French ironclad Triomphante
Encyclopedia
Triomphante (Triumphant) was the third and last ship of the of wooden-hulled, armored corvette
s built for the French Navy
during the 1870s. Her construction was delayed for years and the navy took advantage of the extended construction time to upgrade her armament in comparison to the lead ship
, . She and her half-sister
La Galissonnière participated in a number of battles during the Sino-French War
of 1884–85. The ship remained in Asia and never returned to France after the war. She was condemned in 1896 and sold in 1903.
. They used the same central battery layout as their predecessors, although the battery was lengthened 4 metre to provide enough room to work the larger 240 millimetres (9.4 in) guns. Triomphante and her sister ship
were modified by Constructor Sabattier who reduced the number of screws from two to one to improve their sailing qualities by reducing the drag from the stationary propellers, added an 194 millimetres (7.6 in) bow chaser under the forecastle
and increased the caliber and number of the secondary armament.
Triomphante was 76.85 metre between perpendiculars and had a beam of 14.88 metre. She had a mean draft of 6.3 metre and displaced 4150 tonnes (4,084.4 LT). Her crew numbered between 352 and 382 officers and men.
s. During sea trial
s her engine produced 2214 ihp and the ship reached 12.75 knots (6.9 m/s). She only carried 330 metric tons (324.8 LT) of coal which allowed her to steam for 2740 nautical miles (5,074.5 km) at a speed of 10 knots (5.4 m/s). Victorieuse was also ship-rigged with three masts and had a sail area of 1730 sqm.
s on the upper deck, sponson
ed out over the sides of the ship, just forward of the funnel. A 194-millimeter breech-loading chase gun
was fitted under the forecastle. Triomphantes secondary armament of six 138 millimetres (5.4 in) breech-loading guns was also mounted on the upper deck.
The armor-piercing
shell of the 19-caliber
240-millmeter gun weighed 317.5 pounds (144 kg) while the gun itself weighed 15.41 long tons (15.7 t). It had a muzzle velocity
of 1624 ft/s (495 m/s) and was credited with the ability to penetrate a nominal 14.4 inches (366 mm) of wrought iron
armour at the muzzle. The 20-caliber 194-millimeter gun fired an armor-piercing
, 165.3 pounds (75 kg) shell while the gun itself weighed 7.83 long tons (8 t). The gun fired its shell at a muzzle velocity
of 1739 ft/s (530 m/s) and was credited with the ability to penetrate a nominal 12.5 inches (31.8 cm) of wrought iron
armour at the muzzle. The 138-millimeter gun was 21 calibers long and weighed 2.63 long tons (2.7 t). It fired a 61.7 pounds (28 kg) explosive shell
that had a muzzle velocity of 1529 ft/s (466 m/s). The guns could fire both solid shot
and explosive shells.
For defense against torpedo boats the ship also mounted four 37 millimetres (1.5 in) Hotchkiss 5-barrel revolving guns
. They fired a shell weighing about 500 g (1.1 lb) at a muzzle velocity of about 610 m/s (2,001.3 ft/s) to a range of about 3200 metres (3,499.6 yd). They had a rate of fire of about 30 rounds per minute. Triomphante also received several towed Harvey torpedoes.
waterline belt
, approximately 2.4 metres (7.9 ft) high laid over 650 millimetres (25.6 in) of wood. The sides of the battery itself were armored with 120 millimetres (4.7 in) of wrought iron backed by 520 millimetres (20.5 in) of wood and the ends of the battery were closed by bulkheads of the same thickness. The barbette armor was 120 millimetres (4.7 in) thick. The unarmored portions of their sides were protected by thin iron plates.
on 5 August 1869 and launched on 28 March 1877. While the exact reason for such prolonged construction time is not known, the budget for the French Navy was cut after the Franco-Prussian War
of 1870–71 and the French dockyards had not been reformed with working practices more suitable for the industrial age. The ship was commissioned as the flagship
of the Pacific Squadron on 17 October 1880 under the command of Rear Admiral
Brossard du Corbigny. On 15 February 1883 she became flagship of the Levant Squadron under Rear Admiral
Conte. On 28 May the admiral was ordered to shift his flag as Triomphante was ordered to Saigon.
Triomphante, and her half-sister La Galissonnière, were assigned to the Far East Squadron
in 1884, under the command of Vice Admiral
Amédée Courbet
, and participated in several actions during the Sino-French War of 1884–85. Both ships fought in the Battle of Fuzhou, Triomphante sinking the wooden gunboat
Zhenwei, and destroying coastal defenses defending the Min River. They supplied landing parties during the Battle of Tamsui
in October 1884, but they were forced to retreat by Chinese troops, albeit at only a few casualties (5 killed and 10 wounded). Triomphante helped to capture the Pescadore Islands in March 1885 during the Pescadores Campaign, losing two killed and five wounded from her landing party. She became the flagship of the Far East Squadron on 1 April 1885 and remained as such until 5 February 1894 when she was reduced to reserve. Triomphante was condemned on 18 July 1896 and sold for scrap
in 1903.
Corvette
A corvette is a small, maneuverable, lightly armed warship, originally smaller than a frigate and larger than a coastal patrol craft or fast attack craft , although many recent designs resemble frigates in size and role...
s built for the French Navy
French Navy
The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
during the 1870s. Her construction was delayed for years and the navy took advantage of the extended construction time to upgrade her armament in comparison to the lead ship
Lead ship
The lead ship or class leader is the first of a series or class of ships all constructed according to the same general design. The term is applicable military ships and larger civilian craft.-Overview:...
, . She and her half-sister
Sister ship
A sister ship is a ship of the same class as, or of virtually identical design to, another ship. Such vessels share a near-identical hull and superstructure layout, similar displacement, and roughly comparable features and equipment...
La Galissonnière participated in a number of battles during the Sino-French War
Sino-French War
The Sino–French War was a limited conflict fought between August 1884 and April 1885 to decide whether France should replace China in control of Tonkin . As the French achieved their war aims, they are usually considered to have won the war...
of 1884–85. The ship remained in Asia and never returned to France after the war. She was condemned in 1896 and sold in 1903.
Design and description
The La Galissonnière-class ironclads were designed as faster, more heavily armed versions of the s by Henri Dupuy de LômeHenri Dupuy de Lôme
Stanislas Charles Henri Dupuy de Lôme was a French naval architect. He was the son of a naval officer and was born in Ploemeur near Lorient, Brittany, in western France. He was educated at the École Polytechnique...
. They used the same central battery layout as their predecessors, although the battery was lengthened 4 metre to provide enough room to work the larger 240 millimetres (9.4 in) guns. Triomphante and her sister ship
Sister ship
A sister ship is a ship of the same class as, or of virtually identical design to, another ship. Such vessels share a near-identical hull and superstructure layout, similar displacement, and roughly comparable features and equipment...
were modified by Constructor Sabattier who reduced the number of screws from two to one to improve their sailing qualities by reducing the drag from the stationary propellers, added an 194 millimetres (7.6 in) bow chaser under the forecastle
Forecastle
Forecastle refers to the upper deck of a sailing ship forward of the foremast, or the forward part of a ship with the sailors' living quarters...
and increased the caliber and number of the secondary armament.
Triomphante was 76.85 metre between perpendiculars and had a beam of 14.88 metre. She had a mean draft of 6.3 metre and displaced 4150 tonnes (4,084.4 LT). Her crew numbered between 352 and 382 officers and men.
Propulsion
Triomphante had a single vertical compound steam engine driving a single propeller. Her engine was powered by four oval boilerBoiler (steam generator)
A boiler or steam generator is a device used to create steam by applying heat energy to water. Although the definitions are somewhat flexible, it can be said that older steam generators were commonly termed boilers and worked at low to medium pressure but, at pressures above this, it is more...
s. During sea trial
Sea trial
A sea trial is the testing phase of a watercraft . It is also referred to as a "shakedown cruise" by many naval personnel. It is usually the last phase of construction and takes place on open water, and can last from a few hours to many days.Sea trials are conducted to measure a vessel’s...
s her engine produced 2214 ihp and the ship reached 12.75 knots (6.9 m/s). She only carried 330 metric tons (324.8 LT) of coal which allowed her to steam for 2740 nautical miles (5,074.5 km) at a speed of 10 knots (5.4 m/s). Victorieuse was also ship-rigged with three masts and had a sail area of 1730 sqm.
Armament
Triomphante mounted four of her six 240-millmeter Modèle 1870 breech-loading guns in the central battery on the battery deck. The other two 240-millimeter guns were mounted in barbetteBarbette
A barbette is a protective circular armour feature around a cannon or heavy artillery gun. The name comes from the French phrase en barbette referring to the practice of firing a field gun over a parapet rather than through an opening . The former gives better angles of fire but less protection...
s on the upper deck, sponson
Sponson
Sponsons are projections from the sides of a watercraft, for protection, stability, or the mounting of equipment such as armaments or lifeboats, etc...
ed out over the sides of the ship, just forward of the funnel. A 194-millimeter breech-loading chase gun
Chase gun
The chase guns, usually distinguished as bow chasers and stern chasers were cannons mounted in the bow or stern of a sailing ship...
was fitted under the forecastle. Triomphantes secondary armament of six 138 millimetres (5.4 in) breech-loading guns was also mounted on the upper deck.
The armor-piercing
Armor-piercing shot and shell
An armor-piercing shell is a type of ammunition designed to penetrate armor. From the 1860s to 1950s, a major application of armor-piercing projectiles was to defeat the thick armor carried on many warships. From the 1920s onwards, armor-piercing weapons were required for anti-tank missions...
shell of the 19-caliber
Caliber (artillery)
In artillery, caliber or calibredifference in British English and American English spelling is the internal diameter of a gun barrel, or by extension a relative measure of the length....
240-millmeter gun weighed 317.5 pounds (144 kg) while the gun itself weighed 15.41 long tons (15.7 t). It had a muzzle velocity
Muzzle velocity
Muzzle velocity is the speed a projectile has at the moment it leaves the muzzle of the gun. Muzzle velocities range from approximately to in black powder muskets , to more than in modern rifles with high-performance cartridges such as the .220 Swift and .204 Ruger, all the way to for tank guns...
of 1624 ft/s (495 m/s) and was credited with the ability to penetrate a nominal 14.4 inches (366 mm) of wrought iron
Wrought iron
thumb|The [[Eiffel tower]] is constructed from [[puddle iron]], a form of wrought ironWrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon...
armour at the muzzle. The 20-caliber 194-millimeter gun fired an armor-piercing
Armor-piercing shot and shell
An armor-piercing shell is a type of ammunition designed to penetrate armor. From the 1860s to 1950s, a major application of armor-piercing projectiles was to defeat the thick armor carried on many warships. From the 1920s onwards, armor-piercing weapons were required for anti-tank missions...
, 165.3 pounds (75 kg) shell while the gun itself weighed 7.83 long tons (8 t). The gun fired its shell at a muzzle velocity
Muzzle velocity
Muzzle velocity is the speed a projectile has at the moment it leaves the muzzle of the gun. Muzzle velocities range from approximately to in black powder muskets , to more than in modern rifles with high-performance cartridges such as the .220 Swift and .204 Ruger, all the way to for tank guns...
of 1739 ft/s (530 m/s) and was credited with the ability to penetrate a nominal 12.5 inches (31.8 cm) of wrought iron
Wrought iron
thumb|The [[Eiffel tower]] is constructed from [[puddle iron]], a form of wrought ironWrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon...
armour at the muzzle. The 138-millimeter gun was 21 calibers long and weighed 2.63 long tons (2.7 t). It fired a 61.7 pounds (28 kg) explosive shell
Shell (projectile)
A shell is a payload-carrying projectile, which, as opposed to shot, contains an explosive or other filling, though modern usage sometimes includes large solid projectiles properly termed shot . Solid shot may contain a pyrotechnic compound if a tracer or spotting charge is used...
that had a muzzle velocity of 1529 ft/s (466 m/s). The guns could fire both solid shot
Round shot
Round shot is a solid projectile without explosive charge, fired from a cannon. As the name implies, round shot is spherical; its diameter is slightly less than the bore of the gun it is fired from.Round shot was made in early times from dressed stone, but by the 17th century, from iron...
and explosive shells.
For defense against torpedo boats the ship also mounted four 37 millimetres (1.5 in) Hotchkiss 5-barrel revolving guns
Hotchkiss gun
The Hotchkiss gun can refer to different products of the Hotchkiss arms company starting in the late 19th century. It usually refers to the 1.65-inch light mountain gun; there was also a 3-inch Hotchkiss gun...
. They fired a shell weighing about 500 g (1.1 lb) at a muzzle velocity of about 610 m/s (2,001.3 ft/s) to a range of about 3200 metres (3,499.6 yd). They had a rate of fire of about 30 rounds per minute. Triomphante also received several towed Harvey torpedoes.
Armor
The La Galissonnière-class ships had a complete 150 millimetres (5.9 in) wrought ironWrought iron
thumb|The [[Eiffel tower]] is constructed from [[puddle iron]], a form of wrought ironWrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon...
waterline belt
Belt armor
Belt armor is a layer of heavy metal armor plated on to or within outer hulls of warships, typically on battleships, battlecruisers and cruisers, and on aircraft carriers converted from those types of ships....
, approximately 2.4 metres (7.9 ft) high laid over 650 millimetres (25.6 in) of wood. The sides of the battery itself were armored with 120 millimetres (4.7 in) of wrought iron backed by 520 millimetres (20.5 in) of wood and the ends of the battery were closed by bulkheads of the same thickness. The barbette armor was 120 millimetres (4.7 in) thick. The unarmored portions of their sides were protected by thin iron plates.
Service
Triomphante was laid down at RochefortRochefort, Charente-Maritime
Rochefort is a commune in southwestern France, a port on the Charente estuary. It is a sub-prefecture of the Charente-Maritime department.-History:...
on 5 August 1869 and launched on 28 March 1877. While the exact reason for such prolonged construction time is not known, the budget for the French Navy was cut after the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
of 1870–71 and the French dockyards had not been reformed with working practices more suitable for the industrial age. The ship was commissioned as the flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
of the Pacific Squadron on 17 October 1880 under the command of Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
Brossard du Corbigny. On 15 February 1883 she became flagship of the Levant Squadron under Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
Conte. On 28 May the admiral was ordered to shift his flag as Triomphante was ordered to Saigon.
Triomphante, and her half-sister La Galissonnière, were assigned to the Far East Squadron
Far East Squadron
The French Far East Squadron was an exceptional naval grouping created for the duration of the Sino-French War .- Background :...
in 1884, under the command of Vice Admiral
Vice Admiral
Vice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
Amédée Courbet
Amédée Courbet
Anatole-Amédée-Prosper Courbet was a French admiral who won a series of important land and naval victories during the Tonkin campaign and the Sino-French War .-Early years:...
, and participated in several actions during the Sino-French War of 1884–85. Both ships fought in the Battle of Fuzhou, Triomphante sinking the wooden gunboat
Gunboat
A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies.-History:...
Zhenwei, and destroying coastal defenses defending the Min River. They supplied landing parties during the Battle of Tamsui
Battle of Tamsui
The Battle of Tamsui , fought on 8 October 1884, was a significant French defeat during the Sino-French War.- Background :...
in October 1884, but they were forced to retreat by Chinese troops, albeit at only a few casualties (5 killed and 10 wounded). Triomphante helped to capture the Pescadore Islands in March 1885 during the Pescadores Campaign, losing two killed and five wounded from her landing party. She became the flagship of the Far East Squadron on 1 April 1885 and remained as such until 5 February 1894 when she was reduced to reserve. Triomphante was condemned on 18 July 1896 and sold for scrap
Ship breaking
Ship breaking or ship demolition is a type of ship disposal involving the breaking up of ships for scrap recycling. Most ships have a lifespan of a few decades before there is so much wear that refitting and repair becomes uneconomical. Ship breaking allows materials from the ship, especially...
in 1903.