SS Archimedes appears as the first screw-propelled steamship and a catalyst for naval interest in the technology. Her appearance did not make paddle wheels obsolete overnight. She gave navies a practical alternative worth testing against their mature paddle machinery. The Royal Navy's later Rattler-Alecto comparisons belong to this gradual transition in blue-water propulsion.
Notable Point · 33:39-34:39
SS Archimedes makes navies take the screw seriously
SS Archimedes demonstrated practical screw propulsion and pushed the Royal Navy and other fleets toward systematic comparison with paddle steamers.