The British squadron consisted of the ironclads _Alexandra_, _Superb_, _Sultan_, _Temeraire_, _Inflexible_, _Monarch_, _Invincible_, and Penelope, the torpedo-vessel _Hecla_, the despatch boat _Helicon_, the gun-vessels _Condor_ and _Bittern_, and the gunboats _Beacon_, _Cygnet_, and _Decoy_. The battleships, with the exception of the _Invincible_ and _Penelope_, were the most powerful then in the British navy. Their size and armament may be briefly summarized:-- The _Alexandra_, Captain C. F. Hotham, 9,490 tons, 8,610 h.p., 674 men, 2 11-inch 25-ton and 10 10-inch 18-ton guns. The _Superb_, Captain Thomas Le Hunt-Ward, 9,170 tons, 6,580 h.p., 620 men, 8 18-ton and 4 12-1/2-ton guns. The _Sultan_, Captain W. J. Hunt Grubbe, 9,290 tons, 7,720 h.p., 620 men, 8 18-ton and 4 12-1/2-ton guns. The _Temeraire_, Captain H. F. Nicholson, 8,450 tons, 7,520 h.p., 530 men, 4 25-ton and 4 18-ton guns. The _Inflexible_, Captain John Fisher, 11,407 tons, 8,010 h.p., 440 men, 4 80-ton guns (in two turrets). The _Monarch_, Captain Henry Fairfax, 8,320 tons, 7,840 h.p., 530 men, 4 25-ton, 2 9-inch 12-ton and 1 7-inch 6-1/2-ton guns. The _Invincible_, Captain R. H. Molyneux, 6,010 tons, 4,830 h.p., 480 men, 10 9-inch 12-ton and 4 64-pounder guns. The _Penelope_, Captain St. G. D. A. Irvine, 4,390 tons, 4,700 h.p., 230 men, 8 8-inch 9-ton and 3 40-pounder guns. The _Hecla_, torpedo vessel, 6,400 tons, 1,760 h.p., 251 men, and 6 guns. The _Helicon_, despatch vessel, 1,000 tons, carrying 2 20-pounder guns. The _Condor_ and _Bittern_, gun-vessels, 805 tons, 100 men, 1 7-inch and 2 40-pounder guns each. The _Beacon_, gunboat, 603 tons, 80 men, 1 7-inch and 1 64-pounder gun. The _Cygnet_ and _Decoy_, gunboats, 455 and 430 tons, 60 men, 2 64-pounder and 2 20-pounder guns each. In addition to the armament above given, the eight ironclads each carried from six to eight 20-pounder rifled breech-loading guns, and, with the exception of the _Penelope_, from eight to twelve machine guns. There were also 880 supernumerary seamen and marines on board the fleet, making the total force 5,728 men. The relative strength of the opposing forces may be seen from the following tables:-- The ordnance _mounted_ in the forts was as follows:--