Volume I

No. 8

HE present conflict in the Far East has awakened such a widespread interest in naval affairs that a review of the development of the modern battleship affords, at this time, an especially interesting field of study.

The battleship came into existence. with the introduction of armor about 1860, and it is the purpose of the present article to trace its growth through a period of nearly forty years. In 1892 the Royal Sovereign was launched-an English battleship that represented a strictly modern type. In a succeeding article, a comparison will be made of several of the most recent designs.

Throughout naval history, it has been almost without exception that development in guns and ammunition has preceded the advance in armor, each improved gun, projectile, or explosive necessitating improved methods in the manufacture of armor-plate. The utter worthlessness of wooden vessels forcibly demonstrated on November 20, 1853, at the battle of Sinope, where the Russian fleet completely destroyed a Turkish fleet of greatly superior numbers, through the disastrous effect of shell fire. The lesson taught was at once put to a

was

practical test by the French Emperor, Napoleon III., who, the following year, had five floating batteries built for service in the Crimean War. The protection to these vessels consisted of 41⁄2 inches of wrought-iron plate set on 17 inches of wood backing.

In June, 1859, the English contracted for their first armored vessel, the Warrior. This was the first sea-going armored vessel, and naturally followed very closely in design the wooden frigates of the day. The Warrior was necessarily very imperfect, but in point of size, exceeded any warship then afloat, being 380 feet long, 58 feet beam, and having a displacement of 9,200 tons. Like other ships of the day, she was armed with forty 68-pounders,* the largest guns then made. All the guns were on the main deck, but only half of them were protected by armor.

The armor consisted of 41⁄2-inch plates on 18 inches of wood backing; it extended for 218 feet along the side, and was capable of resisting the heaviest projectiles then known. The armor-belt extended a few feet below the water line, and rested on an armor shelf, in many respects similar to those of the present.

* The projectile from these guns weighed 68 pounds.

the total displacement of this vessel was devoted to armor and backing.

Immediately upon the completion of the Warrior, the destructive effect of a raking fore-and-aft fire upon the unprotected ends was realized, and three ships of the Minotaur class were contracted for. They were completely encircled by an armor-belt 51⁄2 inches thick amidships and diminishing at the ends. In addition to this protection afforded the machinery by the armor-belt amidships, an armored bulkhead was built across the ship at each end of the machinery space. In these vessels the old clipper bow was discarded, and the forerunner of the modern ram adopted.

A few years later, Sir Edward Reed became Chief Constructor in the Royal Navy, and his policy of placing a few heavy guns in a well-armored central citadel was adopted. This was the inevitable outcome of the rapid improvement in heavy guns, for it would have been impossible at that time to carry the increased weight of armor around the entire vessel. A narrow belt was still retained around the water line; and bow fire was made a feature of these ships by mounting a single gun at the extreme

MINOTAUR" (1861).

bow, behind armor protection of its own. The accompanying diagram of the Hercules illustrates this class of vessels.

In America the Civil War was then in progress, and the Monitor had fought its memorable battle in Hampton Roads. This justly famous vessel, although the first American ironclad, in no manner represented the development which had taken place across the water. Her armor was of the crudest sort, that on the turret

being built up of ten layers of one-inch plate. plate. Her battery consisted of two eleven-inch smooth-bore, muzzle-loading cast-iron guns, which would have made a poor showing indeed if engaged against the rifled cannon being introduced into England at that time. In spite of all her crudeness, however, the Monitor was a most important factor in the line of naval progress, for she demonstrated to the world that the revolving turret was a most decided success.

The turret system had been advocated in England for some years by prominent naval men; but it was not until the visit of the U.S.S. Miantonomah to British waters in 1866 that the advantages afforded by turrets were fully realized. Three years later, contracts were let for the Devastation and the Devastation and the Thunderer, embodying this turret system.

HERCULES."

The

The armament of these vessels comprised four 12-inch guns, each weighing 35 tons. These guns were mounted in two turrets, with the axes of the guns fourteen feet above the water level. hull proper had about three feet of freeboard, with a complete armor-belt 12 to 10 inches thick, set on 18 inches of wood backing. For two-thirds of the length, there was a light superstructure about 8 feet high, affording ample accommodations for the crew. The main deck was protected with 21⁄2-inch armor; and rising above this was an armored breastwork enclosing the machinery hatches and protecting the bases of the turrets. Masts and rigging were abandoned; and twin screws, driven by independent engines, gave the vessel a speed of 14 knots. The vessel was 285 feet long, 62 feet beam, 26 2-3 feet draft, and displaced 9,400 tons. The weight of armor on these vessels was nearly onethird of their displacement, the heaviest then known, and they marked the maximum development of both guns and armor at that day.

were not so rapid, and, by doubling its thickness, about the same protection as before was obtained. This naturally led to the greatest possible concentration of armor, and in 1876 the British ship Inflexible was launched. This ship was 320 feet long, 75 feet beam, 241⁄2 feet draft, and displaced 11,400 tons, being the largest man-of-war then afloat. The only armored portions in the entire vessel were a central citadel 110 feet long, and two turrets rising above it. The armor extended for 62 feet below the water line to the full height of the super

structure (10 feet) above. At the water line the thickness was 24 inches; at the lower edge, 16 inches; and at the top 201 inches. The armor and backing together formed a solid wall 41 inches thick throughout. The most peculiar feature of this ship was such an arrangement of turrets that both pairs of guns could fire ahead or astern or on either side. turrets were protected with 8-inch armor made up of 31⁄2 inches hard face, welded to 41⁄2 inches wrought iron, set on wood. backing, and, inside of this, another layer of armor and backing. The total weight of armor, including a three-inch protective deck, was 3,155 tons.

INFLEXIBLE" (1876).

The

The battery comprised four 80-ton 16inch muzzle-loading guns. To load them the muzzles were depressed below the