Devastation Class
Battleships.
HMS Devastation built at Portsmouth and launched 12th July 1871. Her
sister ship HMS Thunderer was built at
Pembroke dockyard and launched 26th May 1877. These early Royal Navy battleships were the idea of Sir
E J Reed of the Admiralty as an improvement on the old Prince Albert
design. Thunderer was involved in an accident in 1879 when one of her
38ton guns was double loaded causing the barrel to burst. Shortly after
this in 1881 she was refitted as was Devastation with improvements in
ventilation, and an overhaul of machinery. Devastation and Thunderer
underwent modernization in 1890-92 and old guns were replaced with
quick-firers and breechloaders. HMS Devastation and HMS Thunderer were
removed from the Navy List in 1907 with Devastation being sold in May 1908
and Thunderer in 1909.
Armament: four 29 ton guns, six 6 pounder guns and eight 3 pounder
quick firers with a partial belt of armour from 12ins to10 ins.
Displacement: 9,330 tons. I.H.P: 7,000. Length: 285 ft.
Beam: 62ft 3 ins. Max Draught: 27ft 6ins. Speed:
14 knots (after modernisation).
Complement: 410.
