Hercule-class ship of the line

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Hercule-IMG 8629.jpg
1/40th-scale model of the 100-gun Hercule on display at the Musée national de la Marine.
Class overview
NameHercule
Builders Toulon, Brest
OperatorsCivil and Naval Ensign of France.svg  French Navy
Preceded by Suffrenclass
Succeeded by
Completed13
Cancelled2
General characteristics
Class and typeHercule class
Displacement4440 tonnes
Length62.50 m (205 ft 1 in)
Beam16.20 m (53 ft 2 in)
Draught8.23 m (27 ft 0 in)
Propulsion3,150 m2 (33,900 sq ft) of sails
Complement955 men
Armament
  • 100 guns, including:
  • 32 × long 30-pounders (lower deck)
  • 30 × short 30-pounders (middle deck)
  • 30 × 30-pounder carronades (upper deck)
  • 4 × long 18-pounders (upper deck)
ArmourTimber

The Hercule class was a late type of 100-gun ships of the line of the French Navy. They were the second strongest of four ranks of ships of the line designed by the Commission de Paris. While the first units were classical straight-walled ships of the line, next ones were gradually converted to steam, and the last one was built with an engine.

Contents

Design

The Hercule class evolved as an enlargement of the straight-walled, 90-gun Suffrenclass, suggested by Jean Tupinier. [1]

With the Henri IV, a rounded stern was introduced. The next ships were built with the rounded stern, and it was retrofitted on the early units of the class.

Units

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Builder:Cherbourg
Begun:1829
Launched:1848
Completed:1850
Fate: Bombardment of Odessa (1854). Lost in a storm at Eupatoria in the Crimea (14.11.1854)
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1/75th-scale model of Prince Jerome, on display at the Swiss Museum of Transport. She was transformed into a sail and steam ship of the line while on keel. Prince Jerome-IMG 8770.jpg
1/75th-scale model of Prince Jérôme, on display at the Swiss Museum of Transport. She was transformed into a sail and steam ship of the line while on keel.
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Builder:Rochefort
Begun:1825
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Fate: Bombardment at Kinburn (1855)
Builder:Lorient
Begun:1833
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Fate: Bombardment at Kinburn (1855)
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Notes and references

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References

  1. Roberts, Stephen S. (2011). "Hercule-class sail ship of the line (2nd class, 100 guns)" (PDF). shipscribe.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 February 2012. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
  2. Loire (ex-Hoche, ex-Prince Jérôme, ex-Annibal) Archived 2016-04-12 at the Wayback Machine

Bibliography