|
|
| Career
| 
|
| Ordered:
|
|
| Laid down:
|
|
| Launched:
| 1 March 1870
|
| Commissioned:
| 1 April 1871
|
| Decommissioned:
| Reserve 1890, converted to coal hulk 1900
|
| Fate:
| Sold for scrap 15 May 1906
|
| Struck:
|
|
| General Characteristics
|
| Displacement:
| 6034 tons
|
| Length:
| 341 feet 3 inches
|
| Beam:
| 54 feet
|
| Draught:
| 23 feet 2 inches
|
| Propulsion:
| Three masts for sails.
Coal fired reciprocating steam engines. 2-shafts
6 boilers. Two engines by Ravenhill. 4,830 HP total.
|
| Speed:
| 13 knots maximum
|
| Range:
|
|
| Complement:
| 450
|
| Armament:
| ten 12 ton, 9 inch RML guns,
four x 6 inch (64 pounder) RML 'chaser' guns (two at bows and two at stern),
six x 20 pounder guns; ram
|
| Armour:
| Iron plating with teak backing - Belt: 6-8 inches
Battery: 4-6 inches
Bulkheads: 4-5 inches
|
| Motto:
|
|
The first HMS Iron Duke was an iron Audacious-class central battery ironclad.
She was originally to have been called HMS Duke but she was nicknamed Iron Duke during construction as she was armoured unlike many other vessels under construction. The phrase was already in circulation as it was a nickname given to Arthur Wellesly, 1st Duke of Wellington. The name was adopted when she was launched at Pembroke shipyard.
She became the flagship of the China station on 31 August 1871, one of the first large ships to use the Suez canal to reach there. In an age of innefficient engines, her full sailing rig made her particulary suitable for operations in the Pacific ocean. She returned to the UK in 1875 and joined the First Reserve Squadron.
On 1 September 1875 during the squadron's summer cruise she was enroute with several other ships between Kingstown (now Dun Laoghaire) and Queenstown (now Cobh). She accidently rammed her sister ship, another member of the squadron, HMS Vanguard off Kish Bank, Dublin Bay in thick fog. Although Iron Duke sustained minor damage, a large hole was torn in Vanguard. Vanguard's engine room was flooded which prevented her from using her pumps and she sunk in a little over an hour. All the crew were rescued.
Following the loss, Iron Duke replaced Vanguard as guard ship at Kingstown, a role in which she remained until July 1877.
She then returned to the China station again as flagship, returning in January 1883. After refitting, on 16 April 1885 she became a member of Admiral Hornby's Particular Service Squadron until August, when she joined the Channel Squadron.
She entered the reserve in May 1890 and was finally paid off on 2 May 1893. She was converted to a coal hulk before eventually being sold for £15000 as scrap on 15 May 1906.
See HMS Iron Duke for other ships of the same name.
| 
