At the [[Battle of Sinope]] in 1853 a squadron of [[Turkish]] frigates was completely destroyed by [[Russia]]n shellfire which - apart from being one of the immediate causes of the [[Crimean War]] - had every major navy in the world scurrying to build armor-plated ships, or cover their wooden-hulled vessels with iron. The first true ironclad was the [[French]] "La Gloire" in 1859. The [[British]] followed the next year with the first all-iron warship, HMS "Warrior". "Ironclad" became the generic description for such vessels until "Dreadnought" replaced it in 1906. | At the [[Battle of Sinope]] in 1853 a squadron of [[Turkish]] frigates was completely destroyed by [[Russia]]n shellfire which - apart from being one of the immediate causes of the [[Crimean War]] - had every major navy in the world scurrying to build armor-plated ships, or cover their wooden-hulled vessels with iron. The first true ironclad was the [[French]] "La Gloire" in 1859. The [[British]] followed the next year with the first all-iron warship, HMS "Warrior". "Ironclad" became the generic description for such vessels until "Dreadnought" replaced it in 1906. |