HMS Coromandel was a wooden paddle dispatch vessel of the Royal Navy, originally built as the passenger and cargo steamer Tartar for the P&O company. Constructed with a shallow-draught wooden hull, she was reinforced with diagonal planking and iron scantlings to enhance strength and durability. Tartar’s early service began with a voyage from Southampton to the Far East in September 1853, where she operated as a feeder service for the P&O Line along the China coast. During this voyage, she was initially towed by Cadiz for four days before completing her journey primarily under sail. In 1854, Tartar participated in salvage efforts at the Paracel Islands after assisting the grounded vessel Douro, although these efforts were ultimately unsuccessful. The vessel was commissioned into the Royal Navy as HMS Coromandel in October 1856, under Lieutenant Sholto Douglas, for operations on the Canton River during the Arrow War (1856–1860). She played a notable role in the conflict, firing the first shot during the capture of Canton on 23 October 1856. Coromandel also participated in the Battle of Fatshan Creek in June 1857, during which she ran aground but served as the flagship for Rear-Admiral Michael Seymour. She later served as a tender to HMS Chesapeake and was under the command of Master William H. Vine. Coromandel saw action in all three battles at the Taku Forts (Pei-ho), participating in the First (1858), Second (1859), and Third (1860) engagements. During the Second Battle, she was sunk but was subsequently raised, repaired, and returned to service. She served as the flagship of Vice-Admiral James Hope on 23 August 1859. Her service record includes various commands and duties, including tender roles to ships like HMS Imperieuse and HMS Euryalus, the latter participating in the bombardments of Kagoshima and Shimonoseki. Sold by the Royal Navy in 1866, Coromandel underwent numerous changes in ownership, including a sale to Kishu, Japan, where she was renamed Naruto. She was later converted to screw propulsion by Hong Kong-based Glover & Co. and changed hands multiple times, undergoing extensive repairs. By 1876, after suffering from damage and deterioration, particularly from white ants, she was sold for breaking up, marking the end of her maritime service.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.