Dévastation class ironclad floating battery
Lave in 1854
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Dévastation class |
| Operators: |
 French Navy
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| 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). |
| Length: | 53 m (173 ft 11 in). |
| Beam: | 13.35 m (43 ft 10 in). |
| Draft: | 2.65–2.8 m (8.7–9.2 ft). |
| Installed power: | 150 nhp. |
| Propulsion: | single screw, Le Creuzot steam engine |
| Sail plan: | three masts, 350 m2 (3,800 sq ft). |
| Speed: | 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) |
| Complement: | 282 |
| Armament: |
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| Armor: | Hull: 110 mm (4.3 in) wrought iron. |
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.
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).
In total, the five Dévastation-class ironclad floating batteries cost 6,580,000 Francs (an average of 1,316,000 Francs each). The Dévastation cost 1,146,489 Francs.
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