La Galissonnière class Ironclads (1872)

France. Central Battery 2nd class Ironclads: La Galissonière,f Victorieuse, Triomphante. Built 1868-80, service until 1905.

The La Galissonnière class were a group of central battery ironclad warships built for the French Navy, started before the Franco-Prussian War and heavily modified postwar. They were designed as part of France’s continued naval expansion and modernization during the ironclad era. The class comprises La Galissonnière (launched 1872), Victorieuse (launched 1875) and Triomphante (launched 1877). They were improved versions of earlier Alma class, incorporating lessons from the Franco-Prussian War, and emphasized balanced armour, firepower and sea-keeping. They were mostly designed for overseas territories of the French Empire, basically a cheaper substitute to regular ironclads such as those of the Atlantic and Mediterranean Squadrons. Furthermore, they were smaller than average 1st rank ironclads at 4,600/4,800 tons, had a single steam engine and propeller for 13 knots, four 240 mm guns in central battery and a 150-120 mm wrought armour while being barque-rigged for long travels. They served until 1893-94 in the Pacific, Caribbean and Levant (Middle East), and were sold for BU in 1900-1903.

La Galissonnière in 1882

Development

The La Galissonnière-class ironclads were planned in 1867, to be faster and more heavily armed versions of the Alma-class ironclads. The latter had been designed by famous naval architect Henri Dupuy de Lôme, as central battery ships. They used the same central battery layout, but it was lengthened by 4 meters (13 ft 1 in) to incorporate larger guns, in that case the new larger Schneider Canet 240-mm (9.4 in) guns. The first one was given a two-propeller layout to try to reduce draft, but it was not a success, so next designer Sabattier took over the design of La Galissonnière’s sister ships and returned then to a single-shaft design to improve sailing qualities. He also added a 194 mm (7.6 in) bow chase gun under the forecastle and increased the secondary armament.
Redesigns led to a prolonged construction time, with the Prussian war in between (1870) completely stopping construction as all able men were recruited to fill new ad hoc armies trying to relieve the siege of Paris. All resources were also drained to the war efforts as well. Postwar, huge indemnities had to be paid and this curtailed the navy’s budget. However, the three ironclads were too advanced to be scrapped, and it was decided to complete construction, but under a modified design. Thus, construction time dragged on considerably:
-La Galissonnière, laid down in Brest on 22 June 1868 as lead vessel was launched on 7 May 1872 and completed by 18 July 1874, so over seven years.
-Victorieuse was laid down at Toulon on 5 August 1869, launched on 18 November 1875 and commissioned in 1876, same.
-Triomphante was laid down the same day at Rochefort, but launched later on 28 March 1877 and only completed on 1880, so nine years.

Design of the class

Hull and general design

La Galissonnière measured 76.62 meters (251 ft 5 in) between perpendiculars, for a beam of 14.84 meters (48 ft 8 in), mean draft of 6.55 meters (21 ft 6 in). The lead ship displaced 4,654 metric tons (4,580 long tons). She had a metacentric height of .926 meters (3 ft 0.5 in).
Victorieuse and Triomphante diverged in many ways. They were 76.85 meters (252 ft 2 in) between perpendiculars for a slightly larger beam of 14.88 meters (48 ft 10 in). Mean draft was lighter at 6.3 meters (20 ft 8 in) and displaced less at 4,150 metric tons (4,080 long tons).
Their crew varied in time between 352 and 382 officers and men.

Powerplant

La Galissonnière had two Wolf vertical compound steam engines which drove a single 3.8 meter (12 ft 6 in) propeller, with her engines fed by four oval boilers. On sea trials La Galissonnière was rated for 2,370 indicated horsepower (1,770 kW) while she reached 13.08 knots (24.22 km/h; 15.05 mph). La Galissonnière had a reserve of 500 metric tons (490 long tons) of coal, allowing her to steam for 3,240 nautical miles (6,000 km; 3,730 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). She was ship-rigged, with three masts and had a sail area of 1,707 square meters (18,370 sq ft).

Victorieuse and Triomphante diverged of course by their single vertical compound steam engine, which drove a single propeller but retained the same boilers as La Galissonnière. On trials their engines, mated to a single gearbox, produced 2,214 indicated horsepower (1,651 kW) for a top speed of 12.75 knots (23.61 km/h; 14.67 mph), so they ended slower and less manoeuvrable. They also carried less coal, 330 metric tons (320 long tons) so the range fell down to 2,740 nautical miles (5,070 km; 3,150 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). However, like the lead vessel they were ship-rigged, with three masts, and their sail area was a bit greater at 1,730 square meters (18,600 sq ft).

Protection

These ironclads had wrought armour over a wooden, hull, which structure was braced and reinforced by iron elements. They had a complete 150 mm (5.9 in) wrought iron waterline belt which was only 2.4 meters (7.9 ft) high. It was backed by 650 mm (26 in) of teak planking buffering, absorbing any impact, in addition to the wooden hull planking. The battery above for stability reasons was reduced somewhat to 120 mm (4.7 in) of wrought iron, also backed by 520 mm (20 in) teak. Both ends of the battery were closed by bulkheads also of 120 mm to avoid raking fire. This was not a proper citadel, as there was no armoured deck above. There was also a barbette armor, 120 mm (4.7 in) thick under the secondary deck guns. The unarmoured sides were protected by thinner iron plates in an all-or-nothing scheme. There was no conning tower.

Armament

The core concept of this class was to have a large central battery to house larger guns, large enough to deter most warships from distant stations. All three had a total of six Canon de 24 C modèle 1870 (9.4 in) guns. Four were in the central battery deck and the remaining two were mounted in barbettes on the upper deck. They were sponsoned out over the sides for greater fire arc, and their base protected in an armoured barbette. These sponsons were positioned abaft the funnel on the lead ship La Galissonnière.
On the other two, the barbettes positions were relocated forward of the funnel.
Victorieuse* and Triomphante* were modified while on the stocks, with the armament reinforced by an additional 194 mm chase gun and secondary armament increased to six 138 mm (5.4 in) guns. Later they received (like La Galissonnière when refitted) Hotchkiss guns and Harvey torpedoes, but before completion.

240mm (9.4 in) M1870

These 240 mm L19 guns weighed 15.41 long tons (15.66 t). Their armour-piercing shells weighed 317.5 pounds (144.0 kg). Muzzle velocity was 1,624 ft/s (495 m/s). They could penetrate a nominal 14.4 inches (366 mm) of wrought iron armour, at the muzzle. In addition to AP they could fire solid shot against fortification, and explosive shells.

Secondary: 120 mm (4.7 in) M1870

The La Galissonnière’s secondary armament was composed of four 120 mm (4.7 in) guns all mounted on the upper deck with good traverse.
No data on these.
They were replaced by six 100 mm (3.9 in) guns in 1880.

Secondary*: 194 mm (7.8 in) M1870

The 194-millimeter/20 cal. gun weighed 7.83 long tons (7.96 t). It fired an 165.3-pound (75.0 kg) AP shell at a muzzle velocity of 1,739 ft/s (530 m/s) and could penetrate 12.5 inches (320 mm) of wrought iron armour at close range.

Secondary*: 138 mm (4.7 in) M1870

The 138-millimeter/21 calibers weighed 2.63 long tons (2.67 t) and fired a 61.7-pound (28.0 kg) HE (explosive) shell at a muzzle velocity of 1,529 ft/s (466 m/s).

Tertiary Artillery

In 1878, the danger of torpedo boats meant they were armed in addition with four 37 mm (1.5 in) Hotchkiss 5-barrel revolving guns. They fired 500 g (1.1 lb) shells at a muzzle velocity of about 610 m/s (2,000 ft/s), and the range was limited to 3,200 meters (3,500 yd). At that stage, their masts had been replaced by military masts with fighting tops to support these. These revolving funs had a rate of fire of about 30 rounds per minute.

Harvey Torpedoes

At the same time, they received several towed Harvey torpedoes. The latter was invented in the late 1860s by Frederick Harvey and his uncle, Captain John Harvey. They were the first autonomous model, replacing the spar type. They had an explosive charge attached to a line projected away from the boat carrying it, so making it less dangerous to detonate. It was to be supplied to the Royal Navy but eventually manufactured by the Royal Arsenal at Woolwich, so Captain Harvey never was paid for his invention. A similar type was also adopted by France for a time.

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⚙ specifications
Displacement	4,654 metric tons (4,580 long tons)
Dimensions	76.62 x 14.84 x 6.55 (251 ft 5 in x 48 ft 8 in x 21.5 ft)
Propulsion	2 shafts vertical compound steam engines, 4 oval boilers 2,370 ihp (1,770 kW)
Speed	12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph), c10 kts under ship rig
Range	2,920 nautical miles (5,410 km; 3,360 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) on steam
Armament	6× 240 mm (9.4 in) Mle 1870, 4× 120 mm (4.7 in) guns
Protection	Belt 150 mm, Battery 120 mm, Barbettes 120 mm, Bulkheads 120 mm
Crew	352–382

Gallery

Career of the La Galissonnière class Ironclads (later armoured cruisers)

La Galissonnière (1872)

La Galissonnière in 1882
La Galissonnière was laid down at Brest on 22 June 1868, launched on 7 May 1872 and commissioned on 18 July 1874. She was named after the victor of the Battle of Minorca in 1756, Roland-Michel Barrin, Marquis de la Galissonnière. The name was inherited by a cruiser class in the interwar and a destroyer in the Cold War. Among the reasons that also affected her sisters, in a addition to the wartime disruption, budget cuts postwar, there was the additional pain as there was no budget to modernize French dockyards, no reform taken with working practices more suitable for the industrial age, partly due to local worker’s resistance and souvenir of the Paris Commune.

La Galissonnière started her sea trials on 20 April 1874. She was not officially commissioned until 18 July. She then became flagship, Pacific Squadron, on 16 May 1874, under command of Rear Admiral Perigot. Back to Brest on 19 March 1877 after circumnavigating the globe via the Suez Canal she was placed in reserve until recommissioned on 15 August 1878 after some modifications and modernization. At that stage, her sister Triomphante was still not in service. She was recommissioned as flagship, Caribbean Squadron, from 6 October, carrying the mark of Rear Admiral Peyron. In 1880, she sailed back to Cherbourg and was reduced to reserve, on 13 May 1880.

She then became the flagship of the Levant Squadron (Division Navale du Levant), in the Middle East (Based in Lebanon), under Rear Admiral Alfred Conrad, from 27 May 1881. She took part in the campaign against Tunisia, bombarding the port of Sfax in July 1881 in support of a French occupation. In early 1882, she was present in Alexandria before the British bombarded the city at the start of the Anglo-Egyptian War. She remained in the Mediterranean squadron until 1883 and relieved Victorieuse in April 1884 as flagship of the Far East Squadron under Vice Admiral Amédée Courbet.

It was just in time for the Sino-French War of 1884–85. She fought in the later stages, notably at the Battle of Fuzhou in August 1884, trying to pass a Chinese fort (Fort Kimpaï) defending the entrance to the Min River, and tried but failed to destroy the fort while being lightly damaged by a single shell, damaging her steam capstan, killing a man. She landed a party at the Battle of Tamsui in October 1884 until they had to retreat due to superior Chinese troops, loosing nine men. It seems she no longer was involved in major actions afterwards and was recalled home in February 1886, laid up for the last time in Cherbourg, stayed there until condemned (stricken) and stripped on 24 December 1894.
In June 1895, she became a target ship to experiment or ironclads could resist coastal artillery batteries. This was done off Cherbourg, fitted with additional, modern steel armour plate, and two sheep placed aboard to test the effects of shock waves from the hits. Four 19 cm (7.5 in) shells all penetrated the armour, killed a sheep by shell blast, but the other survived, showing this was not a fatal blow.

Victorieuse (1875)

Victorieuse was laid down at Toulon on 5 August 1869, but only launched on 18 November 1875 and commissioned on 1876. She started her sea trials on 12 November 1876, but she was placed in reserve in Toulon after their completion, only to recommissioned as flagship, Pacific Squadron, on 17 August 1878, carrying the mark of Rear Admiral Abel-Nicolas Bergasse du Petit-Thouars (a famous named by the way in the French Navy). The latter was a veteran of the Crimean War, a fought in the Japanese revolution (Boshin war) and took part in the Franco-Prussian War and became an observer in the War of the Pacific, in the Marquesas Islands, and Lima campaign when her prevented a bombardment of the city by the Chileans.
The ship took part in the pacification of the Marquesas Islands in 1880 conquered by the admiral’s uncle and adoptive father, Abel Aubert, forty years before.

Victorieuse returned to Toulon on 23 May 1881 and after a refit, she was recommissioned as flagship, China Squadron, on 1 December 1881, under command of Rear Admiral Meyer. She was relieved by La Galissonnière in April 1884, and returned to the Mediterranean to become flagship of the Levant Squadron. However, after inspection in France she was found in bad shape (notably her wooden hull which started rotting) so she was soon placed in reserve at Cherbourg. She became flagship of Rear Admiral Barrera, 2nd in command of the Northern Squadron, 10 February 1892. She took part in summer manoeuvres off the Iberian coast by July 1893. In 1895, she became flagship, Rear Admiral Ménard. Back in Toulon it was planned to have her condemned in May 1897, but instead she was ordered to escort of convoy of torpedo boats to Bizerte, which was cancelled. She was paid off in 1899 but became guard ship in the outer harbour of Brest until condemned (stricken) in 1900 and sold for scrap.

Tromphante (1877)

Triomphante was laid down at the same time as her sister Victorieuse at Rochefort on 5 August 1869 and launched on 28 March 1877, then completed after many delays in 1880, no exact date known.
At commission, she was assigned as flagship of the Pacific Squadron from 17 October 1880, under command of Rear Admiral Brossard du Corbigny. On 15 February 1883 she became flagship of the Levant Squadron back in the Mediterranean, under Rear Admiral Conte. On 28 May the latter shifted his flag to another vessel as she was order back to the pacific, and to Saigon, in what became later Indochina. Both her and La Galissonnière were assigned to this Far East Squadron in 1884 under Courbet to take part in the Sino-French War of 1884–85.

Battle of Fuzhou, for the Min River Forts (27 August 1885)

Both fought at the Battle of Fuzhou, in which Triomphante sunk the gunboat Zhenwei, and destroyed coastal defences, notably the forts defending the Min River. Like her sister she also supplied a large landing party taking part in the Battle of Tamsui in October 1884, until forced to retreat due to massive Chinese reinforcements, only taking few casualties, 5 killed and 10 wounded. Triomphante next landed a party to capture the Pescadores Islands in March 1885 (Pescadores Campaign, off Formosa), loosing 2 plus 5 wounded in the action (5 KiA, 12 wounded for the total of all parties engaged). They were opposed by 2,400 men and shore batteries under Zhou Shanchu and Zheng Yingjie, the Chinese lost 300 killed and 500 wounded, as the French included a company of naval infantry and had the support of the fleet’s guns.
She then became flagship of the Far East Squadron from 1 April 1885, hosting Courbet, and remained as such until 5 February 1894 when reduced to reserve. She was condemned (stricken) on 18 July 1896, then sold for scrap in 1903.

Triomphante at the end of her service life in the 1890s