Converting ships already under construction helped Britain expand its steam battlefleet. Duke of Wellington was lengthened to receive machinery, and other ships of her class followed. Britain's larger stock of sailing battleships and greater building capacity supported further conversions and new construction. The numerical lead was eighteen steam battleships to France's nine in 1854, narrowing to twenty-eight against twenty-four in 1857 before Britain pulled ahead again. Iron armour was already approaching the point at which these large wooden steam fleets would become obsolete.
Notable Point · 2:39:56-2:41:35
Converting sailing battleships accelerates the Anglo-French steam race
Britain used existing hulls and greater shipyard capacity to build a numerical lead in steam battleships, even as iron armour threatened their future.