 Postcard ofCouronne at anchor | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Operators |  French Navy |
| Preceded by | Gloire class |
| Succeeded by | Magenta class |
| Built | 1859–1862 |
| In service | 1862–1931 |
| In commission | 1862–1908 |
| Completed | 1 |
| Scrapped | 1 |
| History | |
| Name | Couronne |
| Namesake | Crown of Napoleon III |
| Ordered | 4 March 1858 |
| Builder | Arsenal de Lorient |
| Cost | 6,018,885francs |
| Laid down | 14 February 1859 |
| Launched | 28 March 1861 |
| Commissioned | 2 February 1862 |
| Out of service | Hulked, 1 September 1909 |
| Reclassified | As gunnerytraining ship, 1885 |
| Fate | Scrapped, 1934 |
| General characteristics (as completed) | |
| Type | Armoured frigate |
| Displacement | 6,428 t (6,326long tons) |
| Length | 80.85 m (265 ft 3 in) |
| Beam | 16.7 m (54 ft 9 in) |
| Draught | 7.8 m (25 ft 7 in) |
| Depth of hold | 9.7 m (31 ft 10 in) |
| Installed power | |
| Propulsion | 1 × shaft; 1 ×HRCR-steam engine |
| Sail plan | Barquentine rigged |
| Speed | 12.5knots (23.2 km/h; 14.4 mph) |
| Range | 2,410nautical miles (4,460 km; 2,770 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) |
| Complement | 570 |
| Armament | 30 × 164.7 mm (6.5 in)rifled breech-loading guns |
| Armour |
|
TheFrench ironcladCouronne ("Crown") was the first iron-hulledironclad warship built for theFrench Navy in 1859–1862. She was the first such ship to belaid down, although the Britisharmoured frigateHMS Warrior was completed first. The ship participated in theFranco-Prussian War of 1870–1871, but saw no combat. She was served as a gunnerytraining ship from 1885 to 1908 before she washulked the following year and became abarracks ship inToulon.Couronne wasscrapped in 1934, over 70 years after she was completed.
Designed by the Frenchnaval architectCamille Audenet[1] as an iron-hulled armoured frigate of similar type to theGloire-classironclads, although strictly not a sister ship but a unique vessel,Couronne was also intended to fight in the line of battle, unlike the first British ironclads.[2] The ship was classified as anarmoured frigate because she only had a single gun deck and her traditional disposition of guns arrayed along the length of the hull also meant that she was abroadside ironclad.[3] The ship was 80.85 metres (265 ft 3 in) long,[4] with abeam of 17 metres (55 ft 9 in). She had a maximumdraft of 7.8 metres (25 ft 7 in), adepth of hold of 9.7 metres (31 ft 10 in) and displaced 6,428 tonnes (6,326 long tons).[4] The ship'smetacentric height of 1.8 metres (6 ft) meant that sherolled less and was a better sea boat than theGloires.[3] Hergun ports were slightly higher above thewaterline than those of her predecessors, 2 metres (6 ft 7 in), andCouronne took aboard less water as well.[5] She had a crew of 570 officers and enlisted men.[4]
The ship had a singlehorizontal return connecting-rod compound steam engine that drove a six-bladed, 5.8-meter (19 ft 0 in) propeller using steam provided by eight Indret ovalboilers for a designed speed of 12.5knots (23.2 km/h; 14.4 mph).[4] Figures for the engine's designed power vary wildly, from 2,000 to 3,200indicated horsepower (1,500 to 2,400 kW),[4][5][6] butCouronne reached 13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph) from 2,597metric horsepower (1,910 kW) during hersea trials. She carried a maximum of 675 tonnes (664 long tons) of coal[4] which allowed her to steam for 2,410nautical miles (4,460 km; 2,770 mi) at a speed of 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).[6] The details ofCouronne's sailing rig are not precisely known, although a photograph of her in her original single-decker ironclad guise quite clearly shows her with full ship rig (square rig on three masts), but presumably she was fitted with a lightbarquentine rig with three masts like that of theGloire-class ships. It is also unknown if she had the same multiple changes of rigging as those ships.[7]
Couronne was armed with 36 Modèle 1860 164.7-millimetre (6.5 in)rifled breech-loading guns, 30 of which were positioned on the single gun deck in thebroadside. The remaining 4 guns were placed on the upper deck aschase guns.[4] They fired a 44.9-kilogram (99.0 lb) shell at a muzzle velocity of only 322 metres per second (1,060 ft/s) and proved to be ineffective against armour.[8] The ship was rearmed multiple times during her career, the first of which was the replacement of the chase guns by four 220-millimetre (8.7 in)howitzers in 1864 and the replacement of the rest of the guns by improved Modèle 1864 guns. The ship was subsequently rearmed with 16Canon de 19 C modèle 1864 (with a caliber of 194-millimetre (7.6 in)) on her main deck and six 164.7-millimetre guns on the upper deck as chase guns. Her final armament configuration before she became a gunnery training ship in 1881 was eightCanon de 24 C modèle 1870 (9.4 in) guns and four 194-millimetre Modèle 1870 guns on the main deck. A pair of 120-millimetre (4.7 in) guns and a dozen 37-millimetre (1.5 in) 5-barrelledHotchkiss revolving cannon were mounted on the upper deck.[3]
Couronne'swrought iron hull was completely protected by armour plates 120 millimetres thick. The armour backing consisted of two layers ofteak, totaling 380 millimetres (15 in) in thickness, an iron lattice work 33 millimetres (1.3 in) thick, and the 20-millimetre (0.79 in) side of the hull. The ship had aconning tower with armour 100 millimetres (3.9 in) thick and 12.7 millimetres (0.5 in) of armour underneath the wooden upper deck.[3]
Ordered on 4 March 1858,[3]Couronne waslaid down at theArsenal de Lorient on 14 February 1859,launched on 28 March 1861 and commissioned on 2 February 1862 at a cost of 6,018,885francs.[5] On 19 June 1864,Couronne played an incidental role in theBattle of Cherbourg as she escorted theConfederatecommerce raiderCSS Alabama out of French territorial waters to her fight withUSS Kearsarge.[9] While assigned to theMediterranean Fleet, the ship made a port visit in August 1865 toBrest where the fleet hosted the BritishChannel Fleet. A few days later the French fleet made a reciprocal visit toPortsmouth where it was hosted by the Channel Fleet.[10] On 1 March 1867,Couronne was driven ashore in theÎles d'Hyères,Var in a storm. Several people died.[11]
During the Franco-Prussian War the ship was assigned toVice AdmiralLéon Martin Fourichon's squadron thatblockaded German ports in theHeligoland Bight in August and September 1870.[12] The four German ironclads atWilhelmshavensortied in search of the French squadron in early August before the French arrived and in mid-September[13] after the French were forced to abandon the blockade for lack of coal.[14]
Couronne returned to Toulon on 10 December. In 1876, she was assigned to the Mediterranean Squadron. From 1881 to 1885,Couronne was reconstructed to serve as a gunnery training ship, replacingSouverain:[15] her armour was replaced by wood of the same thickness, two boilers were removed and her propeller was replaced. Her rigging was replaced by a fullship rig and ironspar deck andpoop decks were fitted which gave her the appearance of a steamship of the line of theNapoléon type. The ship was rearmed with an assortment of guns of various calibres for training purposes, replacingSouverain in this role.[16] Her crew and trainees numbered 1200 officers and enlisted men.Couronne was replaced as a gunnery training ship on 1 December 1908 and disarmed on 1 September 1909.[5] She was subsequently converted to a floating barracks at Toulon until she was scrapped in 1934.[6]
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