Cost of Construction
The following table compares the cost of construction of:
- Two-decker steam line of battleships of the Duncan class. Had the Bulwark class been completed to their original design, their costs would have been similar.
- Wooden hulled ironclad battleships of the Prince Consort class and their half-sister the Royal Oak.
- Iron hulled ironclad battleships (the first seven laid down).
The ironclads were much more expensive both in absolute terms and in cost per ton than the steam wooden line of battleships. The cost per ton of all the ironclads listed was similar, with Prince Consort the least expensive at £36 per ton, and Achilles and Valiant the most expensive at £48 per ton.
| Ship | Laid Down | Launched | Completed | Cost of Hull | Cost of Engines & Fittings | Cost of Masts, Sails, Stores, &c., until complete for Sea | Total Cost | Displacement (tons) | Cost per Ton |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duncan class steam two-deckers (wooden-hulled) | £131,000 | £22 | |||||||
| Duncan | 2 May 1855 | 12 December 1859 | August 1860 | £132,697 | 5,950 | £22 | |||
| Gibraltar | October 1858 | 16 August 1860 | April 1861 | £130,235 | 5,950 | £22 | |||
| Wooden-hulled ironclads | £263,000 | £39 | |||||||
| Royal Oak | 1 May 1860 | 10 September 1862 | April 1863 | £189,381 | £45,310 | £19,846 | £254,537 | 6,366 | £40 |
| Prince Consort | 13 August 1860 | 26 June 1862 | April 1864 | £174,392 | £52,603 | £15,554 | £242,549 | 6,832 | £36 |
| Caledonia | 10 October 1860 | 24 October 1862 | April 1865 | £212,763 | £51,895 | £18,672 | £283,330 | 6,832 | £41 |
| Ocean | 23 August 1860 | 19 March 1862 | July 1866 | £201,651 | £52,162 | £17,417 | £271,230 | 6,832 | £40 |
| Iron-hulled ironclads (6,000–7,000 tons) | £283,000 | £44 | |||||||
| Defence | December 1859 | 24 April 1861 | 2 December 1861 | £203,229 | £34,357 | £15,836 | £253,422 | 6,150 | £41 |
| Resistance | December 1859 | 11 April 1861 | 2 July 1862 | £208,571 | £33,765 | £15,784 | £258,120 | 6,070 | £43 |
| Hector | March 1861 | 26 September 1862 | 22 February 1864 | £237,911 | £45,738 | £10,969 | £294,618 | 6,710 | £44 |
| Valiant | February 1861 | 14 October 1863 | 15 September 1868 | £264,443 | £48,323 | £12,449 | £325,215 | 6,710 | £48 |
| Iron-hulled ironclads (9,000–10,000 tons) | £409,000 | £43 | |||||||
| Warrior | 25 May 1859 | 29 December 1860 | 24 October 1861 | £282,581 | £74,409 | £22,164 | £379,154 | 9,137 | £41 |
| Black Prince | 12 October 1859 | 27 February 1861 | 12 September 1862 | £283,511 | £74,482 | £20,317 | £378,310 | 9,250 | £41 |
| Achilles | 1 August 1861 | 23 December 1863 | 26 November 1864 | £375,473 | £69,117 | £25,740 | £470,330 | 9,829 | £48 |
None of the cost data in the table above includes the cost of armament. Data on Duncan and Gibraltar are taken from Lambert. The date of steam trials has been taken as the date of completion. Costs probably do not include "masts, sails, stores, &c., until complete for sea". Data on the displacement and construction dates of ironclads has been taken from Conways (except for 'laid down' dates for the conversions from the Bulwark class, which were taken from Lambert. Data on costs of ironclads are the "actual outlay on labour and materials" and were taken from Reed. The costs quoted by Reed are similar (but not always identical) to those quoted in Parkes. Baxter quotes similar but not identical costs for the first four British ironclads.
Read more about this topic: Prince Consort Class Ironclad
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