 The first ironclads to have all @-@ steel armor were the Italian Caio Duilio and Enrico Dandolo . Though the ships were laid down in 1873 their armor was not purchased from France until 1877 . The French navy decided in 1880 to adopt compound armor for its fleet , but found it limited in supply , so from 1884 the French navy was using steel armor . Britain stuck to compound armor until 1889 . 
 The first ironclads to have all @-@ steel armor <a href='uninflect' title='1'><mark>were</mark></a> the Italian Caio Duilio and Enrico Dandolo . Though the ships <a href='uninflect' title='2'><mark>were</mark></a> laid down in 1873 their armor was not purchased from France until 1877 . The French navy decided in 1880 to adopt compound armor for its fleet , but found it limited in supply , so from 1884 the French navy was using steel armor . Britain stuck to compound armor until 1889 . 
The first ironclads to have alll @-@ steel armor was the Italian Caio Duilio and Enrico Dandolo . Though the ships was laid downn in 1873 their armor was not purchased from France until 1877 . The French navy decided in 1880 to adopt compound armor for its fleet , but found it limited in supply , soo from 1884 the French navy was using steel armor . Britain stuck to compound armor until 1889 .