Arcona-class corvette

The Arcona class of steam frigates was a class of five vessels built for the Prussian Navy in the late 1850s and 1860s. The class comprised Arcona, Gazelle, Vineta, Hertha, and Elisabeth. The Arconas were the first major steam-powered warships ordered for the Prussian Navy. The ships were ordered as part of a major construction program to strengthen the nascent Prussian fleet, under the direction of Prince Adalbert, and were intended to provide defense against the Royal Danish Navy. The ships were armed with a battery of twenty-six or twenty-eight guns, and were capable of steaming at a speeds of between 11.5 and 12.4 knots (21.3 and 23.0 km/h; 13.2 and 14.3 mph).