Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: The Iron Warship HMS Warrior
AssociatedAssociated with
Lord Mountbatten of Burma
(Frogmore House, Windsor, England, 1900 - 1979)
Medallist
John Pinches, Medallists
DateMay 2004
Object NameMedal
MediumSterling Silver
ClassificationsMedals
AcquisitionPresented in 2004 by Dr Joan M Burrell.
LocationView by Appointment - Aberdeen Treasure Hub
Object numberABDMS072500.62
Keywords
The first naval ship to carry steam engines was the Congo of1815, but she got only as far as Greenwich. Starting with the Comet in 1812, steam tugs came into use. After the triumph of steam over paddle illustrated by the tug-of-war between HMS Rattler and Alecto, retractable screws were fitted to many ships, the first being HMS Agamemnon in 1852. Even then the usual command on leaving harbour was 'Down funnel. Up Screw. Make all plain sail. ' The Crimean War changed all that. In their bombardment of Kinbum the French showed how useful armoured monitors could be, so in 1859 the naval architect Dupuy de Lome designed an armour plated, wooden-hulled ship of 5,600 tons called La Gloire. In reply the British launched HMS Warrior in 1860, a truly revolutionary warship in that she and her sister ship Black Prince had iron hulls with 4Y2-inch belts of armour, auxiliary screw propulsion and 38 guns. They were classed as 'steam frigates' because they were single-decked, though their displacement was 9,210 tons and their length 380 feet. They were fully rigged for sail.
lron-hulled warships, such as the ill-fated Birkenhead, had been built before, but they were not in favour because of the danger from iron splinters when they were hit by solid shot. With her armour plating, the Warrior was the beginning of a rapid change from wood to iron, a type of ship which British industrial progress was well fitted to build.
The Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea, John Pinches Medallists Ltd.
Lord Mountbatten of Burma
May 2004
Lord Mountbatten of Burma
May 2004
Lord Mountbatten of Burma
May 2004
Lord Mountbatten of Burma
May 2004
Lord Mountbatten of Burma
May 2004
Lord Mountbatten of Burma
May 2004
Lord Mountbatten of Burma
May 2004
Lord Mountbatten of Burma
May 2004
Lord Mountbatten of Burma
May 2004
Lord Mountbatten of Burma
May 2004
Lord Mountbatten of Burma
May 2004
Lord Mountbatten of Burma
May 2004
Lord Mountbatten of Burma
May 2004
Lord Mountbatten of Burma
May 2004
Lord Mountbatten of Burma
May 2004
Lord Mountbatten of Burma
May 2004
Lord Mountbatten of Burma
May 2004
Lord Mountbatten of Burma
May 2004
Lord Mountbatten of Burma
May 2004
Lord Mountbatten of Burma
May 2004
Lord Mountbatten of Burma
May 2004
Lord Mountbatten of Burma
May 2004
Lord Mountbatten of Burma
May 2004
Lord Mountbatten of Burma
May 2004