HMS ''Iron Duke''

By Crusader1307

Named for The Duke of Wellington, Arthur Wellesley (whose own military nickname was The ''Iron Duke''), HMS ''Iron Duke'' was the last of four ''Audacious'' - Class Battery Ironclads. She also had the distinction of being the first Ironclad Warship to traverse the Suez Canal. Building began in 1867 with completion in 1870. The ''Iron Duke'' was first assigned to The Far East Squadron. Displacing 6,130-Tons, ''Iron Duke'' was 280-feet long and stood (Beam) at 54-feet. She was powered by Twin Horizontal Return Steam Engines (2 Shaft), which achieved 15-mph at full steam. ''Iron Duke'' was also configured as a Twin Mast (3 with Steerage), Full Rigged Vessel. Her armament included (10) 9-inch Main Guns, (4) 6-Inch Guns and (2) 20-Pound Cannon. As an Ironclad Warship, ''Iron Duke'' sported 6 to 8-inches of plating from her Hull to Superstructures. She crewed 450 Officers and Men. Involved in an accidental collision in 1875, it took 2 years of refitting to relaunch. Spending the majority of her career in The Far East (China and Japan), ''Iron Duke'' returned home in time to participate in Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee in 1887. Placed in Reserve and as a Trainer in 1890, HMS ''Iron Duke''was scrapped in 1906.