Devastation was built at a time in which steam power was well-established among the world's larger naval powers. However, most ships built at this time were equipped not only with a steam engine, but also with masts and sails for auxiliary power. The presence of masts also prohibited the use of gun turrets since the rigging would obstruct their arc of fire. Devastation, designed by Sir Edward J. Reed, represented a change from this pattern when she was built without masts and her primary armament, two turrets each with two 12-inch (305 mm) muzzle-loading guns, was placed on the top of the hull, allowing each turret a 280-degree arc of fire.
Devastation was the first turret ship built to an Admiralty design. She was long between perpendiculars, with a beam of 62feet, a mean draught of 26inchesft1.5inchesin (ftin), and had a freeboard of only 4feet. She was armed with four RML 12 inch 25 ton guns, mounted in pairs in two turrets, protected by armour 12- thick. Her breastworks and hull were protected by 10- of armour, and she was also fitted with a 10feet-12feetft (-ft) spur bow. The ship had a double bottom, and was divided internally into watertight compartments. She was propelled by two four-bladed screws, 17feet in diameter, each powered by two direct-acting trunk engines built by John Penn and Sons of Greenwich, providing a total of 5600hp, with eight boilers, working at 30psi, giving a maximum speed of . Devastation could carry 1,350 tons of coal, giving her a range of at 12 knots or at . She also carried 30 tons of water, enough for three weeks, and 19 tons of provisions, six weeks supply for her crew of 329.[1]
Following the loss of the masted turret ship, which capsized and sank on 6 September 1870 with the loss of 500 men, almost her entire crew, a special committee was appointed to examine the design of this type of vessel, and particularly the Devastation. Although they found no reason for concern in the stability of the ship, as a safety precaution a number of changes were made to the design. The freeboard was increased to 10feet, and armour-plated bulkheads, between 4- thick provided additional protection to the magazines and engines. The 25-ton guns were replaced with RML 12 inch 35 ton guns. This additional weight increased her mean draught to 26feet.[1] Sea trials were made in mid-1873 and generated an unusual amount of public interest; not just for the novelty of her appearance, but as the successor to the Captain. In time trials she recorded a speed of, the engines producing 6637hp. Gunnery trials were made off the Isle of Wight, firing 700lb Palliser shells. To judge her behaviour in various sea conditions she was then accompanied by the armoured ships and in a voyage from Plymouth to Castletownbere in southern Ireland, and from there she made two cruises out into the Atlantic. Apart from a tendency for her low forecastle to be swept by the sea, she performed slightly better than her companions in both pitch and roll.[1]
Devastation was deployed to serve in the waters of the United Kingdom and the Mediterranean Sea. In 1891, the 12-inch guns were replaced with 10-inch breech-loading guns and she was refitted with new triple-expansion steam engines.
In November 1898 Captain Frederick Inglefield was appointed as her commander. In March 1900 she is reported to have visited Syracuse, Sicily.[2] In 1901 she was guard ship at the port of Gibraltar, until relieved as such by newly commissioned in February 1902. She left the Mediterranean station headquarters at Malta, homebound, on 19 February 1902,[3] and after a last visit to Gibraltar arrived in Plymouth on 2 April.[4] She was paid off at Devonport on 18 April,[5] and proceeded to Portsmouth.On 21 June 1902 she was recommissioned[6] as a tender to the torpedo school ship HMS Vernon.[7] She took part in the fleet review held at Spithead on 16 August 1902 for the coronation of King Edward VII.[8]
Later, she was refitted again and assigned to the First Reserve Fleet based in Scotland. The ship was broken up in 1908.
. George Alexander Ballard . The Black Battlefleet . 1980 . Naval Institute Press . Annapolis, Maryland. 0-87021-924-3.