Royal Navy Broadside Ironclads built 1861–1868: HMS Minotaur, Northumberland, Agincourt. The Minotaur-class ironclads were three armoured frigates of the Royal Navy, designed as enlarged versions of HMS Achilles with heavier armament, thicker armour, more powerful engines. They were formidable ships in size and armament, but were also unique for their rigging on five masts. They … Read more
Royal Navy Broadside Ironclads built 1861–1864, service until 1956 HMS Achilles was an armoured frigate built at Chatham, designed by Oliver Lang and completed in 1864, assigned to the Channel Fleet. At nearly 10,000 tonnes, she was none of the largest warships afloat. She was also the one that had the most changes, in appearance … Read more
Royal Navy Broadside Ironclads: HMS Hector, HMS Valiant 1861–1864, service until 1956 The Hector-class ironclads were armoured frigates (single battery deck like most ironclads of the time except the Magenta) Thes ironclads, like their immediate predecessors, the Defence class, were designed as smaller and cheaper versions of the Warrior-class armoured frigates but were modified versions … Read more
United Kingdom: 1874-1923 Experimental torpedo boat HMS Vesuvius was an experimental torpedo-armed warship in service with the British Royal Navy, built at Pembroke Dockyard in 1873 and the first purpose-designed torpedo vessel built ever in Britain. Intended for night attacks against ships anchored in ports, she was armed with a single, fixed bow tube for … Read more
Royal Navy Broadside Ironclads: Defence and Resistance 1859–1862, service until 1902 HMS Defence and Resistance signed a return to more budgetary wise ships, as the admiralty lordships was not convinced the high price tag of the Warrior class was able to parry a mass-production on the French side. These ships were 1/3 lighter. These vessels … Read more
United Kingdom: 1865-1869 Masted Turret Ironclad RN oddballs, second entry, HMS Captain. She was probably one of the most infamous ironclads of her era. She was essentially a prototype of new masted turret ironclad, authorized as a semi-private venture despite objections of the admiralty. Coles, inventor of the turrets, thought to create a “prefect battleship” … Read more
United Kingdom: 1871-1904 Ironclad Ram For the first post of this new year were open the ball with the oddballs of the Royal Navy. Ships that were out of the ordinary and in the 19th Century pioneered some untapped aspects of naval technology, while having no real succession. They were just pretty unique. Among these … Read more
Royal Navy Broadside Ironclads: HMS Warrior, HMS Black Prince 1859–1862, service until 1902 The start of the ironclad age, before the name “battleship” and “capital ship” took over, started in 1860 and lasted until steam-only steel ships became the norm. For more than a decade, the flourishing of ideas and technologies was unprecedented, at a … Read more
