Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 5:10:44-5:20:01

Why New Ironsides could not match HMS Warrior

New Ironsides was an effective coastal broadside ironclad, but Warrior's speed, machinery, size, and ocean-going offensive purpose put the ships in different categories.

GloireHMS Warrior (1860)IroncladsRoyal NavyUS NavyUSS New Ironsides
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Question

How would USS New Ironsides fare against HMS Warrior?

Short answer

Badly; New Ironsides was a slow coastal-oriented broadside ironclad, while Warrior was a much faster, larger, and more powerful ocean-going warship.

Notes

New Ironsides is assessed as badly outmatched by Warrior, with a coastal defensive role closer to a mobile battery. The comparison gives New Ironsides a displacement a little above 4,000 tons and a speed of about seven knots, against roughly fourteen knots for Warrior. Warrior also has the larger battery, more powerful machinery, and thicker armored bulkheads, while New Ironsides' deck armor is acknowledged as a possible advantage. Gloire prompts more disagreement because of reservations about her machinery and qualities as a gun platform. Her superior speed, armament, and power still form the case that she would outmatch the American ship. New Ironsides is regarded as a useful starting point for further American ironclad development, but she remained a one-off.