HMS Urgent was an iron screw troopship of the Royal Navy, constructed by C. J. Mare at Blackwall. Originally named Assaye, she was built alongside her near-sister ship, the Russian Sobraon, which was also being constructed by Mare at the same time. Assaye was purchased by the Admiralty in 1854, possibly also intended for Russian ownership, and officially acquired under an order dated 13 June 1854. She was launched on 2 April 1855 and completed fitting out at Sheerness Dockyard by 29 September 1855, with a total cost of approximately £89,936. Upon entering service, she was renamed HMS Urgent, while her near-sister became HMS Perseverance. HMS Urgent’s early service was marked by several notable incidents. On 21 October 1855, she ran aground at Fort Ricasoli, Malta, while en route from Plymouth; however, all 1,100 aboard were rescued. In March 1857, she sprang a leak in the Bay of Biscay and had to seek refuge at A Coruña, Spain, in a sinking condition. Additionally, on 1 November 1858, she ran aground on the East Pole Sands near the Nab Lightship while traveling from Corfu to Portsmouth. She was refloated with assistance from the tug Echo. From 1859, she served in the East Indies and China, with her activities including operations on the Hai River in August 1859. During her service, she also ran aground again in August 1864 off Nova Scotia, but was later refloated and arrived in Quebec City on 5 September. Later in her career, HMS Urgent transitioned from troopship duties to serve as a storeship and depot ship based in Jamaica, commencing this role on 21 July 1877. She operated with various tenders, including the gunboat HMS Tyrian and the schooner HMS Sparrowhawk, and flew the broad pendant of several notable commanders over the years. Her service extended into the early 20th century, and she was finally sold for scrapping in June 1903 after the naval establishment moved ashore. HMS Urgent's career reflects the versatility and longevity of mid-19th-century iron screw vessels in the Royal Navy.

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