French ironclad Magenta

Last updated
Magenta and Napoleon III in Brest.jpg
Magenta, Napoléon and Solférino anchored in the harbor at Brest,  France.
History
Civil and Naval Ensign of France.svgFrance
NameMagenta
Namesake Battle of Magenta
Builder Brest
Laid down22 June 1859
Launched22 June 1861
FateExploded and sank, 31 October 1875
General characteristics (as built)
Class and type Magenta-class ironclad
Displacement6,965  t (6,855 long tons)
Length88.6 m (290 ft 8 in)
Beam17.34 m (56 ft 11 in)
Draft8.44 m (27 ft 8 in)
Installed power
Propulsion1 shaft, 1 horizontal-return connecting rod-steam engine
Sail plan Barquentine-rig
Speed12.88 knots (23.85 km/h; 14.82 mph) (trials)
Range1,840 nautical miles (3,410 km; 2,120 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Complement674
Armament
Armor
  • Belt: 120 mm (4.7 in)
  • Battery: 109–120 mm (4.3–4.7 in)

Magenta was the lead ship of her class of two broadside ironclads built for the French Navy (Marine nationale) in the early 1860s. She served as flagship of the Mediterranean Squadron.

Contents

Design and description

The Magenta class were two-decked ironclad ships of the line, much as the preceding Gloire-class ironclad were armored versions of traditional frigates. Magenta was 88.6 m (290 ft 8 in) long, had a beam of 17.34 meters (56 ft 11 in), and a draft of 8.44 meters (27 ft 8 in). The ship displaced 6,965 t (6,855 long tons). [1] The Magentas were equipped with a metal-reinforced, spur-shaped ram, the first ironclads to be fitted with a ram, [2] and they had a crew of 674 officers and enlisted men. [1]

The Magenta-class ships had a single two-cylinder horizontal-return connecting-rod compound steam engine that drove the propeller shaft, [3] using steam provided by eight boilers. [1] [4] The engine was rated at 1,000 nominal horsepower or 3,450 metric horsepower (2,540  kW ) and was intended to give the ships a speed in excess of 13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph). [2] During their sea trials, sister ship Solférino [3] achieved a speed of 12.88 knots (23.85 km/h; 14.82 mph) from 4,012 metric horsepower (2,951 kW). [1] The Magenta class carried enough coal to allow them to steam for 1,840 nautical miles (3,410 km; 2,120 mi) at a speed of 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). [4] They were originally fitted with a three-masted barquentine rig that had a sail area of 1,711 square meters (18,420 sq ft), but they were re-rigged as barques with 1,960 m2 (21,100 sq ft) in 1864–1865. [3] [4]

Armament and protection

The main battery of the Magenta class consisted of sixteen 194-millimeter (7.6 in) Modèle 1858–60 smoothbore muzzle-loading guns, thirty-four 164.7-millimeter (6.5 in) Modèle 1858–60 rifled muzzle-loading (RML) guns and a pair of 225-millimeter (8.9 in) RML howitzers on two gun decks. All of the 194 mm guns and ten of the 164.7 mm guns were mounted on the lower gun deck on the broadside. The remaining 164.7 mm guns and the 225 mm howitzers were positioned on the upper gun deck; the former on the broadside, but the latter were placed on pivot mounts as chase guns fore and aft. [1] [3] [4] [5] In the late 1860s all of the guns on the lower gun deck were removed and their armament was changed to four 240-millimeter (9.4 in) RMLs and eight 194 mm smoothbores, two each of the latter fore and aft as chase guns on the upper gun deck. Their final armament consisted of ten 240 mm Modèle 1864–66 guns and four 194 mm guns as chase guns fore and aft. [1] [3]

The Magentas had a full-length waterline belt that consisted of wrought-iron plates 120 mm (4.7 in) thick. Above the belt both gun decks were protected with 109 mm (4.3 in) of armor, but the ends of the ships were unprotected. [2]

Construction and career

The International Naval Festival at Cherbourg, illumination of the French ironclad Magenta, 15 August 1865 The International Naval Festival at Cherbourg, illumination of the French ironclad 'Magenta' ILN-1865-0902-0001.jpg
The International Naval Festival at Cherbourg, illumination of the French ironclad Magenta, 15 August 1865

On 21 July 1875, Magenta was serving as flagship in a naval exercise involving six ironclads – Magenta and five Alma-class central battery ironclads – and a number of smaller ships in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the east coast of Corsica . The ironclads were steaming in beautiful weather at 8 knots in two parallel columns, with Magenta leading one column, followed by Jeanne d′Arc and Reine Blanche , and Armide leading the other, followed by Thétis and Alma . At 12:00 noon the admiral commanding the squadron ordered the screw corvette Forfait , operating as a dispatch vessel, to pass astern of Magenta to receive orders. Attempting to place his ship in the column between Magenta and Jeanne d′Arc, the commanding officer of Forfait misjudged his turn, and Jeanne d′Arc collided with Forfait, her ram bow tearing into Forfait′s side. Forfait sank 14 minutes later, her crew of 160 taking safely to her boats; her commanding officer floated free from the bridge as Forfait sank beneath him, but also was rescued. [6] [7]

Salvage attempt in 1875 L'illustration de 1875- naufrage du Magenta a Toulon.jpg
Salvage attempt in 1875

On 31 October 1875, an accidental nighttime galley fire started aboard Magenta while she was in port at the naval base at Toulon, France, and spread out of control. Her crew was able to flood her forward gunpowder magazine but could not reach her aft magazine. When it became clear that the ship could not be saved, her crew abandoned ship, and Magenta′s aft magazine exploded shortly afterward, 2 hours 55 minutes after the fire broke out. [2] She sank in 15 meters (49 feet) of water. At the time of the accident, Magenta had a cargo of Carthaginian antiques, notably 2080 Carthaginian tombstones known as the Pricot de Sainte-Marie steles (Tophet, 2nd century BC) and a marble statue of Vibia Sabina (Thasos, c. 127-128 AD), found in 1874 by the Pricot de Sainte-Marie mission.

The wreck was located in April 1994. Fragments of stelae have since been recovered. [8] The statue has been partially recovered, though the head was too damaged to be rejoined to the rest of the statue. The fragments are on display at the Louvre in Paris. [9]

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Gille, p. 24
  2. 1 2 3 4 Campbell, p. 287
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 de Balincourt & Vincent-Bréchignac, p. 25
  4. 1 2 3 4 Silverstone, p. 62
  5. ↑ Konstam, p. 19
  6. ↑ Rockwell, p. 146
  7. ↑ dawlishchronicles.blogspot.com The ramming of the Forfait by the Jeanne d’Arc, 1875
  8. ↑ "Le Magenta : statue de l'impératrice Sabine". culture.gouv.fr (in French). 2001. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
  9. ↑ "Site officiel du musée du Louvre". cartelfr.louvre.fr (in French). 2013. Retrieved 20 March 2013.

Related Research Articles

French ironclad <i>Solférino</i> Warship

Solférino was the second and last ship of the Magenta class of broadside ironclads built for the French Navy in the early 1860s.

<i>Magenta</i>-class ironclad

The Magenta class consisted of two broadside ironclads built for the French Navy in the early 1860s. They were the only ironclad two-deckers ever built, and the first ironclads to feature a naval ram.

French ironclad <i>Jeanne dArc</i> French Navys Alma-class ironclad

Jeanne d'Arc was a wooden-hulled armored corvette built for the French Navy in the late 1860s. She was named for Joan of Arc, a Roman Catholic saint and heroine of the Hundred Years War. Jeanne d'Arc participated in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871 and remained in commission afterwards, unlike many of her sisters. The ship was condemned in 1883, but nothing further is known as to her disposition.

French ironclad <i>Océan</i> French armored frigate 1865–1895

Océan was a wooden-hulled, armored frigate built for the French Navy in the mid to late 1860s and the lead ship of her class. She was commissioned in 1870 to participate in the Franco-Prussian War and was assigned to the Baltic Squadron that unsuccessfully attempted to blockade Prussian ports in the Baltic Sea. The ship later served in both the Northern and Mediterranean Squadrons before being discarded in 1894.

French ironclad <i>Belliqueuse</i> Ironclad ship of the French Navy

The French ironclad Belliqueuse was a wooden-hulled, armored corvette, built for the French Navy in the 1860s and designed as a cheap ironclad. She was the first French ironclad to sail around the world, which she did between December 1867 and May 1869. She spent the bulk of her career in the Pacific before returning to Toulon, where she was used as a target in 1886.

French ironclad <i>Alma</i> French lead ship of Alma-class

The French ironclad Alma was a wooden-hulled armored corvette built for the French Navy in the late 1860s. The lead ship of her class, she was named after the 1854 Battle of Alma of the Crimean War. The ship spent her early career on the China Station and later supported the French occupation of Tunisia in 1881. She was condemned in 1886, but was not sold until 1893.

French ironclad <i>Montcalm</i> French Alma-class ironclad

The French ironclad Montcalm was a wooden-hulled armored corvette built for the French Navy in the mid-1860s. She was named after Major General Montcalm who lost the Battle of the Plains of Abraham in 1759. She played a minor role in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871 where she captured one Prussian sailing ship. Montcalm spent most of her later career abroad, either in Chinese waters or in the Pacific Ocean. The ship was condemned in 1891.

French ironclad <i>Thétis</i> French Alma-class ironclad

The French ironclad Thétis was a wooden-hulled armored corvette built for the French Navy in the late 1860s. She was named for the Greek sea-goddess Thetis. During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871 she was assigned to a squadron of French ships that attempted to blockade the Prussian ports in the Baltic Sea in 1870. She accidentally rammed her sister Reine Blanche in 1877. En route to the Pacific in 1884 her propeller fell off and she had to return to France under sail. Thétis was eventually hulked in New Caledonia.

<i>Alma</i>-class ironclad French class of Ironclad Corvettes

The Alma-class ironclads were a group of seven wooden-hulled, armored corvettes built for the French Navy in the mid to late 1860s. Three of the ships attempted to blockade Prussian ports in the Baltic Sea in 1870 during the Franco-Prussian War. Three others patrolled the North Sea and the Atlantic, while the last ship was en route to Japan when the war began and blockaded two small Prussian ships in a Japanese harbor. Afterwards they alternated periods of reserve and active commissions, many of them abroad. Three of the ships participated in the French occupation of Tunisia in 1881 while another helped to intimidate the Vietnamese Government into accepting status as a French protectorate and played a small role in the Sino-French War of 1884–85.

French ironclad <i>Friedland</i> French ironclad ship

The French ironclad Friedland was originally intended to be an iron-hulled version of Océan-class armoured frigate built for the French Navy during the 1870s, but she was much altered during her prolonged construction. Named after the French victory at the Battle of Friedland in 1807, the ship spent the bulk of her career assigned to the Mediterranean Squadron and supported the French occupation of Tunisia in 1881. She was condemned in 1902.

French ironclad <i>Victorieuse</i> French Navys La Galissonnière-class ironclad

Victorieuse (Victorious) was the second ship of the La Galissonnière class of wooden-hulled, armored corvettes built for the French Navy during the 1870s. Her construction was delayed for years and the navy took advantage of the extended construction time to upgrade her armament in comparison to the lead ship, La Galissonnière. Unlike her sisters, Victorieuse did not see any combat although she participated in the pacification of the Marquesas Islands in 1880. She was condemned in 1900.

<i>Provence</i>-class ironclad

The Provence-class ironclads consisted of 10 ironclad frigates built for the French Navy during the 1860s. Only one of the sister ships was built with an wrought iron hull; the others were built in wood. By 1865 they were armed with eleven 194-millimeter (7.6 in) guns and played a minor role in the 1870–1871 Franco-Prussian War. The ships began to be disposed of in the early 1880s, although several lingered on in subsidiary roles for another decade before they followed their sisters to the scrap yard.

French ironclad <i>Provence</i> French Navys Provence-class ironclad

The French ironclad Provence was the lead ship of her class of 10 armored frigates built for the French Navy during the 1860s. Commissioned in 1865, she spent the bulk of her career with the Mediterranean Squadron, often serving as a flagship. The ironclad played a minor role in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871, blockading the North Sea coast of Prussia. Provence was decommissioned after the war, but was reactivated in late 1875.

<i>Gloire</i>-class ironclad Group of ships

The Gloire-class ironclads were a group of three wooden-hulled armored frigates built for the French Navy in the late 1850s and early 1860s. Gloire, the lead ship of the class, was the first ocean-going ironclad warship to be built by any country. The ships of the Gloire class were classified as armoured frigates because they only had a single gun deck and their traditional disposition of guns arrayed along the length of the hull also meant that they were broadside ironclads.

French ironclad <i>Savoie</i> Provence-class armored frigates

The French ironclad Savoie was one of 10 Provence-class armored frigates built for the French Navy during the 1860s. Commissioned in 1865, she was initially assigned to the Northern Squadron, often serving as a flagship. The ironclad played a minor role in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871, blockading the North Sea coast of Prussia. Savoie was reduced to reserve after the war, but was reactivated in 1872 and assigned to the Mediterranean Squadron. The ship was decommissioned in 1879 and was used for testing in 1883. Savoie was stricken in 1888 and was scrapped the following year.

French ironclad <i>Flandre</i> French ironclad battleship from the 1860s

The French ironclad Flandre was one of ten Provence-class armored frigates built for the French Navy in the 1860s. Commissioned in 1865, she was initially assigned to the Northern Squadron and sometimes served as a flagship. The ironclad played a minor role in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871, blockading the North Sea coast of Prussia. Flandre was decommissioned after the war and remained in reserve for the next decade and a half. The ship was disarmed in 1884 and was scrapped three years later.

French ironclad <i>Magnanime</i> French ship

The French ironclad Magnanime was one of 10 Provence-class armored frigates built for the French Navy during the 1860s. Commissioned in 1865, she was initially assigned to the Northern Squadron, but was soon transferred to the Mediterranean Squadron, often serving as a flagship. The ironclad played a minor role in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871, blockading the North Sea coast of Prussia. Magananime was reduced to reserve after the war, but was reactivated in 1875 and assigned to the Mediterranean Fleet. The ship was decommissioned in 1878 and was stricken from the navy list in 1882. She was scrapped in 1885.

French ironclad <i>Surveillante</i> Provence-class armored frigates

The French ironclad Surveillante was one of 10 Provence-class armored frigates built for the French Navy during the 1860s. Commissioned in 1867, she was initially assigned to the Northern Squadron. The ironclad played a minor role as a flagship in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871, blockading the Baltic and North Sea coasts of Prussia. Surveillante was decommissioned after the war, but was reactivated in 1876. She was transferred to the Mediterranean Squadron the following year.

French ironclad <i>Gauloise</i> Provence-class armored frigates

The French ironclad Gauloise was one of 10 Provence-class armored frigates built for the French Navy during the 1860s. Commissioned in 1867, she was initially assigned to the Northern Squadron and usually served as a flagship. The ironclad played a minor role in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871, blockading the Baltic and North Sea coasts of Prussia.

French ironclad <i>Guyenne</i> French Provence-class armored frigates

The French ironclad Guyenne was one of 10 Provence-class armored frigates built for the French Navy during the 1860s. Commissioned in 1867, she was initially assigned to the Northern Squadron. The ironclad played a minor role in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871, blockading the Baltic and North Sea coasts of Prussia. Guyenne was decommissioned after the war, but was reactivated in 1877. She was transferred to the Mediterranean Squadron later that year and then to the Eastern Mediterranean the following year. The ship was reduced to reserve in 1879, stricken from the naval register three years later and was scrapped in 1887.

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.