Title

Launch of the Floating Battery "Thunderbolt" at Millwall, 1856. Creator: Unknown.

Caption

Launch of the Floating Battery "Thunderbolt" at Millwall, 1856. Warship at Messrs. Samuda's Works on the River Thames in London, '... the first time that a vessel entirely of iron has been built for "fighting purposes"...The Thunderbolt went nobly off from the slips into the waters with the greatest ease. The cheers were loud and long; and many were the good wishes and compliments to Miss Watts, the daughter of the Assistant-Surveyor of the Navy, who had the honour of naming the vessel. The Thunderbolt is 2000 tons burden, and about 186 feet in length...Outside the plating, planks of teak, six inches in thickness, are bolted, and over these are plates of iron four inches thick. The sheathing of wood and iron is expected to be proof against shot or shell...the bottom is nearly flat, so as to make it float on a very small draught of water, and draw up close under the walls of a fortress'. From "Illustrated London News", 1856.

Credit line

Photo12/Heritage Images

Reference

HRM23A57_292

Model release

NA

Property release

NA

License type

Rights managed

Available size

26,9Mb (2,7Mb) / 13,0in x 8,0in / 3894 x 2413 (300dpi)

Keywords

transport transportation river London England River Thames Thames boat boats flag flags industry metal ship ships British geography color industrial century banner iron Britain launching newspapers press launch shipyard riverbank shipbuilding screw B&W standard ship building engraved engraving isle of dogs battleship Colour steamship 19th century water transport warship black & white black and white B W white and black warships nineteenth century Tower Hamlets The Print Collector geographical feature Illustrated London News Millwall steam ship TGN ILN Samuda newspaper Unknown naval ship 19th-century