La Galissonnière class ironclad
Encyclopedia
The La Galissonnière class ironclads were a group of wooden-hulled, armored corvette
s built for the French Navy
during the 1870s, meant as a heavier armed and faster version of the . While all three ships were begun before the Franco-Prussian War
of 1870–71, the construction of the last two ships was delayed for years. The navy took advantage of the extended construction time of the latter ships to upgrade their armament. bombarded Sfax
in 1881 as part of the French occupation of Tunisia
. She and her half-sister
participated in a number of battles during the Sino-French War
of 1884–85. Their sister had a much quieter career. All three ships were decommissioned in the 1890s.
. 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. A two-propeller
layout was adopted in an unsuccessful attempt to reduce the ship's draft. The two later ships were designed by Sabattier who reduced the number of screws from two to one to improve their sailing qualities, added an 194 millimetres (7.6 in) bow chaser under the forecastle
and increased the caliber of the secondary armament.
La Galissonnière measured 76.62 metre between perpendiculars, with a beam
of 14.84 metre. She had a mean draft of 6.55 metre and displaced 4654 tonnes (4,580.5 LT). The ship had a metacentric height
of 0.926 metre. Victorieuse and Triomphante were 76.85 metre between perpendiculars and had a beam of 14.88 metre. The two ships had a mean draft of 6.3 metre and displaced 4150 tonnes (4,084.4 LT). The crew of all three ships numbered between 352 and 382 officers and men.
s. On sea trial
s the engines produced a total of 2370 ihp and the ship reached 13.08 knots (7.1 m/s). La Galissonnière carried 500 metric tons (492.1 LT) of coal which allowed the ship to steam for 3240 nautical miles (6,000.5 km) at a speed of 10 knots (5.4 m/s). She was ship-rigged with three masts and had a sail area around 1707 sqm.
Victorieuse and Triomphante had a single vertical compound steam engine driving a single propeller and the same boilers as La Galissonnière. During trials their engines produced 2214 ihp and the ships reached 12.75 knots (6.9 m/s). They only carried 330 metric tons (324.8 LT) of coal which allowed the ships to steam for 2740 nautical miles (5,074.5 km) at a speed of 10 knots (5.4 m/s). They were also ship-rigged with three masts, but had a sail area of 1730 sqm.
s on the upper deck, sponson
ed out over the sides of the ship. In La Galissonnière the sponsons were positioned abaft the funnel, but the two later ships had theirs just forward of the funnel. La Galissonnières secondary armament of four 120 millimetres (4.7 in) guns was also mounted on the upper deck. They were replaced by six 100 millimetres (3.9 in) guns in 1880.
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 guns could fire both solid shot
and explosive shells.
The ship received four 37 millimetres (1.5 in) Hotchkiss 5-barrel revolving guns
in 1878. 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. La Galissonnière also received several towed Harvey torpedoes.
While Victorieuse and Triomphant were on the stocks, their armament was reinforced by an additional 194-millimeter chase gun and the secondary armament was increased to six 138 millimetres (5.4 in) guns. They also received the Hotchkiss guns and Harvey torpedoes as per La Galissonnière before completion. 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).
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.
Alfred Conrad. Both La Galissonnière and Triomphante 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, destroying a small Chinese fleet and 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, although suffering few casualties (11 killed and 4 wounded between the two ships). Nothing is known of any further participation by La Galissonnière in the war, but Triomphante helped to capture the Pescadore Islands in March 1885 during the Pescadores Campaign.
Victorieuse was placed into reserve after she finished her sea trials in 1876. She had two commissions as flagship
of the Pacific and China Squadrons and was relieved as the flagship of the latter by La Galissonnière in April 1884. She became flagship of the Levant Squadron after she arrived in France, but was in bad shape and soon placed in reserve at Cherbourg. Victorieuse was on summer maneuvers off the Iberia
n coast in July 1893. The ship was initially condemned in May 1897, but this was reversed so she could convoy torpedo boat
s to Bizerte
. That plan was later cancelled and Victorieuse was paid off in 1899, becoming guardship of the outer harbor at Brest until finally condemned the following year.
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, meant as a heavier armed and faster version of the . While all three ships were begun before 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, the construction of the last two ships was delayed for years. The navy took advantage of the extended construction time of the latter ships to upgrade their armament. bombarded Sfax
Sfax
Sfax is a city in Tunisia, located southeast of Tunis. The city, founded in AD 849 on the ruins of Taparura and Thaenae, is the capital of the Sfax Governorate , and a Mediterranean port. Sfax has population of 340,000...
in 1881 as part of the French occupation of Tunisia
French occupation of Tunisia
The French conquest of Tunisia occurred in two phases in 1881: the first consisting of the invasion and securing of the country before the signing of a treaty of protection, and the second consisting in the suppression of a rebellion...
. 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...
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. Their sister had a much quieter career. All three ships were decommissioned in the 1890s.
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. A two-propeller
Propeller
A propeller is a type of fan that transmits power by converting rotational motion into thrust. A pressure difference is produced between the forward and rear surfaces of the airfoil-shaped blade, and a fluid is accelerated behind the blade. Propeller dynamics can be modeled by both Bernoulli's...
layout was adopted in an unsuccessful attempt to reduce the ship's draft. The two later ships were designed by Sabattier who reduced the number of screws from two to one to improve their sailing qualities, 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 of the secondary armament.
La Galissonnière measured 76.62 metre between perpendiculars, with a beam
Beam (nautical)
The beam of a ship is its width at the widest point. Generally speaking, the wider the beam of a ship , the more initial stability it has, at expense of reserve stability in the event of a capsize, where more energy is required to right the vessel from its inverted position...
of 14.84 metre. She had a mean draft of 6.55 metre and displaced 4654 tonnes (4,580.5 LT). The ship had a metacentric height
Metacentric height
The metacentric height is a measurement of the static stability of a floating body. It is calculated as the distance between the centre of gravity of a ship and its metacentre . A larger metacentric height implies greater stability against overturning...
of 0.926 metre. Victorieuse and Triomphante were 76.85 metre between perpendiculars and had a beam of 14.88 metre. The two ships had a mean draft of 6.3 metre and displaced 4150 tonnes (4,084.4 LT). The crew of all three ships numbered between 352 and 382 officers and men.
Propulsion
La Galissonnière had two Wolf vertical compound steam engines, each driving a single 3.8 metre propeller. Her engines were 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. On 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 the engines produced a total of 2370 ihp and the ship reached 13.08 knots (7.1 m/s). La Galissonnière carried 500 metric tons (492.1 LT) of coal which allowed the ship to steam for 3240 nautical miles (6,000.5 km) at a speed of 10 knots (5.4 m/s). She was ship-rigged with three masts and had a sail area around 1707 sqm.
Victorieuse and Triomphante had a single vertical compound steam engine driving a single propeller and the same boilers as La Galissonnière. During trials their engines produced 2214 ihp and the ships reached 12.75 knots (6.9 m/s). They only carried 330 metric tons (324.8 LT) of coal which allowed the ships to steam for 2740 nautical miles (5,074.5 km) at a speed of 10 knots (5.4 m/s). They were also ship-rigged with three masts, but had a sail area of 1730 sqm.
Armament
All three ships mounted four of their six 240-millimeter Modèle 1870 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. In La Galissonnière the sponsons were positioned abaft the funnel, but the two later ships had theirs just forward of the funnel. La Galissonnières secondary armament of four 120 millimetres (4.7 in) guns was also mounted on the upper deck. They were replaced by six 100 millimetres (3.9 in) guns in 1880.
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 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.
The ship received 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...
in 1878. 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. La Galissonnière also received several towed Harvey torpedoes.
While Victorieuse and Triomphant were on the stocks, their armament was reinforced by an additional 194-millimeter chase gun and the secondary armament was increased to six 138 millimetres (5.4 in) guns. They also received the Hotchkiss guns and Harvey torpedoes as per La Galissonnière before completion. 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).
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.
Construction
| Ship | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Commissioned | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brest Brest, France Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon... |
22 June 1868 | 7 May 1872 | 18 July 1874 | Condemned 24 December 1894 | |
| Toulon Toulon Toulon is a town in southern France and a large military harbor on the Mediterranean coast, with a major French naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region, Toulon is the capital of the Var department in the former province of Provence.... |
5 August 1869 | 18 November 1875 | 1876 | Condemned 8 March 1900 | |
| Rochefort Rochefort, 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:... |
5 August 1869 | 28 March 1877 | 1880 | Condemned 18 July 1896, sold 1903 |
Service
La Galissonnières initial commissions were in the Pacific and in the Caribbean, but she was assigned to the Levant Squadron when she bombarded the Tunisian port of Sfax in July 1881 as part of the French occupation of Tunisia. In early 1882 La Galissonnière was the flagship of the Levant Squadron under Rear AdmiralRear 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"...
Alfred Conrad. Both La Galissonnière and Triomphante 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, destroying a small Chinese fleet and 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, although suffering few casualties (11 killed and 4 wounded between the two ships). Nothing is known of any further participation by La Galissonnière in the war, but Triomphante helped to capture the Pescadore Islands in March 1885 during the Pescadores Campaign.
Victorieuse was placed into reserve after she finished her sea trials in 1876. She had two commissions as 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 and China Squadrons and was relieved as the flagship of the latter by La Galissonnière in April 1884. She became flagship of the Levant Squadron after she arrived in France, but was in bad shape and soon placed in reserve at Cherbourg. Victorieuse was on summer maneuvers off the Iberia
Iberia
The name Iberia refers to three historical regions of the old world:* Iberian Peninsula, in Southwest Europe, location of modern-day Portugal and Spain** Prehistoric Iberia...
n coast in July 1893. The ship was initially condemned in May 1897, but this was reversed so she could convoy torpedo boat
Torpedo boat
A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval vessel designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs rammed enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes, and later designs launched self-propelled Whitehead torpedoes. They were created to counter battleships and other large, slow and...
s to Bizerte
Bizerte
Bizerte or Benzert , is the capital city of Bizerte Governorate in Tunisia and the northernmost city in Africa. It has a population of 230,879 .-History:...
. That plan was later cancelled and Victorieuse was paid off in 1899, becoming guardship of the outer harbor at Brest until finally condemned the following year.