France: Océan, Marengo, Suffren, Central Battery Ironclad (1870-1897) The Océan-class were three wooden-hulled armored frigates of the French Navy built 1865-1870, the largest and most powerful to date, and first French central battery models. Océan took part to the blockade of Prussian ports in the Baltic Sea in 1870 (Franco-Prussian War). Marengo after modernization took … Read more
France: Magenta, Solferino 1859-63, Broadside Ironclads (1963-82) Continuing into French 1860s capital ships, after Couronne, the first French all-Iron answer to the Warriors, let’s see rather unique ships, bearing Italian sounding names (of recent Imperial Victories): The Magenta class. These French Navy (Marine Nationale) early 1860s vessels designed by famous naval architect Dupuy de Lôme … Read more
France 1859-1908, Broadside Ironclad The French ironclad Couronne (“Crown”) was the first iron-hulled ironclad warship built for the then French Imperial Navy in 1859–1862. She was the world’s first to be laid down, albeit HMS Warrior was completed first. She took part in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871 in a limited way combat. She eventually … Read more
France 1862-1870, Broadside Ironclads Flandre, Fauloise, Guyenne, Heroine, Magnanime, Provence, revanche, Savoie, Surveillance, valeureuse The Provence class were ten broadside ironclads built in the follow-up of the Gloire class in 1859. They were all laid down in 1961, launched 1863-65 and completed in 1865-67. They were an evolution of the earlier Gloire-class ironclads, incorporating thicker … Read more
France 1858-1880, Broadside Ironclad Origin of the ironclad concept The naval staff under the 2nd French Empire (Napoleon III) was concerned after the declining state of the French Imperial Navy after the Napoleonic era crippling losses of Trafalgar, Aboukir and many other battles, plus captured ships, leaving quite a modest force to Louis XVIII. Some … Read more
