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Provence-class ironclad

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Right elevation line drawing of the design. The shaded area represents the armor protection.
Class overview
NameProvence-class
Operators French Navy
Preceded byTemplate:Sclass-
Succeeded byTemplate:Sclass-
Built1861–1867
In commission1863–1893
Completed10
Scrapped10
General characteristics
TypeBroadside ironclad
Displacement5,700–6,000 t (5,600–5,900 long tons)
Length80.72 m (264 ft 10 in)
Beam17 m (55 ft 9 in)
Draft7.7–8.8 m (25 ft 3 in – 28 ft 10 in)
Installed power
Propulsion1 shaft, 1 horizontal-return connecting rod-steam engine
Sail planBarque-rig
Speed13.2–16.5 knots (24.4–30.6 km/h; 15.2–19.0 mph) (trials)
Range2,410 nautical miles (4,460 km; 2,770 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Complement579–594
Armament11 × single 194 mm (7.6 in) smoothbore muzzle-loading guns
Armor

The Provence-class ironclads consisted of 10 ironclad frigates built for the French Navy (Marine Nationale) during the 1860s. Only one of the sister ships was built with an wrought iron hull; the others were built in wood.

Design and description

The Provence class was designed by naval architect Henri Dupuy de Lôme as an improved version of the Template:Sclass-s with thicker armor, more powerful guns, and better seakeeping qualities. The ships had an overall length of 80.72 meters (264 ft 10 in), with a beam of 17 meters (55 ft 9 in), and a draft of 7.7–8.8 meters (25 ft 3 in – 28 ft 10 in), depending on the load. They displaced between 5,700–6,000 metric tons (5,600–5,900 long tons). All of the ships except Héroïne had wooden hulls; that ship had an iron hull.[1] Like most ironclads of their era they were equipped with a metal-reinforced ram. The Provence-class ships had a metacentric height of about 1.4 meters (4.5 ft) and did not rolled as badly as the Gloires.[2] They had a crew of 579–594 officers and enlisted men.[3]

The ships of the Provence class had a single horizontal-return connecting-rod compound steam engine that drove a four-bladed, 6.1-meter (20 ft) propeller,[4] using steam provided by eight boilers that had a maximum pressure of 1.8 kg/cm2 (177 kPa; 26 psi).[3] The engine was rated at 1,000 nominal horsepower or 3,200 metric horsepower (2,400 kW) and intended to give the ships a speed in excess of 13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph). Available records of their sea trials show that they achieved speeds of 13.2–16.5 knots (24.4–30.6 km/h; 15.2–19.0 mph) from 2,918–3,895 metric horsepower (2,146–2,865 kW)[3] The Provence class carried between 590–640 t (581–630 long tons) of coal[2] which allowed them to steam for 2,410 nautical miles (4,460 km; 2,770 mi) at a speed of 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).[5] They were fitted with a three-masted barque rig that had a sail area of 1,960 square meters (21,100 sq ft).[4]

Ships

References

  1. ^ Gille, pp. 26, 30
  2. ^ a b Chesneau & Kolesnik, p. 287
  3. ^ a b c Gille, p. 30
  4. ^ a b de Balincourt and Vincent-Bréchignac 1975, p. 10
  5. ^ Silverstone, p. 62

Bibliography

  • de Balincourt, Captain; Vincent-Bréchignac, Captain (1975). "The French Navy of Yesterday: Ironclad Frigates: Second Group – Provence Type". F.P.D.S. Newsletter. III (2): 9–13. OCLC 41554533.
  • Chesneau, Roger; Kolesnik, Eugene M., eds. (1979). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905. Greenwich, UK: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-8317-0302-4. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |lastauthoramp= ignored (|name-list-style= suggested) (help)
  • Gille, Eric (1999). Cent ans de cuirassés français. Nantes: Marines. ISBN 2-909-675-50-5.
  • Konstam, Angus (2019). European Ironclads 1860–75: The Gloire Sparks the Great Ironclad Arms Race. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-47282-676-3.
  • Silverstone, Paul H. (1984). Directory of the World's Capital Ships. New York: Hippocrene Books. ISBN 0-88254-979-0.