Warrior class battleship

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HMS Warrior sometime during the 1860s

The two-ship Warrior class was a revolutionary British Royal Navy battleship design of the mid 19th century. They were the second type of ocean going iron-armored warships ever constructed, after the French Gloire, and were the most powerful naval vessels afloat at the time of their launch.

Initially, they were to be labeled frigates, armed with 40 x 68 pdr (31 kg) guns. This was modified during construction to 10 x 110 pdrs (50 kg), 26 x 68 pdrs (31 kg), and 4 x 70 pdrs (32 kg). Both ships were refitted and rearmed in 1867 (see "general characteristics" below).

HMS Warrior was laid down at the Ditchburn and Mare Shipyards, Blackwall, London, 25 May 1859. She had frozen solid to her slipway, and had to be tediously pulled out using tugs 29 December 1860. She was completed 24 October 1861. She joined the Channel Squadron in July 1862 and was removed from active service in 1883.

She was converted to a depot ship in 1902, renamed Vernon III 1904, and was hulked in 1923 at Portsmouth Harbor. There, she was converted once more into an oil pipeline pier and renamed C77. In 1979 C77 was moved to Hartlepool and restored. Warrior can now be seen alongside HMS Victory at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.

Black Prince had a far less illustrious career. She was laid down 12 October 1859, launched 27 February 1861 and completed 12 September 1862. Converted to a training ship in 1899 and renamed Emerald 1903 and Impregnable III 1910, she was sold for scrap 21 March 1923.

Specifications (1867 refit)

Displacement: 9,137 t (Black Prince 9250 t)
Dimensions: 420 by 58 by 26 ft (128 by 17.7 by 7.9 m)
Armament: 4 x 8 in (203 mm), 28 x 7 in (178 mm), 4 x 20 pdr (9 kg) (see text)
Armor: 4.5 in (114 mm) armor + 18 in (457 mm) wood, 4.5 in (114 mm) bulkheads
Propulsion: 10 Penn coal-fired boilers, 1 horizontal single expansion engine, 1 lifting screw, sails = 13 knots (24 km/h) sail; 14 knots (26 km/h) steam
Range: 2,100 nautical miles (3,900 km) @ 11 knots (20 km/h)
Complement: 707

External link

[Portsmouth Historic Dockyard]

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