french ironclad french ironclad wooden armored corvette built french_navy late 1860s improvement armored played minor role franco prussian war accidentally rammed sisters ship bombarded port french occupation tunisia sent pacific quickly returned port worn boilers condemned later year design description alma class ironclads designed improved versions armored corvette suited 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 allowing 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 launched march ship began sea trials april reserve brest completed commissioned july cruise franco prussian war placed reserve september recommissioned july flagship second division revolution sister spent september october port spain protect french citizens reduced reserve february recommissioned april july accidentally rammed run ashore prevent sinking placed reserve recommissioned april service july bombarded port french occupation tunisia ship named flagship january command returned worn boilers hull poor shape paid condemned november
French ironclad Reine Blanche