ross , was a British naval officer and explorer. He explored the Arctic with his uncle Sir John Ross and Sir William Parry, and later led his own expedition to Antarctica.-Arctic explorer:...
, she departed from TasmaniaTasmania is an Australian island and state. It is located south of the eastern side of the continent, from which it is separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania – the 26th largest island in the world – and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 500,000 ,...
for Antarctica in company with HMS Terror
HMS Terror was a bomb vessel designed by Sir Henry Peake and constructed by the Royal Navy in the Davy shipyard in Topsham, Devon. The ship, variously listed as being of either 326 or 340 tons, carried two mortars, one and one .-War service:...
. In January 1841, the crew of both ships landed on
Victoria LandVictoria Land is a region of Antarctica bounded on the east by the Ross Sea and on the west by Wilkes Land. It was discovered by Captain James Clark Ross in January 1841 and named after the UK's Queen Victoria....
, and proceeded to name areas of the landscape after
BritishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name and the state form of the United Kingdom from 1 January 1801 until 12 April 1927...
politicians, scientists, and acquaintances.
Mount ErebusMount Erebus in Antarctica is the southernmost historically active volcano on Earth. With a summit elevation of , it is located on Ross Island, which is also home to three inactive volcanoes, notably Mount Terror...
, on
Ross IslandRoss Island is an island formed by four volcanoes in the Ross Sea near the continent of Antarctica, off the coast of Victoria Land in McMurdo Sound. Because of the persistent presence of the ice sheet, the island is sometimes taken to be part of Antarctica. Its area is 2,460 km² ; only a small...
, was named for the ship itself.
They then discovered the
Ross Ice ShelfThe Ross Ice Shelf is the largest ice shelf of Antarctica . It is several hundred meters thick. The nearly vertical ice front to the open sea is more than 600 km long, and between 15 and 50 meters high above the water surface...
, which they were unable to penetrate, and followed it eastward until the lateness of the season compelled them to return to Tasmania. The following season, 1842, Ross continued to survey the "Great Ice Barrier", as it was called, continuing to follow it eastward. The two ships returned to the
Falkland IslandsThe Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located approximately from the coast of mainland South America, from mainland Antarctica, and from Africa. There are two main islands, East Falkland and West Falkland, as well as 776 smaller islands...
before returning to the Antarctic in the 1842-1843 season. The ships conducted studies in
magnetismIn physics, the term magnetism is used to describe how materials respond on the microscopic level to an applied magnetic field; to categorize the magnetic phase of a material. For example, the most well known form of magnetism is ferromagnetism such that some ferromagnetic materials produce their...
, and returned with
oceanographicOceanography , also called oceanology or marine science, is the branch of Earth science that studies the ocean...
data and collections of
botanicalBotany, plant science, phytology, or plant biology is a branch of biology and is the scientific study of plant life and development...
and
ornithologicalOrnithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and the aesthetic appeal of birds...
specimens. Birds collected on the first expedition were described and illustrated by
George Robert GrayGeorge Robert Gray FRS was an English zoologist and author, and head of the ornithological section of the British Museum in London for forty-one years...
and
Richard Bowdler SharpeRichard Bowdler Sharpe was an English zoologist.Sharpe was born in London and studied at Brighton, Peterborough and Loughborough. At the age of sixteen he went to work for Smith & Sons in London...
in The Zoology of the Voyage of
HMS Erebus & HMS Terror. Birds of New Zealand., 1875. The revised edition of Gray (1846) (1875).
Franklin expedition
For their next voyage, to the
ArcticThe Arctic is the region around the Earth's North Pole, opposite the Antarctic region around the South Pole. The Arctic includes the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Greenland , Russia, the United States , Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Finland.The word Arctic comes from the Greek αρκτικός , "near...
under Sir
John FranklinSir John Franklin, FRGS was a British Royal Navy officer and Arctic explorer who mapped almost two thirds of the northern coastline of North America. Franklin also served as governor of Tasmania for several years. In his last expedition, he disappeared while attempting to chart and navigate a...
,
Erebus and
Terror were outfitted with 20hp
steam engineA steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid.The idea of using boiling water to produce mechanical motion has a long history, going back about 2000 years...
s (converted from
railwayRail transport is the conveyance of passengers and goods by means of wheeled vehicles running along railways or railroads. Rail transport is part of the logistics chain, which facilitates international trade and economic growth...
locomotiveA locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
engines), and had iron plating added to their
hullA hull is the watertight body of a ship or boat. Above the hull comes the superstructure and deckhouse. The line where the hull meets the water surface is called the waterline.The structure of the hull varies depending on the vessel type...
s. Sir John Franklin sailed in
Erebus, in overall command of the expedition, and
Terror was again under the command of
Francis CrozierFrancis Rawdon Moira Crozier was born in Ireland at Banbridge and was a British naval officer who participated in six exploratory expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic...
. The expedition was ordered to gather magnetic data in the
Canadian ArcticNorthern Canada, colloquially the North, is the vast northernmost region of Canada variously defined by geography and politics. Politically, the term refers to the three territories of Canada: Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut...
and to complete a crossing of the
Northwest PassageThe Northwest Passage is a sea route through the Arctic Ocean, along the northern coast of North America via waterways amidst the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans...
, which had already been charted from both the east and west but had never been entirely navigated.
The ships were last seen entering
Baffin BayBaffin Bay a sea connecting the Atlantic and Arctic oceans. It is 1,130 km across from north to south. It is not navigable most of the year because of the presence of large numbers of icebergs.-History:...
in August 1845. The disappearance of the Franklin expedition set off a massive search effort in the Arctic. The broad circumstances of the expedition's fate were first revealed when Hudson Bay Company doctor
John RaeDr. John Rae was a Scottish doctor who explored Northern Canada, discovered the final part of the Northwest Passage and reported the fate of the Franklin Expedition .-Early Life and career:...
collected artefacts and testimony from local
InuitInuit is a general term for a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada, Greenland, and Alaska...
in 1853. Later expeditions up to 1866 confirmed these reports.
Both ships had become icebound and had been abandoned by their crews, in total about 130 men, all of whom subsequently died from a number of causes, including
hypothermiaHypothermia is a condition in which an organism's temperature drops below that required for normal metabolism and body functions. In warm-blooded animals, core body temperature is maintained near a constant level through biologic homeostasis or thermoregulation...
,
scurvyScurvy is a disease resulting from a deficiency of vitamin C, which is required for the synthesis of collagen in humans. The chemical name for vitamin C, ascorbic acid, is derived from the Latin name of scurvy, scorbutus. Scurvy leads to the formation of spots on the skin, spongy gums, and bleeding...
, and
starvationStarvation is a severe reduction in vitamin, nutrient, and energy intake. It is the most extreme form of malnutrition. In humans, prolonged starvation can cause permanent organ damage, and eventually death...
while trying to trek overland to the south. Subsequent expeditions up until the late 1980s, including
autopsiesAn autopsy–also known as a post-mortem examination, necropsy , autopsia cadaverum, or obduction–is a medical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse to determine the cause and manner of death and to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present...
of crew members, also revealed that their shoddily canned
rationsMilitary rations are the food served to military personnel. For the controlled distribution of goods or services, see rationing.Types of military rations include:*Garrison rations*Field rations.- US-specific :*United States military rations...
may have been tainted by both
leadLead poisoning is a medical condition caused by increased levels of the heavy metal lead in the body...
and
botulismBotulism also known as botulinus intoxication is a rare but serious paralytic illness caused by botulinum toxin, which is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum...
. Oral reports by local
InuitInuit is a general term for a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada, Greenland, and Alaska...
that some of the crew members resorted to
cannibalismCannibalism is the act or practice of humans eating the flesh of other humans.The word can be extended into zoology to mean any species consuming members of its own kind, and used outside of biological fields in a metaphorical sense: "Cannibalization" refers to the reuse of parts or ideas, such as...
were at least somewhat supported by forensic evidence of cut marks on the
skeletalIn biology, a skeleton is a rigid framework that provides protection and structure in many types of animal, particularly those of the phylum Chordata and of the superphylum Ecdysozoa. Exoskeletons are external, as is typical of many invertebrates; they enclose the soft tissues and organs of the...
remains of crew members found on
King William IslandKing William Island is an island in the Kitikmeot Region of Nunavut and forms part of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. In area it is between and making it the 61st largest island in the world and Canada's 15th largest island...
during the late 20th century.
The remains of the ships have yet to be found, but are listed by
Parks CanadaParks Canada is a Government of Canada agency that is mandated to protect and present nationally significant examples of Canada's natural and cultural heritage and foster public understanding, appreciation and enjoyment in ways that ensure their ecological and commemorative integrity for present...
as a
national historic site.
On 15 August 2008, Parks Canada, an agency of the
Government of CanadaThe government of Canada is established as a constitutional monarchy, with the powers and structure of the federal government established by the Constitution of Canada, which includes the written part, the decisions of courts, and unwritten conventions developed over time.-Usage:In Canadian...
announced a CDN$75,000 six week search, deploying the icebreaker
CCGS Sir Wilfrid LaurierThe CCGS Sir Wilfrid Laurier is a light icebreaker and Major Navaids Tender of the Canadian Coast Guard. Built in 1986 by Canadian Shipbuilding, Collingwood, Ontario, Canada the ship currently is based out of Victoria, British Columbia....
with the goal of finding the two ships. The search presumably seeks to strengthen Canada's position in
sovereignty over large portions of the ArcticUnder international law, no country currently owns the North Pole or the region of the Arctic Ocean surrounding it. The five surrounding Arctic states, Russia, the United States , Canada, Norway and Denmark , are limited to a economic zone around their coasts.Upon ratification of the United...
.
In fiction
The 2008 novel
Arctic DriftArctic Drift is a new Dirk Pitt novel, the 20th of the series and was released on November 25, 2008....
uses the
Erebus and
Terror as part of the plot as well as the establishing backstory. The Erebus also appears in
Dan SimmonsDan Simmons is an American author most widely known for his Hugo Award-winning science fiction series, known as the Hyperion Cantos, and for his Locus-winning Ilium/Olympos cycle....
2007 novel
The TerrorThe Terror is the name of a 2007 novel by American author Dan Simmons. The novel is a fictionalized account of Franklin's lost expedition of HMS Erebus and HMS Terror under Captain Sir John Franklin to the Arctic to force the Northwest Passage in 1845 - 1848...
and the Doctor Who Audio Dramas story
Terror of the Arctic alongside its fellow ship, the
Terror.
External links