french ironclad lead ship class wooden armored built french_navy 1870s named victor bombarded french occupation tunisia present alexandria shortly british bombarded beginning anglo egyptian war ship participated number battles sino french war condemned design description class ironclads designed faster heavily armed versions alma class armored central battery layout predecessors battery lengthened meters provide room work larger millimeter guns propeller layout adopted unsuccessful attempt reduce ship draft measured meters perpendiculars beam meters mean draft meters displaced metric tons long tons ship metacentric height meters crew numbered officers men propulsion wolf vertical compound steam engines driving single meter propeller engines powered oval boilers sea trials engines produced total indicated horsepower ship reached knots mph carried metric tons long tons coal allowed ship steam nautical miles speed knots mph ship rigged masts sail area square meters armament ship mounted millimeter guns central battery battery deck millimeter guns mounted barbettes upper deck sides ship funnel secondary armament millimeter guns mounted upper deck replaced millimeter guns armor piercing shell caliber millimeter gun weighed pounds gun weighed long tons muzzle velocity credited ability penetrate nominal inches wrought iron armour muzzle guns fire solid shot explosive shells ship received millimeter hotchkiss barrel revolving guns fired shell weighing muzzle velocity range meters rate fire rounds minute received towed harvey torpedoes armor complete millimeter wrought iron waterline belt approximately meters high laid millimeters wood sides battery armored millimeters wrought iron backed millimeters wood ends battery closed bulkheads thickness barbette armor millimeters thick portions sides protected thin iron plates service laid brest june launched exact reason prolonged construction time known budget french_navy cut franco prussian war french reformed working practices suitable industrial age ship began sea trials april commissioned july flagship command rear admiral return brest march having world suez_canal ship placed reserve return recommissioned august preparation commission flagship began october years later sailed reduced reserve flagship french division levant rear admiral shortly afterward bombarded port july french occupation tunisia early present alexandria shortly british bombarded beginning anglo egyptian war ship remained mediterranean relieved half sister april flagship command vice admiral time participate sino french war ship fought late stages august tried pass chinese fort known french defending entrance failed destroy fort lightly damaged shell struck bow damaged steam killed man ship supplied landing parties october forced retreat chinese troops men killed known participation war ordered home february laid time return ship condemned december
French ironclad La Galissonnière