British Ironclads 1860 75

In November 1859, the French warship La Gloire was launched. She was the world''s first seagoing ironclad - a warship built from wood, but whose hull was clad in a protective layer of iron plate. Britain, not to be outdone, launched her own ironclad the following year - HMS Warrior - which, when she entered service, became the most powerful warship in the world.

Just like the Dreadnought half a ce...