Colbert-class ironclad
Colbert at anchor
|
|
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Colbert |
| Operators: |
 French Navy
|
| Preceded by: | Richelieu |
| Succeeded by: | Redoutable |
| Built: | 1870–78 |
| In service: | 1877–1900 |
| In commission: | 1877–95 |
| Completed: | 2 |
| Scrapped: | 2 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Central-battery ironclad |
| Displacement: | 8,614–8,814 metric tons (8,478–8,675 long tons) |
| Length: | 101.1–102.1 m (331 ft 8 in–335 ft 0 in) (o/a) |
| Beam: | 17.57–17.7 m (57 ft 8 in–58 ft 1 in) |
| Draft: | 8.11–8.58 m (26.6–28.1 ft) |
| Installed power: | |
| Propulsion: | 1 shaft, 1 Horizontal return connecting-rod steam engine |
| Sail plan: | Ship rigged |
| Speed: | 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) |
| Range: | 3,300 nautical miles (6,100 km; 3,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) |
| Complement: | 750 |
| Armament: |
|
| Armor: | |
The Colbert class were a pair of armored frigates built for the French Navy during the 1870s. The ships served as the flagships of the commander and deputy commander of the Mediterranean Squadron for most of their careers. The sister ships took part in the French conquest of Tunisia, notably shelling and landing troops in Sfax in 1881. They were relegated to second-line roles in 1894–95 before being condemned in 1900. The ships were finally sold for scrap in 1909.
The Colbert-class ships were designed by Constructor Sabattier as improved versions of the ironclad Richelieu and were the last ships authorized by the 1857 Naval Program. They reverted to a single propeller shaft to improve their sailing qualities and to lessen the chance of the propellers being fouled by fallen rigging. As central battery ironclads, they had their armament concentrated amidships. Like most ironclads of their era, they were equipped with a plough-shaped ram. The ships' crew numbered 774 officers and men. Their metacentric height was low, a little above 0.6 meters (2 ft).
The ships measured 101.1–102.1 meters (331 ft 8 in–335 ft 0 in) overall, with a beam of 17.57–17.7 meters (57 ft 8 in–58 ft 1 in). They had maximum drafts of 8.11–8.58 meters (26 ft 7 in–28 ft 2 in) and displaced 8,617–8,814 metric tons (8,481–8,675 long tons).
While the exact reason for such prolonged construction time is not known, it is believed that reduction of the French Navy's budget after the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71 and out-of-date work practices in French dockyards were likely causes.
...
Wikipedia