Portuguese ironclad Vasco da Gama armored belt that was thick on either end and thick amidships. The main battery guns were protected by thick barbettes. "Vasco da Gama" was laid down at the Thames Iron Works shipyard in London, Britain in 1875, and was launched on 1 December 1876. The ship was completed in 1878. She served as part of the coastal defense force that protected Lisbon, the Portuguese capital, and the mouth of the river Tagus. On 26 June 1897, "Vasco da Gama" participated in the Fleet Review at Spithead celebrating Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. At the time, the ship was commanded by Captain
Vasco da Gama a few meters away from the tombs of the kings Manuel I and John III, whom da Gama had served. Vasco da Gama and his wife, Catarina de Ataíde, had six sons and one daughter: His male line issue became extinct in 1747, though the title went through female line. Over his numerous years serving the Portuguese crown, da Gama was rewarded with many different titles, distinctions, and offices: Vasco da Gama is one of the most famous and celebrated explorers from the Age of Discovery. As much as anyone after Henry the Navigator, he was responsible for Portugal's success