HMS Caledonia was a broadside ironclad of the Prince Consort class

Prince Consort class battleship

The Prince Consort class of battleship were four Royal Navy wooden-hulled broadside ironclads: HMS Royal Oak, HMS Prince Consort, HMS Ocean, and HMS Caledonia. They were originally laid down as Bulwark-class battleships, but were converted to ironclads...

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Originally laid down as two-decker steam ship of the line of the Bulwark class

Bulwark class battleship (1859)

The Bulwark class were the final class of wooden line-of-battle ships laid down for the Royal Navy. They were laid down after . In March 1861 their construction was suspended, and seven were later converted to iron-clads...

, HMS Caledonia, HMS Triumph (later renamed ) and were converted on the building stocks to armoured frigate

Frigate

A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...

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The three ships of the Prince Consort class were intended to improve on , which is often referred to as a half-sister to the rest of the class. In reality, the greater engine power was offset by the increased weight of engines and coal which had to be carried, so that the class had almost a two foot greater draft as compared to Royal Oak, which caused their performance to be essentially identical.

Service history

HMS Caledonia was not completed until July 1865 due to a delay in the delivery of her main armament. Once this was installed, she was commissioned as Second-in-Command of the Mediterranean Fleet, becoming the first ever armoured flagship of the Royal Navy.

She was temporarily withdrawn from service in 1866 for reconstruction, which involved the addition of a poop deck

Poop deck

In naval architecture, a poop deck is a deck that forms the roof of a cabin built in the rear, or "aft", part of the superstructure of a ship.The name originates from the French word for stern, la poupe, from Latin puppis...

. Following this, she was flagship of the Channel Fleet

Channel Fleet

The Channel Fleet was the Royal Navy formation of warships that defended the waters of the English Channel from 1690 to 1909.-History:The Channel Fleet dates back at least to 1690 when its role was to defend England against the French threat under the leadership of Edward Russell, 1st Earl of...

 until 1867, when she was paid off for re-armament.

HMS Caledonia was flagship of the Mediterranean Fleet until 1869 (relieving , the last three-deck Royal Navy flagship) until 1872. She was a guardship in the Firth of Forth from 1872 until 1875.

She was paid off at Plymouth, and was laid up there until she was sold on 30 September 1886.