Iron splinters and the case for timber backing

Did brittle early iron make iron frigates unsuitable as warships?

Iron could shed dangerous fragments, so later protection paired a thick iron layer with teak backing rather than relying on bare iron alone.

Early iron construction had a dangerous splinter problem when struck. Fragments could peel away from the inner face and sweep through occupied spaces even without a clean penetration. The answer was to use compound protection instead of relying on bare iron. Ships such as Warrior placed thick iron over teak backing so the timber absorbed impact and helped contain fragmentation.