HMS 'Devastation' (1871), starboard broadside

Scale: 1:48. A contemporary full hull model of HMS 'Devastation' (1871), a turret battleship. Built in 'bread and butter' fashion in the builder's style, the model is decked, fully equipped and rigged. Designed by Sir E. J. Reed, Chief Constructor of the Navy, HMS 'Devastation' was built at the Royal Naval Dockyard, Portsmouth. Measuring 285 feet in length by 63 feet in the beam and a displacement tonnage of 9,330, it was armed with four 12-inch muzzle-loading guns in revolving armoured turrets. It was powered by two horizontal trunk engines by John Penn of Greenwich, driving twin screws and capable of a speed of 13.5 knots.

This ship can be taken as benchmark for the future pattern of warship design. It was the first to operate without the use of sail-power and was fitted with steam steering gear; the armoured twin turrets provided an all-round field of fire and were mounted on an armoured hull fitted with watertight bulkheads. Its fuel capacity of 1800 tons provided a large radius of action enabling long ocean passages to be undertaken. Another prominent feature of her design was the ram bow which was introduced during this period and was result of a successful ramming at the Battle of Lissa in 1863.