French ironclad Reine Blanche
Encyclopedia
The French ironclad Reine Blanche was a wooden-hulled armored corvette
built for the French Navy
in the late 1860s as an improvement over the armored covervette. She played a minor role in the Franco-Prussian War
of 1870 and was accidentally rammed by one of her sisters
in 1877. The ship bombarded the port of Sfax
during the French occupation of Tunisia
in 1881 before being sent to the Pacific in 1884. She quickly returned to port with worn-out boilers and was condemned later that year.
s. Like most ironclads of their era, they were equipped with a metal-reinforced ram
.
Reine Blanche measured 69.02 metre between perpendiculars, with a beam
of 13.94 metre. She had a mean draft of 6.48 metre and displaced 3768 tonnes (3,708.5 LT). Her crew numbered 316 officers and men.
s. On sea trial
s the engine produced 1860 ihp and the ship reached 11.72 knots (6.4 m/s). Reine Blanche carried 250 metric tons (246.1 LT) of coal, allowing the ship to steam for 1610 nautical miles (2,981.7 km) at a speed of 10 knots (5.4 m/s). She was barque
-rigged and had a sail area of 1454 sqm.
ed out over the sides of the ship. The four 120 millimetres (4.7 in) guns were also mounted on the upper deck. She may have exchanged her Mle 1864 guns for Mle 1870 guns. The armor-piercing
shell of the 20-caliber
Mle 1870 gun weighed 165.3 pounds (75 kg) while the gun itself weighed 7.83 long tons (8 t). The gun fired its shell at a muzzle velocity
of 1739 ft/s (530 m/s) and was credited with the ability to penetrate a nominal 12.5 inches (31.8 cm) of wrought iron
armour at the muzzle. The guns could fire both solid shot
and explosive shells
.
waterline belt
, approximately 2.4 metres (7.9 ft) high. The sides of the battery itself were armored with 120 millimetres (4.7 in) of wrought iron and the ends of the battery were closed by bulkheads of the same thickness. The barbette armor was 100 millimetres (3.9 in) thick, backed by 240 millimetres (9.4 in) of wood. The unarmored portions of her sides were protected by 15 millimetre (0.590551181102362 in) iron plates.
in 1865 and launched on 10 March 1868. The ship began her sea trial
s on 15 April 1869 and was put into reserve at Brest
after they were completed. She was commissioned on 20 July 1870 and made one cruise to the Shetland Islands
during the Franco-Prussian War
before she was placed in reserve again on 20 September. Reine Blanche was recommissioned in July 1871 as flagship
of the second division of the Evolutionary Squadron. During the Cantonal Revolution
Reine Blanche and her sister
spent much of September–October 1873 in the port of Cartagena, Spain
, where they could protect French citizens. She was reduced to reserve on 1 February 1876 and recommissioned in April 1877.
On 3 July 1877 she was accidentally rammed by Thétis and had to be run ashore to prevent her from sinking. Reine Blanche was placed back into reserve in 1878. She was recommissioned on 15 April 1879 for service with the Levant Squadron. From 5–16 July 1881 Reine Blanche bombarded the Tunisian port of Sfax
as part of the French occupation of Tunisia
. The ship was named as the flagship
of the Pacific Squadron on 20 January 1884 under command of Rear Admiral Franquet, but she returned to Cherbourg on 22 May 1884 with worn-out boilers and her hull in poor shape. Reine Blanche was paid off and condemned on 12 November 1884.
Corvette
A corvette is a small, maneuverable, lightly armed warship, originally smaller than a frigate and larger than a coastal patrol craft or fast attack craft , although many recent designs resemble frigates in size and role...
built for the French Navy
French Navy
The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
in the late 1860s as an improvement over the armored covervette. She played a minor role in the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
of 1870 and was accidentally rammed by one of her sisters
Sister ship
A sister ship is a ship of the same class as, or of virtually identical design to, another ship. Such vessels share a near-identical hull and superstructure layout, similar displacement, and roughly comparable features and equipment...
in 1877. The ship bombarded the port of Sfax
Sfax
Sfax is a city in Tunisia, located southeast of Tunis. The city, founded in AD 849 on the ruins of Taparura and Thaenae, is the capital of the Sfax Governorate , and a Mediterranean port. Sfax has population of 340,000...
during the French occupation of Tunisia
French occupation of Tunisia
The French conquest of Tunisia occurred in two phases in 1881: the first consisting of the invasion and securing of the country before the signing of a treaty of protection, and the second consisting in the suppression of a rebellion...
in 1881 before being sent to the Pacific in 1884. She quickly returned to port with worn-out boilers and was condemned later that year.
Design and description
The sIronclad is the all-encompassing term for armored warships of this period. Armored corvettes were originally designed for the same role as traditional wooden corvettes, but this rapidly changed as the size and expense of these ships caused them to be used as second-class armored ships. were designed as improved versions of the armored corvette , suited for foreign deployments. Unlike their predecessor, the Alma-class ships were true central battery ironclads as they were fitted with armored transverse bulkheadBulkhead (partition)
A bulkhead is an upright wall within the hull of a ship or within the fuselage of an airplane. Other kinds of partition elements within a ship are decks and deckheads.-Etymology:...
s. Like most ironclads of their era, they were equipped with a metal-reinforced ram
Naval ram
A naval ram was a weapon carried by varied types of ships, dating back to antiquity. The weapon consisted of an underwater prolongation of the bow of the ship to form an armoured beak, usually between six and twelve feet in length...
.
Reine Blanche measured 69.02 metre between perpendiculars, with a beam
Beam (nautical)
The beam of a ship is its width at the widest point. Generally speaking, the wider the beam of a ship , the more initial stability it has, at expense of reserve stability in the event of a capsize, where more energy is required to right the vessel from its inverted position...
of 13.94 metre. She had a mean draft of 6.48 metre and displaced 3768 tonnes (3,708.5 LT). Her crew numbered 316 officers and men.
Propulsion
The ship had a single horizontal return connecting-rod steam engine driving a single propeller. Her engine was powered by four oval boilerBoiler (steam generator)
A boiler or steam generator is a device used to create steam by applying heat energy to water. Although the definitions are somewhat flexible, it can be said that older steam generators were commonly termed boilers and worked at low to medium pressure but, at pressures above this, it is more...
s. On sea trial
Sea trial
A sea trial is the testing phase of a watercraft . It is also referred to as a "shakedown cruise" by many naval personnel. It is usually the last phase of construction and takes place on open water, and can last from a few hours to many days.Sea trials are conducted to measure a vessel’s...
s the engine produced 1860 ihp and the ship reached 11.72 knots (6.4 m/s). Reine Blanche carried 250 metric tons (246.1 LT) of coal, allowing the ship to steam for 1610 nautical miles (2,981.7 km) at a speed of 10 knots (5.4 m/s). She was barque
Barque
A barque, barc, or bark is a type of sailing vessel with three or more masts.- History of the term :The word barque appears to have come from the Greek word baris, a term for an Egyptian boat. This entered Latin as barca, which gave rise to the Italian barca, Spanish barco, and the French barge and...
-rigged and had a sail area of 1454 sqm.
Armament
Reine Blanche mounted her four 194 millimetres (7.6 in) Modèle 1864 breech-loading guns in the central battery on the battery deck. The other two 194-millimeter guns were mounted in barbettes on the upper deck, sponsonSponson
Sponsons are projections from the sides of a watercraft, for protection, stability, or the mounting of equipment such as armaments or lifeboats, etc...
ed out over the sides of the ship. The four 120 millimetres (4.7 in) guns were also mounted on the upper deck. She may have exchanged her Mle 1864 guns for Mle 1870 guns. The armor-piercing
Armor-piercing shot and shell
An armor-piercing shell is a type of ammunition designed to penetrate armor. From the 1860s to 1950s, a major application of armor-piercing projectiles was to defeat the thick armor carried on many warships. From the 1920s onwards, armor-piercing weapons were required for anti-tank missions...
shell of the 20-caliber
Caliber (artillery)
In artillery, caliber or calibredifference in British English and American English spelling is the internal diameter of a gun barrel, or by extension a relative measure of the length....
Mle 1870 gun weighed 165.3 pounds (75 kg) while the gun itself weighed 7.83 long tons (8 t). The gun fired its shell at a muzzle velocity
Muzzle velocity
Muzzle velocity is the speed a projectile has at the moment it leaves the muzzle of the gun. Muzzle velocities range from approximately to in black powder muskets , to more than in modern rifles with high-performance cartridges such as the .220 Swift and .204 Ruger, all the way to for tank guns...
of 1739 ft/s (530 m/s) and was credited with the ability to penetrate a nominal 12.5 inches (31.8 cm) of wrought iron
Wrought iron
thumb|The [[Eiffel tower]] is constructed from [[puddle iron]], a form of wrought ironWrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon...
armour at the muzzle. The guns could fire both solid shot
Round shot
Round shot is a solid projectile without explosive charge, fired from a cannon. As the name implies, round shot is spherical; its diameter is slightly less than the bore of the gun it is fired from.Round shot was made in early times from dressed stone, but by the 17th century, from iron...
and explosive shells
Shell (projectile)
A shell is a payload-carrying projectile, which, as opposed to shot, contains an explosive or other filling, though modern usage sometimes includes large solid projectiles properly termed shot . Solid shot may contain a pyrotechnic compound if a tracer or spotting charge is used...
.
Armor
Reine Blanche had a complete 150 millimetres (5.9 in) wrought ironWrought iron
thumb|The [[Eiffel tower]] is constructed from [[puddle iron]], a form of wrought ironWrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon...
waterline belt
Belt armor
Belt armor is a layer of heavy metal armor plated on to or within outer hulls of warships, typically on battleships, battlecruisers and cruisers, and on aircraft carriers converted from those types of ships....
, approximately 2.4 metres (7.9 ft) high. The sides of the battery itself were armored with 120 millimetres (4.7 in) of wrought iron and the ends of the battery were closed by bulkheads of the same thickness. The barbette armor was 100 millimetres (3.9 in) thick, backed by 240 millimetres (9.4 in) of wood. The unarmored portions of her sides were protected by 15 millimetre (0.590551181102362 in) iron plates.
Service
Reine Blanche was laid down at LorientLorient
Lorient, or L'Orient, is a commune and a seaport in the Morbihan department in Brittany in north-western France.-History:At the beginning of the 17th century, merchants who were trading with India had established warehouses in Port-Louis...
in 1865 and launched on 10 March 1868. The ship began her sea trial
Sea trial
A sea trial is the testing phase of a watercraft . It is also referred to as a "shakedown cruise" by many naval personnel. It is usually the last phase of construction and takes place on open water, and can last from a few hours to many days.Sea trials are conducted to measure a vessel’s...
s on 15 April 1869 and was put into reserve at Brest
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
after they were completed. She was commissioned on 20 July 1870 and made one cruise to the Shetland Islands
Shetland Islands
Shetland is a subarctic archipelago of Scotland that lies north and east of mainland Great Britain. The islands lie some to the northeast of Orkney and southeast of the Faroe Islands and form part of the division between the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the North Sea to the east. The total...
during the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
before she was placed in reserve again on 20 September. Reine Blanche was recommissioned in July 1871 as flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
of the second division of the Evolutionary Squadron. During the Cantonal Revolution
Cantonal Revolution
The Cantonal Revolution was a cantonalist uprising that took place during the First Spanish Republic, starting on July 12 of 1873 in Cartagena...
Reine Blanche and her sister
Sister ship
A sister ship is a ship of the same class as, or of virtually identical design to, another ship. Such vessels share a near-identical hull and superstructure layout, similar displacement, and roughly comparable features and equipment...
spent much of September–October 1873 in the port of Cartagena, Spain
Cartagena, Spain
Cartagena is a Spanish city and a major naval station located in the Region of Murcia, by the Mediterranean coast, south-eastern Spain. As of January 2011, it has a population of 218,210 inhabitants being the Region’s second largest municipality and the country’s 6th non-Province capital...
, where they could protect French citizens. She was reduced to reserve on 1 February 1876 and recommissioned in April 1877.
On 3 July 1877 she was accidentally rammed by Thétis and had to be run ashore to prevent her from sinking. Reine Blanche was placed back into reserve in 1878. She was recommissioned on 15 April 1879 for service with the Levant Squadron. From 5–16 July 1881 Reine Blanche bombarded the Tunisian port of Sfax
Sfax
Sfax is a city in Tunisia, located southeast of Tunis. The city, founded in AD 849 on the ruins of Taparura and Thaenae, is the capital of the Sfax Governorate , and a Mediterranean port. Sfax has population of 340,000...
as part of the French occupation of Tunisia
French occupation of Tunisia
The French conquest of Tunisia occurred in two phases in 1881: the first consisting of the invasion and securing of the country before the signing of a treaty of protection, and the second consisting in the suppression of a rebellion...
. The ship was named as the flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
of the Pacific Squadron on 20 January 1884 under command of Rear Admiral Franquet, but she returned to Cherbourg on 22 May 1884 with worn-out boilers and her hull in poor shape. Reine Blanche was paid off and condemned on 12 November 1884.