Defence as she appeared after 1866 |
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Builders: | Palmer Brothers, Jarrow Westwood, Baillie, Cubitt Town |
| Preceded by: | Warrior class ironclad |
| Built: | 1859–1862 |
| In commission: | 1861–1935 |
| Completed: | 2 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Ironclad battleships |
| Displacement: | Resistance: 6,070 tons Defence: 6,150 tons |
| Length: | 302 ft (92 m) o/a 280 ft (85 m) p/p |
| Beam: | 54 ft 2 in (16.51 m) |
| Draught: | 24 ft 6 in (7.47 m) forward 26 ft (7.9 m)aft |
| Installed power: | 2,540 ihp (1,890 kW) |
| Propulsion: | Single-shaft Penn trunk engine |
| Sail plan: | Barque rig, sail area 24,500 sq ft (2,280 m2) |
| Speed: | 10.75 kn (19.91 km/h) under power 10.5 kn (19.4 km/h) under sail |
| Complement: | 460 |
| Armament: |
6 × 7 in (180 mm) Armstrong breech-loaders |
| Armour: | 4.5 in (110 mm) with 18-inch (460 mm) teak backing 4.5 inch bulkheads |
The Defence class of ironclad battleships were the class which historically immediately followed the first two British ironclads, HMS Warrior and HMS Black Prince. The class consisted of two ships, HMS Defence and HMS Resistance.
Contents |
In 1859 the Admiralty was as yet not convinced that the cost of the HMS Warrior class, which had significantly exceeded the costs of all previous warships, had to be accepted as the norm. It had been noted that the armour plate of 4.5 inches (110 mm) thickness as fitted to these vessels was adequate to deflect all ordnance currently afloat, and Their Lordships therefore requested a class of ships which, while carrying the same armour as the Warriors, was cheaper and smaller.
The designer, Isaac Watts, submitted a plan on November 24, 1859, in which he made it clear that he could only incorporate enough engine power for 10.75 knots (20 km/h), which would leave the French ironclad La Gloire some two knots faster, and able to avoid action if she so chose.
In view of the French programme of ironclad construction, which showed signs of overtaking the British, the Admiralty proposed that six ships of this design be constructed. Political considerations however ultimately ensured that only two were ordered on 14 December 1859. The Prime Minister of the day, Lord Palmerston, was not convinced that the day of the wooden line-of-battle ship had passed.
Sir Nathaniel Barnaby, a future Constructor of the Navy, considered that in terms of combat a Defence-class ship was worth one quarter of a Warrior.
| Ship | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Commissioned | Fate | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Defence | Palmers, Jarrow | December 1859 | 24 April 1861 | 4 December 1861 | Scrapped 1935 | £252,422[1] |
| Resistance | Westwood, Baillie, Cubitt Town, London | December 1859 | 11 April 1861 | 2 July 1862 | Sold 1898, foundered under tow 1899 | £258,120[1] |
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