French ironclad Colbert

Colbert at anchor
History
France
Name:	Colbert
Namesake:	Jean-Baptiste Colbert
Builder:	Arsenal de Brest
Laid down:	7 May 1869
Launched:	15 September 1875
Completed:	1877
Decommissioned:	1895
Struck:	11 August 1900
Fate:	Sold for scrap, 1909
General characteristics
Class and type:	Colbert-class ironclad
Displacement:	8,617 metric tons (8,481 long tons)
Length:	101.1 m (331 ft 8 in)
Beam:	17.4 m (57 ft 1 in)
Draft:	8.5 m (28 ft)
Installed power:	4,600 ihp (3,400 kW) 8 oval boilers
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:	8 × single 274 mm (10.8 in) guns 1 × single 240 mm (9.4 in) guns 6 × single 138 mm (5.4 in) guns 4 × 356-millimeter (14.0 in) torpedo tubes
Armor:	Belt: 180–220 mm (7.1–8.7 in) Battery: 160 mm (6.3 in) Bulkheads: 120 mm (4.7 in) Deck: 15 mm (0.6 in)

The French ironclad Colbert was the lead ship of the Colbert-class ironclads that were built for the French Navy in the 1870s. The ship was the flagship of the Mediterranean Squadron for most of her career. She took part in the French conquest of Tunisia, notably shelling and landing troops in Sfax on 15–16 July 1881. Colbert was paid off in 1895 and condemned in 1900. The ship was finally sold for scrap in 1909.

The Colbert-class ships were designed by Constructor Sabattier as improved versions of the ironclad Richelieu. As a central battery ironclad, Colbert had her armament concentrated amidships. Like most ironclads of her era she was equipped with a plough-shaped ram. Her crew numbered 774 officers and men. The metacentric height of the ship was low, a little above 2 feet (0.6 m).

The ship measured 101.1 meters (331 ft 8 in) overall, with a beam of 17.4 meters (57 ft 1 in). Colbert had a maximum draft of 8.5 meters (27 ft 11 in) and displaced 8,617 metric tons (8,481 long tons).

Colbert reverted to a single propeller shaft to improve her sailing qualities. She had one Wolf 3-cylinder horizontal return connecting rod compound steam engine. The engine was powered by eight oval boilers and was designed for a capacity of 4,600 indicated horsepower (3,400 kW). On sea trials the engine produced 4,652 indicated horsepower (3,469 kW) and Colbert reached 14.75 knots (27.32 km/h; 16.97 mph). She carried a maximum of 620 metric tons (610 long tons) of coal which allowed her to steam for approximately 3,300 nautical miles (6,100 km; 3,800 mi) at a speed of 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).Colbert was ship rigged with three masts and had a sail area around 2,100 square meters (23,000 sq ft).

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