french ironclad french ironclad wooden central battery ironclad built french_navy early 1870s named 17th century statesman ship flagship career caught fire toulon scuttled prevent magazines exploding salvaged repaired resumed role flagship ship placed reserve eventually condemned towed ship breakers amsterdam caught storm cast loose ship survived storm recovered near isles towed final destination design description designed improved version class ironclads central battery ironclad armament concentrated amidships like ironclads era equipped shaped ram projected feet hull crew numbered officers men metacentric height ship low little feet ship measured meters overall beam meters maximum draft meters displaced metric tons long tons propulsion given propellers cylinder horizontal return connecting rod compound steam engines driving single propeller engines powered oval boilers sea trials engines produced indicated horsepower reached knots mph carried metric tons long tons coal allowed steam approximately nautical miles speed knots mph initially square rigged masts cut schooner rig armament intermediate armament millimeter guns mounted barbettes upper deck gun corner battery millimeter guns battery deck barbettes millimeter gun mounted forecastle chase gun ship secondary armament consisted millimeter guns later replaced millimeter guns caliber millimeter gun fired armor piercing pound shell gun weighed long tons gun fired shell muzzle velocity credited ability penetrate nominal inches wrought iron armour muzzle armor piercing shell caliber gun weighed pounds gun weighed long tons muzzle velocity credited ability penetrate nominal inches wrought iron armor muzzle millimeter gun long weighed long tons fired pound explosive shell muzzle velocity guns fire solid shot explosive shells point ship received later millimeter hotchkiss barrel revolving guns fired shell weighing muzzle velocity range meters rate fire rounds minute hull enable guns battery deck fire forward aft guns mounted barbettes sides hull ability fire fore aft late ship career water millimeter torpedo tubes added armor complete millimeter wrought iron waterline belt sides transverse bulkheads battery armored millimeters wrought iron barbettes deck protected armor service laid toulon launched december exact reason prolonged construction time known probably financial pressures caused french_navy budget cut franco prussian war coupled outdated work practices french time suitable ship began sea trials april begin service flagship february placed reserve december toulon harbor december caught fire scuttled prevent magazines exploding ship capsized port meters water lay barbettes angle order salvage accessible guns ammunition masts armor decks removed equivalent weight placed ship holds lower center gravity sheer hulk moved port cables connected cubic meters attached starboard prevent ship rolling far way hour half lifting angle subsequent effort completed job repaired returned service flagship october remained squadron port visits sailing brest exercises tested torpedo nets reduced speed maximum knots mph result considered successful ship placed reserve flagship september despite consisted ships commission squadron conducted exercises june august french waters condemned march immediately sold having sold dutch ship breakers departed toulon january tow having left mediterranean time existence storm caused cast loose ship remained afloat subsequently recovered near isles towed amsterdam broken
French ironclad Richelieu