Foto

The second view of HMS Warrior taken on Sunday at Portsmouth Naval base. She is pictured here just arriving in the dock before the water was pumped out.

HMS WARRIOR 1860 as the world's first ocean going, iron hulled, armoured warship, was the most formidable naval vessel of her day and one of the most significant warships ever built. She was such an immense deterrent and so technically advanced that she ensured peace for 10 years without ever firing a shot in anger.
Warrior began active service most inauspiciously. She froze to the slipway when she was launched on December 29th 1860 during the coldest winter for 50 years. Frozen snow covered the dockyard and Thames braziers blazed down the ship's sides but when Sir John Pakington, First Lord of the Admiralty, came to do the honours, she refused to budge.
Extra tugs and hydraulic rams pulled her while hundreds of men ran from side to side on her upper deck, trying to rock her free. After 20 minutes, she finally gave way. Sir John smashed a bottle of wine over her bow with the words "God speed the Warrior"
Now open to the public and a truly magnificent ship.
Displacement 9210 tons, crew 705, 128m length.

Sorry i have missed a bit of the mast and bowsprit but i was on maximum wide angle and as far back as i could get, any more and i would have been swimming.
Cropped and resized.