french ironclad french ironclad wooden armored corvette built french_navy named lost battle plains played minor role franco prussian war captured prussian sailing ship spent later career abroad chinese waters pacific_ocean ship condemned design description alma class ironclads designed improved versions armored corvette suitable foreign deployments unlike predecessor alma class ships true central battery ironclads fitted armored transverse bulkheads like ironclads era equipped metal reinforced ram measured meters perpendiculars beam meters mean draft meters displaced metric tons long tons crew numbered officers men propulsion ship single horizontal return connecting rod steam engine driving single propeller engine powered oval boilers sea trials engine produced indicated horsepower ship reached knots mph carried metric tons long tons coal allowed ship steam nautical miles speed knots mph barque rigged sail area square meters armament mounted millimeter modèle breech loading guns central battery battery deck millimeter guns mounted barbettes upper deck sides ship millimeter guns mounted upper deck exchanged guns guns armor piercing shell caliber gun weighed pounds gun weighed long tons gun fired shell muzzle velocity credited ability penetrate nominal inches wrought iron armour muzzle guns fire solid shot explosive shells armor complete millimeter wrought iron waterline belt approximately meters high sides battery armored millimeters wrought iron ends battery closed bulkheads thickness barbette armor millimeters thick backed millimeters wood portions sides protected millimeter iron plates service laid october launched october ship began sea trials june sent mediterranean franco prussian war captured german barque union north_sea watched prussian corvette portuguese waters cruised north south atlantic reserve august recommissioned october sailed china january relieve armored corvette flagship arrived reduced reserve flagship pacific division command rear admiral remained april condemned
French ironclad Montcalm