HMS Warrior.

 On this day in 1860, Britain’s first Ironclad, HMS WARRIOR, was launched on the Thames. The result of an arms race with France she was obsolete by 1871 and spent much of her career in reserve. 

She was restored and returned to HMNB Portsmouth in 1987.  HMS WARRIOR, the first ironclad ship built for the Royal Navy, launched 1860, became the oil fuel hulk C.77 at Pembroke Dock from 1929 to 1979. 

She was towed into the Milford dry dock for initial repairs, before her full restoration at Hartlepool, after which she became a museum ship at Portsmouth.