Of the Devastation-class with one sister ship the Thunderer, both ships without masts and sails. Laid down on the Portsmouth dockyard on 12 November 1869, launched on 12 July two years later, commissioned on 19 April 1873 and broken up in May 1908.
With a displacement of 9,180 (standard)-13,000 (maximum) tons were her dimensions 87 (between perpendiculars)-94 (over all) x 18,97 x 8,38 metres or 285’-307’x 62’3”x 27’6”. Originally fitted out with a 2-cylinder Penn Trunk engines and 8 rectangular boilers supplying 6,640 ihp allowing a speed of 12,5-13,84 knots. In 1890 fitted out with triple expansion engines and cylindrical boilers although her speed just slightly increased to maximum 14 knots. Her crew numbered 410 men. Originally armed with 2x2-12” muzzle loading rifles which main armament in 1890 was changed into 4-10” breech loading guns, 6-6pdr guns, 8-3pdr guns. Earlier, in 1879, were 2-14” torpedo launchers added to the armament. The armour consisted of a 10-12” thick belt, a 3”ciurved deck while the turrets were protected by 15”.
Von Nostrand’s eclectic engineering magazine of 1870 page 556 wrote that The British Admiralty in fact already condemned this class while the third ship was redesigned with larger dimensions, more horsepower and a higher speed.
P. 101: “The "Devastation” On Friday last the keel of the Devastation, a sister ship to the Thunderer, now building at Pembroke, was officially laid at Portsmouth. The Devastation belongs to the new class of ironclads without masts or sails, dependent upon their steam power alone, and therefore suited especially for fighting, and not for cruising
p. 102: ships. When completed, they will be unequalled for defensive powers, for heavy armament, and for the large capacity for carrying coals, which is. indeed, the vital element of their active existence. The London "Times'" gives the following particulars of these vessels:
The Devastation and Thunderer are precisely alike in every respect, and when afloat will represent exactly the same amount of fighting powers and of speed. Their principal dimensions will be: Length, 285 ft; extreme breadth, 62¼ ft; draught of water (mean), 26 ft; and burden in tons, 4,406. They will be clothed with 12 in. of rolled armor plating on a teak backing, built into a framing of immense strength, of 18 in. in thickness, and the whole backed up with an inner skin of iron plating 1½ in. thick. In the Devastation the upper deck, when the ship is complete for sea, will be, as nearly as possible, 4 ft 6 in. above the water, except at the bows, where a half sunk forecastle raises the | height to a little over 9 ft. This height of the ship's bows will enable her to steam ahead to sea in rough weather, at the same time that it has been sufficiently kept down not to interfere with the fire of the guns of the forward turret over and round the bows of the ship. Although her freeboard is as low as 56 in. above the water, her turret guns will be carried at a height of 13 ft, a height greater than that of any broadside armed iron-clad afloat. There is no doubt that the Devastation will fight her guns at sea in such weather as would prevent the best of our broadside iron-clads opening their main deck ports, low as the former's upper deck is in the water. The explanation of this is, low as is the new ship's free-board by means of the armored breastwork which incloses the turrets and funnel, the virtual free-board for about one half the length of the ship is raised iron 4½ ft to 21 ft. At a considerable height above the breastwork deck there will be a hurricane or flying deck, from which the ship will be conned in heavy weather at sea, and to which access will be given by water-tight hatchways leading from openings in the breastwork deck. When the ship is in action all these openings will be closed by armor covers, and the ship will be worked from "conning hoods" formed of armor plates built up within the breastwork. The turrets of the Devastation are mounted on Captain Cole's system, working on a series of rollers fixed at the circumference of the base of the turret, and centred on a central cylindrical spindle; but their base rests upon the upper deck within the breastwork, and does not pass through the upper deck, as is the case with the Royal Sovereign, Monarch, Captain, and other turret ships. On the turrets the armor plating will be 14 in. in thickness round the gun-ports, and 12 in. in all other parts, on an iron frame and teak backing of 15 in. and 17 in., with an inner skin iron plating of 1¼ in. The diameter of the turrets will exceed 31 ft
The offensive powers of the Devastation and her consort will consist of two 30-ton guns in each turret, and her capabilities as a ram. As regards the guns, they are intended to be of the pattern at present adopted in the navy—the Woolwich improved Armstrong—and will throw 600-pounder shot of the ogival-headed Palliser type.
For her propelling power she depends solely on her engines, which will consist of a pair of the combined nominal power of 800 horse. The engines will drive a pair of twin screws, each working independently of the other. The estimated mean speed of the ship will be 12½ knots per hoar under a full pressure of steam, and the stowage for coals reaches the exceptionally large amount of 1,600 tons. This latter, it is estimated, will enable the ship to proceed to the Mediterranean and return without calling between the times of her leaving Spithead and anchoring there again at the conclusion of her voyage; or, it would enable her to cross the Atlantic, fight an action, and afterwards return to a home port without having to renew her stock of fuel. Each engine works independently of the other, and drives its own screw; so that under these conditions both engines must become disabled simultaneously to deprive the ship of her steam power. One engine, or one screw, may be rendered unserviceable for a time, but the other will remain available for the propulsion of the ship.
The complement of officers and men for the new ship will be 250, a small number compared with the size of the ship, but quite sufficient for every purpose- on board a ship where there is no work aloft. The comfort and health of all on board are well provided for.”
