Dévastation-class ironclad floating battery

Not to be confused with the British Devastation-class ironclads or the 1870s Dévastation-class ironclads.
Lave in 1854
Class overview
Name: Dévastation class
Operators:  French Navy
Preceded by: None
Succeeded by: Palestro class
Built: 1854–1855
In service: 1855–1871
Completed: 5
Scrapped: 5
General characteristics
Type: Ironclad floating battery
Displacement: 1,600–1,674 metric tons (1,575–1,648 long tons).[1]
Length: 53 m (173 ft 11 in).[1]
Beam: 13.35 m (43 ft 10 in).[1]
Draft: 2.65–2.8 m (8.7–9.2 ft).[1]
Installed power: 150 nhp.[1]
Propulsion: single screw, Le Creuzot steam engine
Sail plan: three masts, 350 m2 (3,800 sq ft).[2]
Speed: 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph)[1]
Complement: 282[1]
Armament:
Armor: Hull: 110 mm (4.3 in) wrought iron.[1]

The Dévastation-class ironclad floating batteries were built for the attack of Russian coastal fortifications during the Crimean War. France had intended to build ten of these vessels, but in the time available was only able to construct five in French shipyards, of which the first three took part in the attack on Kinburn in 1855, and served in the Adriatic in June-July 1859 during the Italian war.

The Congrève was retired in 1867 and the other four in 1871.

Name Built at Laid down Launched In service date Retired Scrapped Source
Dévastation Cherbourg 5 September 1854 17 April 1855 10 August 1855 9 May 1871 1872, Toulon[3]
Tonnante Brest 5 September 1854 17 March 1855 30 July 1855 31 August 1871 1873-4, Toulon [4]
Lave Lorient 20 August 1854 26 May 1855 6 August 1855 9 May 1871 1873, Toulon [5]
Foudroyante Lorient 20 August 1854 2 June 1855 10 June 1859 29 November 1871 1874, Cherbourg [6]
Congrève Rochefort 4 September 1854 1 June 1855 Never commissioned 13 May 1867 1868, Brest[7]

The Dévastation's armour consisted of 183 plates of 110 mm (4.3 in) thick wrought iron made by Creusot Rive-de-Gier, which weighed in total 297.5 metric tons (292.8 long tons).[1][2]

In total, the five Dévastation-class ironclad floating batteries cost 6,580,000 Francs (an average of 1,316,000 Francs each).[8] The Dévastation cost 1,146,489 Francs.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Cent ans de cuirasseés français, p12.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Cent ans de cuirasseés français, p14.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Dictionnaire des bâtiments de la flotte de guerre française de Colbert à nos jours 1, 1671 - 1870, p149
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Dictionnaire des bâtiments de la flotte de guerre française de Colbert à nos jours 1, 1671 - 1870, p440
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Dictionnaire des bâtiments de la flotte de guerre française de Colbert à nos jours 1, 1671 - 1870, p275
  6. 1 2 Dictionnaire des bâtiments de la flotte de guerre française de Colbert à nos jours 1, 1671 - 1870, p212
  7. 1 2 3 Dictionnaire des bâtiments de la flotte de guerre française de Colbert à nos jours 1, 1671 - 1870, p124
  8. Baxter, The introduction of the ironclad battleship, p80. The information on costs came from a table of values of the French fleet dated 25 March 1856, which was a supporting paper 1857 budget.
Bibliography

External links

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