Bélier-class ram
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|
 Cerbère and Bélier
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Bélier class |
| Builders | |
| Operators |  French Navy |
| Preceded by | Taureau |
| Built | 1865–1874 |
| In service | 1868–1897 |
| Planned | 4 |
| Completed | 4 |
| Scrapped | 4 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Armored ram |
| Displacement | 3,510–3,758 long tons (3,566–3,818 t)[1] |
| Length | 66.4 m (218 ft) oa[1] |
| Beam | 16.14 m (53.0 ft)[1] |
| Draft | 5.97 m (19.6 ft)[1] |
| Propulsion | 2 × screws[1] |
| Speed | 12 kn (22 km/h; 14 mph)[1] |
| Range | 680 nmi (1,260 km; 780 mi)[1] |
| Complement | 150 officers and enlisted[1] |
| Armament |
|
| Armor | |
The Bélier class, sometimes called the Cerbère class, was a class of four battleship rams built for the French Navy in the 1870s. Designed to have an offensive coast guard role, they rarely left their home port during their career and were the last of their type.
The Bélier class was designed with thicker waterline and turret armor compared to their predecessor, the Taureau, after its armor was proved to be insufficient.[2][full citation needed] They had wooden hulls with an iron ram and upper works. Funnels were side by side on all four ships. Although Cerbère was originally rigged for sail (brig configuration), they were discarded and the remaining three ships of the class were completed without sails.
Bélier was commissioned at Cherbourg in 1872, remaining there throughout its career, successively commanded by Commanders Didot, Courbet, Pouthier, Bonamy de Villemerenil and Riou de Kerprigent and was scrapped in 1896.
Bouledogue was commissioned at Lorient in 1873. Commanded by the Captains of the vessel Franquet, Schwerer, Massenet and Schlumberger, it became the centerpiece of the mobile defense of the port of Lorient in 1886 and was scrapped on 24 April 1896.
Cerbère was commissioned in Brest in 1868, commanded by Chaxel. Commanded by Galiber, Cerbère moved berth to Cherbourg in 1870, leaving for Le Havre in August 1870, commanded by Carrade. From 1873 Cerbère was commanded by Bailloud, then Cahagne and finally Riou de Kerprigent before being scrapped on 12 November 1886.
Le Tigre, commissioned at Rochefort in 1874 under Jouneau's command, was berthed at Brest, traveled regularly to Cherbourg and was finally scrapped on 13 February 1892.
Ships[edit]
| Name | Built[3] | Laid down[1] | Launched[1] | Completed[1] | Fate[3] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bélier | Arsenal de Cherbourg | 1 April 1865 | 29 August 1870 | 10 June 1872 | Struck 8 July 1896 |
| Bouledogue | Arsenal de Lorient | 5 December 1865 | 26 March 1872 | 16 April 1873 | Struck 24 April 1896 |
| Cerbère | Arsenal de Brest | 14 September 1865 | 23 April 1868 | 20 September 1868 | Struck 11 December 1886 |
| Tigre | Arsenal de Rochefort | 1 April 1865 | 9 March 1871 | 20 July 1874 | Struck 13 February 1892 |
References[edit]
Sources[edit]
- Caruna, Joseph (September 1971). "Warship Information Service". Warship International. Vol. 8, no. 3. pp. 290–317. JSTOR 44887494.
- Gille, Eric (1999). Cent ans de cuirassés français [A Century of French Battleships] (in French). Nantes: Marines édition. ISBN 2-909-675-50-5.