The Experimental Squadrons also known as Evolutionary Squadrons of the Royal Navy were groups of ships sent out in the 1830s and 1840s to test new techniques of ship design, armament, building and propulsion against old ones. They came about as a result of conflict between the "empirical" school of shipbuilding, the "scientific" school led by the first School of Naval Architecture, and the "traditional" school led by master shipwrights from the royal dockyards.
1831-1832
Admiral Edward Codrington formed a "Squadron of Evolution" for conducting trials on new hull forms. The squadron was formed in 1831 as part of a strategy to sit off the Belgian coast and to encourage a French withdrawal. The French were there to support the Belgians against the Dutch. Later on the ships had to reinforce a British squadron operating in the Tagus, off Lisbon as constitutionalists and absolutist factions waged a civil war ashore.
1832
The Experimental Squadron under command of Sir Pulteney Malcolm held trials in July 1832 off the Irish coast, and again on 14 August off the Scilly Islands. The trial of 13 July was between HM cutter Emerald and the Paddy from Cork. The Paddy recently lengthened to 99 tons, winning by twelve minutes or nearly one mile.
1844
Determined to prove William Symonds' designs to be failures, the new Tory Board of Admiralty sent out successive "Experimental Squadrons" in the mid-1840s. In 1844, a brig squadron left Portsmouth on 22 October, followed three days later by a ship of the line squadron under Rear-admiral William Bowles. The ships of the line were joined at Lisbon on 3 November by Symonds' two-decker, and all four arrived back in Portsmouth on 27 November, 9 days before the brig squadron.
1845
On 15 July the following year, the elderly Rear-Admiral Hyde Parker led the pre-Symonds,, and, along with Symonds' Queen, Albion, and, out of Portsmouth Harbour. The squadron arrived at Cork on 7 September, left on the 18th, and arrived in Plymouth on the 20th. In Plymouth, the same squadron was transferred to Rear-Admiral Sir Samuel Pym and sailed on 21 October, returning to the same port on 3 December. The third and final 1845 cruise lasted 43 days and consisted solely of the two deckers from the previous two, accompanied by a brig from the 1844 squadron,. It sailed from Plymouth on 21 October, led, not by an admiral, but by successive captains in the squadron acting as commodore.
1846
A final set of cruises occurred in April to July 1846 starting at Cobh under Commodore Sir Francis Collier in the Napoleonic-era, with a "squadron of evolution" made up of sailing ships of the line and steam-ships, including:,,,,,,,, and. Paddle steamers:,,,,, and (the Navy's first screw propeller ship.
Results
Outside factors in the 1840s tests, such as individual captains' political bias or stowage's influence on how well a ship sailed, were underappreciated and so in October 1847 - in the face of the Board's institution of a "Committee of Reference" the previous year to oversee him and modify his designs according to the Board's wishes - Symonds resigned his role.
