Floating-battery,

Floating-battery, a hulk heavily armed and made as invulnerable as possible, formerly used in defending harbours or in attacks on marine fortresses. They were used by the French and Spaniards in the memorable siege of Gibraltar (q.v.) in 1779–83, when ten of these vessels, carrying 212 large guns, were brought to bear on the fortress; they had sides of great thickness, and were covered with sloping roofs, to cause the shot striking them to glance off innocuously. But General Elliott succeeded in destroying them with red-hot cannon-balls. Steam floating-batteries of iron were constructed for the war with Russia in 1854, both by the British and French governments; but though they rendered good service, they were soon discarded. See NAVY, Vol. VII. p. 417.