Dévastation class Ironclad (1879)

France. Central Battery Ironclads Built 1875-86, service until 1909.

The Dévastation class Ironclad (with the accent, not to confound with the Royal Navy steam-only breastwork monitors of the same name built earlier from 1869), and sometimes class “Courbet class” were laid down as part of the 1872 programme and a development of the 1876 ironclad Redoutable. Construction took time, and they married steel and iron construction. They were also the largest warships afloat in their day and age with 10,450 long tons (10,620 t) for 100.52 m (329 ft 9 in) long overall. However their long construction time ensured their obsolescence in 1885-86 as completed, and they effectively were among the last central battery ship ever built. All navies embarked in between on the turret bandwagon. Both ships never fired a shot in anger, and stayed all their career in the Mediterranean Fleet, both struck in 1909.

Development (1872-76)

The Dévastation-class ironclads were authorized under the naval construction Program of 1872, after Italy started work on the very Duilio-class ironclads, to be armed with a very large artillery. Initially the French were dismissive and did not change plans, and for planning a successor to the Redoutable they created just an enlarged version, at least 2000 tonnes heavier, with larger guns as well, a more powerful armament that was still on the drawing board. Its only later with the press clamouring for bigger guns that the Navy approved the Duperré class Barbette ships. The design for the new ships was prepared in early 1875.

The chief engineer in charge of the admiralty plans (equivalent of the British Director of Naval Construction), was Louis de Bussy, who also designed Redoutable. He intended to arm the new class with four 320 mm (12.6 in) guns, and two 274.4 mm (10.80 in) guns. The fist were to be placed in a central casemate, the latter in open barbettes, above the casemate so a two-stage battery, with a better protection as it was concentrated on a short redoubt. Note that Redoutable had Seven 27 cm (10.6 in) guns instead.

The Conseil des travaux (Board of Construction) examined De Bussy’s initial proposal on 16 March 1875. Several requests for changes were submitted, notably th the gun placement, as well as extending the armor deck on the entire length, and two propellers instead of a single one, as it was the case of the Redoutable, for additional agility and redundancy. De Bussy submitted the revised design on 4 January 1876. There was a compromise, as he had to degrade the belt armor from 400 mm (15.7 in) down to 380 mm (15 in) to offset the extra weight of the longer armor deck.

The naval minister at the time, Léon Martin Fourichon, approved it on 11 May. He authorized the construction of two ships, initially named Dévastation and Foudroyant (“Devastating One” and Lighting striker One”). The later was renamed Courbet in 1885 to honor the admiral which died during the Sino-French war. In any case, these two ironclads ended as the largest central battery ships ever built by any navy. They managed to beat the longer broadside ironclads of the Minotaur class but ended smaller than the 10,962 long tons (11,138 t) Italian Duilio class, which were turret ships.

Their tall hull was nevertheless quite impressive and their ling ram gave them a martial allure. The navy continued to make changes to the design however, a common illness in French naval construction at the time, compounded by limited resources and the lack of modern ingrastructure and just space in shipyards. What they requested, is that the new 320 mm guns be replaced with 340 mm (13.4 in) main guns, and add two more 274.4 mm guns as chase weapons aft. In litterature these ships are sometimes called the Courbet class, as she had started construction first, but was launched and completed later. They were designed with a rigging also, that they kept for quite long, whereas the British, Germans and Italians embarked on steam-only ironclads. So by 1886 standards when Courbet was completed, they looked very out of place with their masts and central battery. Still, the French had great confidence in their heavy guns and expected a close quarter ramming battle after a brief, rapidly falling artillery exchange.

Design of Dévastation (1876)

Hull & general appearance

The Dévastation class was larger than the Redoutable as seen above. They measured 94.44 m (309 ft 10 in) long between perpendiculars, and 96.39 m (316 ft 3 in) at the waterline, but 100.52 m (329 ft 9 in) long overall, a bit symbolic in metric terms… Versus 100.7 meters for Redoutable, so about the same, but wider and taller, with a beam of 21.26 m (69 ft 9 in) versus 19.76 m (64 ft 10 in) as well as draftier at 7.8 to 8.23 m (25 ft 7 in to 27 ft) versus 7.8 m (26 ft) mean for a tonage of 10,450 long tons (10,620 t) versus 9,430 tonnes (9,280 long tons). The differences were in the heavier armament and armour. They had a pronounced ram bow and the typical pear-shaped hull for stability. This shape also allowed the battery to have the equivalent of cutouts to fire fore and aft.

All: Pinterest 1:600 scratchbuild model at the Marine Museum, Louvre.

Otherwise the shape still had a pronounced ram bow and tumblehome sides. Construction mixed iron and steel construction and apart their central redoubt, supestructures were bare. The main wheehouse was located on a beam-wide (it ended atop the battery roof) flying bridge atop the conning tower in front of the side by side square funnel. This flying bridge constituted a platform around it, with access ladders on both sides. There were large flags containers all around. The ships also had a short forecastle forward of the foremast. These composed pole masts had spotting tops for their main battery guns but were otherwise fully rigged on three stafes (barque rig). The crew varied between 689 and 721 officers and ragtings, for which were installed a dozen service boats, some on deck, including a steam pinnace that could have been used as a harbour spar torpedo boat, pinnaces, whalers, coal barges, cutters, and yawls, the latter suspended on long outer davit spars amidships.

Powerplant

Devastation Wheelhouse
Wheelhouse of Dévastation

Their propulsion was not much different from Reodutable, with two compound steam engines of the Woolf pattern. Steam was produced in twelve coal-burning fire-tube boilers. They were ducted and exhausted into a pair of latt, squared funnels side-by-side amidships. These engines were rated for 6,000 indicated horsepower (4,500 kW) and the top speed at designed was 15 knots with the builder claiming to 15.5 knots (27.8 to 28.7 km/h; 17.3 to 17.8 mph) if conditions were right and with some overheating. The initial trials in 1882, saw Dévastation pushed hard her machinery and reaching much more than ancticipated at 8,350 ihp (6,230 kW), but only 15.17 knots (28.09 km/h; 17.46 mph). This still barely above the contracted speed so the builder received a bonus. Both had two-bladed propellers and they carried 565 long tons (574 t) of coal, enough for a cruising range of 3,100 nautical miles (5,700 km; 3,600 mi) down to 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).

Museum Model

As usual, she was also given three-masts and a full-ship rig. However part 1886 it was soon quickly reduced to a barque rig. Courbet, her sister, was not rigged that way but as she was completed later, she adopted a much simpler three-masted schooner rig from the start. The main problem was their rudder. It was heavy to operate, so much so that during her trials, her crew found the vessel difficult to steer. The single rudder was steam-driven, with a manual backup, but it turned slowly and her flat did not favoured agility. It provided, in combination of her pear-shape section (tumblehome) as believed the means to be a stable gun platform. And that largely compensated. Between December 1882 and June 1883 however Dévastation was given a brand new hydraulic mounting for the main battery guns in order to make them easier for the crew to work, as they were until then hoisted and moved into position manually, so by a gale roll, thios prove djust impossible given their weight.

Protection

100%

The protection comprised wrought iron armor, not steel, used for the structure essentially.
The armour belt extended for the entire length, down to 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) below the waterline and up to 0.85 m (2 ft 9 in) above it for a total of 2.80 meters (8.5 feet). Amidships that belt reached 380 mm (15 in) thick, above the ammunition magazines and propulsion machinery spaces. Forward, it was tapered down to 220 mm (8.7 in). Aft, it was tapered down to 300 mm (11.8 in).

The armored casemate for the main battery reached 241 mm (9.5 in) thick, including its bulkheads forward and aft.

This battery was protected from below by an upper armor deck.
The waterline armour deck protected internal spaces, 60 mm (2.4 in) thick sandwiched over a 20 mm (0.79 in) deck plating and connecting to the upper edge of the armor belt.

Armament

320mm/18(21) (13 in) M1875/1881

The ships’ main battery consisted of four 340 mm guns mounted in a central, armored casemate. Two guns could fire ahead on a limited arc and two could fire astern. The guns carried aboard Dévastation were 18-caliber M1875 models, while Courbet received longer 21-caliber M1881 variants.

Characteristics (M1875):
(In research)

240 cm (9.4 in) M1870

These 340 mm guns were seconded by four 274.4 mm guns, which were the primary guns on the Redoutable. These were 18-caliber M1870 guns on Dévastation, but Courbet had the new and slightly longer 19.75-caliber M1875 guns instead as she was completed much later. One was a chase gun at the bow under the forecastle, two in open barbette mounts on the upper deck amidships, a fourth on the upper deck at the stern.

These guns were made by Ruelle Foundry in 1870, they derived from the earlier Canon de 24 C modèle 1864, switching from muzzle-loading to breech-loading guns but still using cast iron gun barrels for cost, speed and ease of manufacture. The 1864 models entered service in 1867 with steel hoops and shells three times heavier than previous round bullets for the muzzle velocity of 334–345 m/s.
The 1870 system had its barrel also hooped, but it was built from a short steel inner tube increasing longitudinal strength which had many shallow grooves instead a few deep grooves.

Internal Pressures could grow 50% higher. Their obturator was made by a ring of red copper and the ignition took place via the breech block, starting in the centre of the bottom part of the charge for more regular initial velocities, less strain on the gun. It used also a less offensive gunpowder, longer projectiles with copper driving bands and bourrelet. Performances were greatly improved across the board.

Characteristics (1870M):
Type: Separate-loading, bagged charge and projectiles
Mass & Dimensions: 15,660 kg or 15.41 long tons, 4.940 m (16.21 ft) L/21.
Shell: AP 317.5 pounds (144.0 kg). Muzzle velocity 1,624 ft/s (495 m/s). Penetration 14.4 inches (366 mm) wrought iron at the muzzle.
Elevation/rate of fire: 30°, 1 round every two minutes.
Effective range: 10 km (6.2 mi) basic and 10.8 km (6.7 mi) for the 1870 M

Secondary: Six 138.6 mm/21 M1870

The Devastation class were also armed with a tertiary battery of six 138.6 mm (5.46 in) guns. These were 21-caliber M1870M. On her sister Courbet they were exchanged for six 138.6 mm/30 M1881 breech-loading guns with greater range and muzzle velocity. Two was installed forward of the main battery, one per broadside. The remaining four were astern, two per broadside.

Tertiary: Six 138.6 mm/21 M1870

To face torpedo boats, a real threat by 1885, Dévastation had eight 37 mm (1.5 in) Hotchkiss revolver cannon in individual mounts on the flking platform and forecaste. Courbet was considerably beffeed up, and had eighteen of these, plus a pair of 65 mm (2.6 in) landing guns with mount undercarriage, plus a 47 mm (1.9 in) revolver cannon that could be mounted in her steam pinnaces (and optional spar torpedoes).

Torpedo Tubes

This was rounded up by four 356 mm (14 in) torpedo tubes. They were all in above-water launchers on Dévastation. Courbet had the same but five tubes instead, above water as well. But Devastation had two per broadside, whereas Courbet had two in the bow, one per broadside, a fifth in the stern. The model was the same as for the Redoutable, see the post about French WW1 Torpedo Boats for the model.

Modifications

Dévastation

Dévastation was modernized in 1885-86 with the same main guns as her sister, the M1881 320mm. She also gained an additional four 47 mm revolver cannon and two 37 mm revolvers to face torpedo boats.
In 1896, she received two 65 mm (2.6 in) QF guns and her 47 mm 6-barreled revolvers were replaced with six single-barrel 47 mm QF guns, and a total of no less than twenty 37 mm revolver cannons.
In 1901, she mostly received engineering and protection upgrades: She had a new and larger, thicker armored conning tower replacing her former light structure, with 80 mm (3.1 in) walls. Her propulsion system saw a pair of modern vertical triple-expansion steam engines installed fed now by welve Belleville boilers, water-tube type. That refit was completed in 1902 but her armament was unchanged.

Courbet

1894: Courbet light armament was changed to eighteen 65 mm (2.6 in) guns, seven 37 mm revolver cannon.
1897: Courbet received a new and larger conning tower with 80 mm walls, later installed on her sister in 1901. Her light guns on her upper fighting tops were removed as her two forward torpedo tubes. Gun shields on her upper barbette guns were replaced by vertical armor plates. She also was the first to had her machinery overhauled with new fire-tube boilers installed buty no VTE. Her former machinery remained. The Navy wanted to have her rearmed the ship, but the new naval minister cancelled this.
1899: A new refit until December 1900 was performed, in which her existing masts and bowsprit were removed, two large military masts with two fighting tops each were installed instead. The now obsolete 270 mm guns were removed and the bow position was given a much lighter but fast-fiuriog, longer range 138.6 mm/30 M1881/84 gun. The three barbette positions had now new 240 mm/40 M1893 guns. He light battery was altered to sixteen 47 mm guns, eight 37 mm revolvers, two 37 mm guns. The former were installed in the fighting tops, in general covering fore and aft arcs.

⚙ Dévastation spec. as built
Dimensions	10,450 long tons (10,620 t)
Displacement	100.52 x 21.26 x 8.08–8.23m (329 ft 9 in x 69 ft 9 in x 26 ft 6 in – 27 ft)
Propulsion	2x compound steam engines, 12× fire-tube boilers: 8,300 ihp (6,200 kW)
Speed	15-15.5 knots (27.8 to 28.7 km/h; 17.3 to 17.8 mph)
Range	3,100 nmi (5,700 km; 3,600 mi) at 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Armament	4× 340 mm, 4× 274.4 mm, 6× 5.46 in, 8× 37 mm, 5× 356 mm TTs
Protection	Belt 178-381 mm, Casemate 241 mm, Deck 61 mm
Crew	689 men

Dévastation’s class career (1876-1900)

Dévastation (1879)

Dévastation was laid down in Lorient 20 December 1875, launched on 19 August 1879 and in limited commission for sea trials by October 1881, full commission after acceptance on 15 July 1882. After fixes, she joined the main French fleet on 31 January 1885 and the next year, assigned to the training squadron, on 2–3 March testing defence against torpedo boats and later with Colbert, Friedland, Redoutable, Suffren, Amiral Duperré having gunnery practice against the ironclad Armide as target, tasting ranges from 2,700 to 4,600 m for a 22% percent hit rate with cast iron practice shells.

Large-scale maneuvers were performed off Toulon on 10-17 May, again with torpedo boats defending the coastline from them and with cruisers. She was part of the blockade. She had exercises off 2 to 12 June at Ajaccio, Corsica (mock attack of the port defended by coastal defense ship, three cruisers, and twenty torpedo boats). She was sent to Oran, French Algeria, for more on 25 June, simulating an enemy fleet entering through the Strait of Gibraltar and intercepted off Majorca. The relative ineffectiveness of torpedo boats in this scenario was counterbalanced by its effectiveness against blockading warships, pushing the French admiralty to ask the construction of ocean-going torpedo boats.

In May 1887, Dévastation took part in exercises in convoy escort to the benefit of the French Army that kept large forces in North Africa, so in case of war they would need to be transported back to Europe. Dévastation, Redoutable, Trident, Richelieu acted as simulated troop ships escorted by Courbet, Colbert, Amiral Duperré, and Indomptable. They were to be intercepted by cruisers and torpedo boats and used bad weather to good effect. Dévastation was in the 1889 fleet exercises, as simulated (30 June-6 July), concluded with a simulated amphibious landing at Hyères. From 23 July she was part of a simulated attack on Toulon in poor weather. In 1890 she entered the 2nd Division, Mediterranean Squadron with Courbet and Redoutable considered as sister ships. In 1890 there was a serious fire incident on Amiral Duperré and their batteries were condemned. An investigation revealed that all of the new 340 mm guns were defective, and needed barrel replacements. Dévastation had her own changed for a M1875 model from the coastal artillery. In 1891 she took part in fleet maneuvers, 1st Division with Courbet and Formidable (23 June-11 July) playing the hostile force attacking the southern French coast.

In 1893, she operated with Amiral Duperré, Amiral Baudin sisters, Hoche and the three Marceau-class. For the maneuvers she was in the 3rd Division with Neptune and Marceau and acted as divisional flagship, flag, RADM Gadaud. Local manoeuvers in July were followed by large scale manoeuvers on 17-28 July. In 1895 she operated with Courbet, the two Baudins, three Marceaus, and this year’s exercises started in July, with the 1st Squadron in a training cruise and gunnery drills while the Reserve Squadron. She was in the 1st unit attacking Ajaccio. In 1896, her unit welcomed the new Brennus. Summer manoeuvers (6-30 July) was off French Algeria. In 1897, Dévastation was sent to the Reserve Squadron with Caïman, Terrible, Amiral Duperré, and Friedland. For 1898, she was alone with Indomptable and Amiral Duperré, other being rebuilt and modernized, but took part in fleet maneuvers (5-25 July) as flagship RADM Godin. By December her mainmast was removed at Brest. In 1899, her own modernization started (see above). She was assigned to the Northern Squadron, English Channel with the Amiral Baudins, Duperré, Courbet, Redoutable, while her refit ended in 1901. Se had sea trials on 10 March 1902 but was not recommissioned. She remained uncrewed, inactive until stricken by 5 February 1909, sent to the 2nd Depot in Brest.

She was used as a training ship for engine room personnel (1910-1911) and depot/guard ship for the protected cruiser Châteaurenault, training boatswains (1911-1912) then deactivated and stripped off, towed in April 1913 to Landévennec to be mothballed and by July 1914, towed to Lorient for torpedo tests. In October she became a prison ship for WWI German Pows until 1918. She was still theren empty by 1919 and by May 1921, she was sold for BU, resold to shipbreakers in Hamburg, towed there on 7 May 1922 with Tonnerre, but while leaving she ran hard aground and needed time to be freed, on 18 April 1927. She was then grounded at Port-Louis and BU in situ, too damaged to be towed elsewehere.

Courbet (ex-Foudroyant) (1882)

Foudroyant was laid down at Toulon on 19 July 1875, launched on 27 April 1882, but later she broke from her mooring in a gale and ran aground. As Admiral Amédée Courbet died on 25 June 1885 of cholera in the Sino-French War she was renamed, and commissioned on 1 August 1885. Sea trials commenced and in December her armament was installed. She had officials Trials off Toulon into 1886 and in full commission from 1 October. Trials and fixes however went on until 18 March 1887. She entered the Mediterranean Fleet, seeing her first exercises by May 1887, in convoy escort with her sister “playing” as a troopship (see above). In August, she represented France at the International Maritime Exhibition held in Cádiz, Spain, and visited Tangier. She took part in the 1889 (30 June-6 July) fleet exercises, as the simulated enemy force. On 3 July she was in a simulated bombardment of Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer and La Ciotat. She accidentally collided with the cruiser D’Estrées, badly damaging her. With the cruiser Condor she escorted her back to Toulon on 4 July. On the 5th she mock attacked Cette. She was in a simulated amphibious landing at Hyères on 6 July. On 23 July she took part in a simulated attack on Toulon by night, marred by poor weather.

In 1890 she was in the combined Mediterranean Fleet/Northern Squadron, 1st Division, 1st Squadron with Amiral Duperré, Formidable, the cruisers Sfax and Forbin and torpedo craft. She was in Brest on 2 July for combined maneuvers until 25 July. On 22 July her rudder broke off and she needed repairs. Later she assisted the torpedo gunboat Dague, which had a boiler feed pump breaking down. Next she was transferred to the 2nd Division, Mediterranean Fleet with Dévastation and Redoutable. Her main battery guns were condemned after an accident on Duperré (see above).

She was given the older M1875 gun instead of her M1881. She took part in the fleet maneuvers of 1891 for the 1st Division with her sister and Formidable from 23 June to 11 July, opposing a simulated hostile force attacking the southern French coast. In 1893, same routine but with the two Amiral Baudin, Hoche and three Marceau-class. They sailed to the eastern Mediterranean. In 1893, still 1st Division with Formidable, Redoutable she saw local (1-10 July) and long range maneuvers (17-28 July). Modenrization started in Toulon from 1894. In 1895, with her sister Dévastation, Amiral Baudins, Marceaus, cruisers and torpedo ships, she visited Tunisia and Algeria. A training cruise started on 1 July with the entire 1st Squadron with the Reserve Squadron. She took part of the mock attack on Ajaccio.

On 13 November 1895, while steaming into Hyères, Formidable turned too widely and she led the line into shallow water, so almost all ran aground. Courbet was then 4th in line. She remained stuck for two days and pulled free, undamaged. In 1896, her unit greeted the arrival of Brennus for these manoeyvers of 6-30 July off French Algeria. In 1897, April, she was dry-docked until June for a refit. In February 1898 she was decommissioned for another refit. In October she sailed to Cherbourg, assigned to the Northern Squadron. In 1899, she visited Lisbon, Cádiz, Vigo, and Ferrol. In 1901, she operated with Hoche, the two Amiral Baudins, Carnot, Masséna, and Iéna, also visiting Vigo but also Lagos (Portugal), Toulon and Ajaccio while the fleet maneuvers were joint with the Mediterranean Fleet. She was part of the hostile force entering the Mediterranean via Gibraltar as would do a German squadron attempting to meet the allied Italian Navy, on 3-28 July. In August and September she was in amphibious assault exercises. On 28 August she escorted troop ships from Brest to La Rochelle, making a mick attack of coastal defenses, and covering 6,000 men ashore.

In early 1902, the Northern Squadron was reorganized. Courbet, Masséna, and Formidable were still present with four coastal defense ships. The fleet maneuvers started on 7 July, for the same exercise towards Gibraltar, but was unable to remain unobserved and was intercepted by the Mediterranean Squadron’s cruisers. The exercises ended on 15 July, with more tests with the combined fleet and a simulated battle as part of the British Mediterranean Fleet until 5 August. She returned to Brest, inactive in 1903 and placed in reserve in 1904, decommissioned on 21 October 1908, struck on 5 February 1909, sold for scrap on 25 August 1910.