In her appearance as ironclad [RvM]
She was launched at the Norfolk Navy Yard on 13 December 1855 as a steam frigate, commissioned on 4 May two years later and decommissioned on 25 March 1862 at New York City.
At the plant Novelty Iron Works started there her conversion into an ironclad supervised by John Lenthall chief of naval construction and Benjamin F. Isherwood chief of steam engineering. For this purpose she was cut down to the low free-board and fitted out with 3 revolving Ericsson centerline turrets. Sea trials however proved that the conversion wasn’t a real success mainly caused by rolling in a seaway as a result of the heavy turrets and the strength of her hull was not sufficient enough for the weight of these turrets and the effects of continuous firing with her guns. Although decommissioned on 29 June 1863 was she just used as a harbour defence ship at Hampton Roads in Virginia probably to compensate her lacking sea worthiness. Two years later was she decommissioned on 20 June at the New York Navy Yard and where she was placed in the reserve. She was again commissioned on 13 January 1874 with reduced tasks and hardly a year later on 12 June 1875 decommissioned and again in the reserve. Finally she was stricken on 5 August 1882 and a year later on 27 September sold at Chester, Pennsylvania to be broken up by E. Stannard&Co. of Westbrook, Connecticut.
As a steam frigate were her dimensions 263’8¼” x 52’6” x 23’6” or 80,37 x 16,00 x 7,16 metres with a displacement of 4,772 tons. As an ironclad were her dimensions 278’x 52’6”x 24’3’ or 84,73 x 16,00 x 7,39 metres with a displacement of 4,395 tons.
Her crew numbered 350 (as ironclad)-674 (as steam frigate) men.
The single shaft Penn trunk engines and 4 Martin boilers supplied 440 ihp allowing a speed as a steam frigate of 11 knots but which was after her conversion reduced to just 6 knots.
Her armour as an ironclad consisted of a 1,5” deck, while her sides were protected by 3,5-4,5” and her three turrets by 11”.
As a steam frigate she was armed with 2-10”smoothbore guns, 28-9’ smoothbore guns and 14-8” smooth bore guns. After being converted into a an ironclad she was armed with 2-15” smoothbore guns, 2-11” smoothbore guns and 2-8’ so-called Parrot rifles.
The magazine The Country Gentleman dated 2 October 1862 page 226 reported dealing with the building of ironclads at New York: "These vessels are all of the revolving turret class, designed, we understand, by Captain Ericsson. The Roanoke, one of our wooden steam frigates, is now at the Novelty Works, having the remainder of her plates put on. She is of the La Gloire class, and will be a very efficient vessel, we believe."
And the The Mechanic's magazine and journal of engineering, agricultural... dated 19 December 1862 page 399 wrote: " The " Roanoke," which is being converted into an iron-plated turret ship, will be able to throw 2,700 lb. of shot at once. The effect of her shell of 330 lb., and solid shot of 450 lb., from 15-inch guns, will be damaging beyond former experience. One of the 15-inch guns has been tried on 5½-inch iron plates backed with 18 in. of oak, and placed at 200 yards distant. The shot passed through this target, with ease. One of the 11-inch cast-iron guns (weighing 16,000 Ib.), has been lired 155 times, with charges varying from 20 to 30 lb. of powder and shot of 105 and 109 lb. This gun does not exhibit any signs of giving way. A great number of experiments with these cast-iron guns afford proof that they are as strong and durable as the forged British guns."
