Warrior combined wrought-iron armour, teak backing, a protected central battery, heavy guns, and useful coal endurance. Two nine-inch layers of teak were laid at right angles beneath interlocked armour plates and bolted through to the iron hull, spreading impact and reducing splinters. The belt did not cover the whole ship, but it extended above and below the waterline around the machinery and battery that made the vessel militarily useful. Warrior could make about 14 knots under steam and carried enough coal to steam roughly 2,100 nautical miles at 11 knots, giving her a marked advantage over La Gloire. Her speed, structure, armament, and protection amounted to an integrated British answer rather than a marginal increase in armour thickness.
Chapter · 42:21-50:18
HMS Warrior's speed, armour, and striking power
Warrior answered La Gloire with an iron hull, layered armour, and enough speed to redefine the British ironclad response.