 The Royal Navy had not been keen to sacrifice its advantage in steam ships of the line , but was determined that the first British ironclad would outmatch the French ships in every respect , particularly speed . A fast ship would have the advantage of being able to choose a range of engagement which could make her invulnerable to enemy fire . The British specification was more a large , powerful frigate than a ship @-@ of @-@ the @-@ line . The requirement for speed meant a very long vessel , which had to be built from iron . The result was the construction of two Warrior @-@ class ironclads ; HMS Warrior and HMS Black Prince . The ships had a successful design , though there were necessarily compromises between ' sea @-@ keeping ' , strategic range and armour protection ; their weapons were more effective than that of Gloire , and with the largest set of steam engines yet fitted to a ship they could steam at 14 @.@ 3 knots ( 26 @.@ 5 km / h ) . Yet the Gloire and her sisters had full iron @-@ armour protection along the waterline and the battery itself . Warrior and Black Prince ( but also the smaller Defence and Resistance ) were obliged to concentrate their armour in a central ' citadel ' or ' armoured box ' , leaving many main deck guns and the fore and aft sections of the vessel unprotected . The use of iron in the construction of Warrior also came with some drawbacks ; iron hulls required more regular and intensive repairs than wooden hulls , and iron was more susceptible to fouling by marine life . 
 The Royal Navy had <a href='negative_concord' title='1'><mark>not</mark></a><a href='negative_concord' title='2'><mark>been</mark></a> keen to sacrifice its advantage in steam ships of the line , but was determined that the first British ironclad would outmatch the French ships in every respect , particularly speed . A fast ship would have the advantage of being able to choose a range of engagement which could make her invulnerable to enemy fire . The British specification was more a large , powerful frigate than a ship @-@ of @-@ the @-@ line . The requirement for speed meant a very long vessel , which had to be built from iron . The result was the construction of two Warrior @-@ class ironclads ; HMS Warrior and HMS Black Prince . The ships had a successful design , though <a href='dey_it' title='3'><mark>there</mark></a> <a href='uninflect' title='4'><mark>were</mark></a> necessarily compromises between ' sea @-@ keeping ' , strategic range and armour protection ; their weapons <a href='uninflect' title='5'><mark>were</mark></a> more effective than that of Gloire , and with the largest set of steam engines yet <a href='uninflect' title='6'><mark>fitted</mark></a> to a ship they could steam at 14 @.@ 3 knots ( 26 @.@ 5 km / h ) . Yet the Gloire and her sisters had full iron @-@ armour protection along the waterline and the battery itself . Warrior and Black Prince ( but also the smaller Defence and Resistance ) <a href='uninflect' title='7'><mark>were</mark></a> obliged to concentrate their armour in a central ' citadel ' or ' armoured box ' , leaving many main deck guns and the fore and aft sections of the vessel unprotected . The use of iron in the construction of Warrior also came with some drawbacks ; iron hulls required more regular and intensive repairs than wooden hulls , and iron was more susceptible to fouling by marine life . 
Da Royal Navy had ain't keen to sacrifice its advantage in steam ships of the line , but was determined that the first British ironclad would outmatch the French ships in every respect , particularly speed . A fast ship would have the advantage of bein able to choose a range of engagement which could make her invulnerable to enemy fire . TdaBritish specification was more a bigass , powerful frigate than a ship @-@ of @-@ thda-@ line . Thedaquirement for speed meant a very long vessel , which had to be built from iron . The result was the construction of 2 Warrior @-@ class ironclads ; HMS Warrior and HMS Black Prince . The ships had a successful design , though it was necessarily compromises between ' sea @-@ keepin ' , strategic range and armour protection ; their weapons was more effective than dat of Gloire , and with the dagest set of steam engines yet fit to a ship they could steam at 14 @.@ 3 knots ( 26 @.@ 5 km / h ) . Yet the Gdare and her sisters had full iron @-@ armour protection along the wadaline and the batday itself . Warrior and Black Prince ( but also the smaller Defence and Resistance ) was obliged to concentrate their armour in a central ' citadel ' or ' armoured box ' , leavin many main deck guns and the fore and aft sections of the vessel unprotected . The use dairon in the construction of Warrior also came w/ some drawbacks ; iron hulls required more regular and intensive repairs den wooden hulls , and iron was more susceptible to fouling by marine life .