HMS Minotaur gave Hornby a prestigious five-masted ironclad flagship with a single-shaft trunk engine. She was a fine gun platform and seaboat, yet most officers found her unhandy under steam and almost unmanageable under sail. Hornby could keep her in trim, while steam-assisted steering answered a handling problem he and other officers had identified. Her metacentric height was only 1.2 metres. At about 11,000 tons, she carried four 9-inch guns and twenty-four 7-inch guns behind a belt between 4.5 and 5.5 inches thick. These characteristics show why stability, firepower, protection, and controllability had to be judged together.
Notable Point · 46:43-48:35
HMS Minotaur rewarded exceptional shiphandling
Minotaur combined formidable guns and armor with awkward handling, making Hornby's seamanship and advocacy of steam-assisted steering operationally important.