french ironclad french ironclad wooden armored corvette built french_navy played minor role franco prussian war bombarded vietnamese forts participated sino french war reduced reserve sank years later having 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 june launched april sea trials began april joined reserve brest july commissioned february initially assigned transferring july outbreak franco prussian war squadron ordered lift blockade prussian north_sea ports september return went reserve november recommissioned following year named flagship july command rear admiral baron august sailed return february placed reserve arrival recommissioned december flagship departed january returned ship spent years reserve recommissioned july service french division transferred new french division des formed august participated attack french forts defending mouth leading vietnamese capital attempt vietnamese government assigned bombard french commander vice admiral days bombardment landing party ship captured fort ensign french aboard battle participated landing wrote articles describing experiences published newspaper pen ship assigned french orient admiral formed amalgamation june preparation sino french war early september carried admiral september ship paid reserve condemned years later fell state disrepair night gradually sank mud
French ironclad Atalante