The Age of Rifles brought not
only a change of arms on land,
but a change of arms at sea.
Ships no longer relied on the
 wind for their propulsion, 
and were no longer made of 
wood.  More powerful weapons 
demanded stronger materials 
to withstand enemy attacks.  

By the middle of the 1800’s, 
steam began to replace sail 
as the means of propulsion.  
The first steam warships had 
many shortcomings - low 
speed, high fuel consumption,
paddle wheels that were 
vulnerable to enemy fire, 
and engines so large that 
space for the crew was 
reduced.  It was not until 
the 1840s and the advent of 
the screw propeller that 
steam became practical for 
use in warships. 

The first iron warships were 
built by Britain in 1842 for 
Mexico.  These first ships 
were found impractical - 
iron tended to fracture at 
the impact of cannon fire 
whereas wood absorbed the 
impact of the shot.  
Development of the ironclad 
continued over the next 
decade, resulting in the 
ironclad wooden ships of the 
early 1850s.

During the period between 
1840 and 1860, advances in 
cannon technology was 
applied to the navies of 
the world.  The combination 
of a standardized method of 
ammunition and the 
development of the rifled 
cannon meant the navies of 
the world would have 
dramatically increased 
firepower over their 
predecessors.  The use 
of a single size of 
cannonball - generally 
30 pound weight (32 pound 
for the British) meant 
better trained crews and a 
lighter for ship.  The 
rifled cannon led to an 
increase of range as well 
as a more reliable delivery 
method.

The other naval weapon 
introduced at this time was 
the self-propelled torpedo.  
The torpedo would prove to 
have a lasting impact on the 
conduct of naval warfare, 
showing how much more 
effective an underwater 
explosion was when compared 
to a hit above the waterline.
By the end of the century 
the average range of a 
torpedo was out to 5,000 
yards and its speed was up 
to 25 miles an hour.

Both the torpedo and the 
rifled cannon caused an 
upheaval in the construction 
of naval vessels.  The 
weight of the armor 
necessary to protect from 
these weapons brought about 
the end of sail as a means 
of propulsion as only steam 
and the screw could generate 
enough force to propel the 
dreadnoughts of the new era.
  
By the end of the century the
modern, steel warship was 
taking shape.