Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-07-28
FRENCH IRONCLADS.
Those Which are Ready for Service
In che Mediterranean.
London Times.

4 E&GAAW
in ehe Mediterranean.
London Times
Rv the commissioning of the vessels
1 which were ordered on Saturday last to
hoist the pennant, the number Of French
ironclads ready for immediate service in the
Mediterranean has been increased from
| nine to fifteen. OF these vessels three form
the so-caIled Levant squadron, aud are at
the present moment anchored off Alexan-
drfa: six constitute the squadron of evolu-
, tion which has also been ordered to pro-
ceed Into African waters, while the re-
naming six are fitting out in the home
| norris With the exception of the shfDs
| forming the squadron OF evolution, the
| great majority OF the above mentioned iron
clads are, however, old vessels of small
| msneuvring power, OF no great speed
| comparatively speaking, lightly armed and
| thinly arm0red, and are, in word, In no
| way fit to be classed as efficient line of bat
tie ships. The three vessels lying off Alex
andfia are La GalissOniere, flying the flag OF
Rear Admiral Conrad the Thetis, and the
Alma, the total crews of the three vessels
numbering 1850 officers and men of all
ranks. OF these three ships La
Galissoniere, of 4,4S7 tons displace.
ment, launched ten years ago,
in 1872, is an armor-plated wooden shIn
L n
sea-going ironclad. She is protected bv a
belt of armor about the water-line, extend
| ing to the height of the main deck beams.
| her battery is also armored, and she has two
! armored barbette turrets; but her armor is
nowhere more than six inches thick Her
armament consists of six 24centimetre Q5L
| toni guns, four l2-centimetre pieces, too
| light to be accounted armor-plerclng
| guns, and six mitrailleuses, and con-
seQuentiy La Galissoniere cannot he
said to be OF any great strength either
extensively or defensively. Her consorts In
| Egyptian waters, the Thetis and Alma, are
even older, smaller and weaker ships YES
sells of 3,621 and 3,78S tons displacement.
respectively, they were both launched In
1867. Their hulls are of wood, and, like La
Galissoniere, they have a belt of armor an
armored battery and armored baTbette tur-
rets. The armor plates are again nowhere
more than six inches thick, while the srma-
ment OF the Alma consists of six 10 cent?
metre (S-toD) and OF the Thetis of six 16-cen-
timetre (5-ton) guns, each vessel CARRYING
also six light pieces and six mitraflleuses
In the squadron of evolution we ind
nearly ali the most powerful of the French
ironclads which are actually completed and
available for service. The six vessels
forming the squadron are the RedoubtahIe-
Trident, Friedland, Colbert, Ocean ami
Marengo. OF these the Redoubtable Is The
latest launched, strueturally the strongest.
slightly the largest, and much the mosf
tnlcKly armored, though Extensively she is
OF no greater power than many of her con-
SorSs. " o'oo4 tons displacement, the
steel, and is protected abont tho
water-iine by a belt of erraov
Is inches thick. The battery is nrotaatea
by 1O-inch plates, and forward and oS"S.
the sides OF the ship are given rank I'm,
Die nome, so that IS the battery itself rises
cf nh IN thn GF1or 4 al IL
aft, as well as beam, fire can be obtained
In this battery are placed six 27-ceDtimetre
(23-toD) guns, while the other similar Ouns
are mounted en- bGrbette on the top of the
battery, one on either side, having clear
firing angle Of $50 degrees. The gun slides
alone OF these guns are protected by armor:
but musket proof shield is mounted on tbe
forward part of the slides 10 give some pro-
lection to the crews working the guns.
On the spar deck also battery of six IA
centimetre (2ton) guns is mounted while
ete ut mitrailleuses complete the armament of
the ship. The armaments of the Colbert.
Friedland, and Trident are similar to that of
the RedoubtaDle, and are carried In a similar
manner, but the thickest armor protecting
the vessels consists Of iGch plates only.
The hulls Of the Colbert, S.617 tons dis
placement, and OF the Trident, 1914 tons.
are of wood {; but the Friedland, s 9I6 tons,
Is built OF iron. The Latter vessel, it NAV
bert and Trident In 1875, and the Re-
doubtable in 1876 The remaining two
ironclads OF the squadron of evolution are
older and smaller vessels, aud carry fewer
guns than their consorts The Ocean.
launched in 1868, is wooden vessel of
7,749 tons displacement; the MarengO,
launched in 1869, wooden vessel of z AT
tons. The heavy armament of each consists
of four 27-oenaimetre (23-tou) and four "a
cenumetre (I515-ton) guns, mounted partly
In an armored battery, partly in unarmored
barbette turrets Their is no fore aud aft
fire from the battery, but the barbette tur-
rets, just over the corners of the latter, pro
ject nearly half their diameter beyond 1t.
thus allowing the guns in them to be
trained through wide angle.
Passing on to the ships just commissioned
to form the second or reserve squadron, we
find among them the most powerful iron
clad yet completed for the French navy.
four old armored frigates, and one old iron
clad corvette. The Devastation, launched
only Ia 1879, is an iron and steel vessel of
y 9.6S9 tons displacement. In her general
plan che is similar to the Redoubtable, but
@ sne carries fo1r n 34.centimetre AZ toni
and two H-centimetre (23 toni
guns instead of eight pieces Of
the latter calibre. She is also better rro-
tected than any of the above described
French ironclads, her armor at the thickest
parts consisting OF 1616 inch plates, while
eno oleo Poesceecs greater man0uVring
power, being fitted with twin screws. The
Heroine, Savoie, Revanche and Surveillance
are all 6roadstde frigates, armored over the
whole hull, and belonging to the earliest
type OF ironclsds. Their tonnage varies
from 1895 TO 6.220 tons, and they were all
launched in 1864 aud 1865-in the first days.
that is to say, of ironclad reconstruction.
Their armor is nowhere more than SIX
incnes thick, and the principal part of the
or each is formed by eight "a
centimetre Q51S tom guns. The Atalante,
finally, is an armOred wooden vessel of q. 3.825
tons displacement, launched In 1868. armed
with six 1S centimetre Is toni guns. and
protected with inch armor. Ia conclusion,
u u may De ADDED that the total crews of the
French ironclad ships off Alexandra com
prise $50 Of all ranks, those of the SQUAD
ron OF evolution 4,220, and those OF the
second squadron 1850.