This is a list of
ironclads of the
Royal Navy of the
United Kingdom. An ironclad was a steam-propelled warship in the early part of the second half of the 19th century, protected by iron or steel armour plates.
The term battleship was not used by the
Admiralty until the early 1880s[citation needed], with the construction of the
Colossus class. Prior to this point, a wide range of descriptions were used.
While the introduction of the ironclad is clear-cut, the boundary between 'ironclad' and the later '
pre-dreadnought battleship' is less obvious, as the characteristics of the pre-dreadnought evolved. For the sake of this article, the
Royal Sovereign-class are treated as the first pre-dreadnoughts on account of their high freeboard and mixed battery of guns.
In the sections listing warships in the English/Royal Navy from 1860 onwards, the dates have been quoted using the modern convention of the year starting on 1 January.
This is a list of
ironclads of the
Royal Navy of the
United Kingdom. An ironclad was a steam-propelled warship in the early part of the second half of the 19th century, protected by iron or steel armour plates.
The term battleship was not used by the
Admiralty until the early 1880s[citation needed], with the construction of the
Colossus class. Prior to this point, a wide range of descriptions were used.
While the introduction of the ironclad is clear-cut, the boundary between 'ironclad' and the later '
pre-dreadnought battleship' is less obvious, as the characteristics of the pre-dreadnought evolved. For the sake of this article, the
Royal Sovereign-class are treated as the first pre-dreadnoughts on account of their high freeboard and mixed battery of guns.
In the sections listing warships in the English/Royal Navy from 1860 onwards, the dates have been quoted using the modern convention of the year starting on 1 January.