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.
The Alma-classironclads[Note 1] were designed as improved versions of the armored corvette Belliqueuse suitable for foreign deployments. Unlike their predecessor the Alma-class ships were true central battery ironclads as they were fitted with armored transverse bulkheads.[1] Like most ironclads of her era she was equipped with a metal-reinforced ram.[2]
The ship had a single Mazeline horizontal return connecting-rod steam engine driving a single propeller. Her engine was powered by four oval boilers.[2] On sea trials the engine produced 1,896 indicated horsepower (1,414 kW) and the ship reached 11.3 knots (20.9 km/h; 13.0 mph).[1]Alma carried 250 metric tons (250 long tons)[2] of coal which allowed the ship to steam for 1,360 nautical miles (2,520 km; 1,570 mi) at a speed of 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). She was barque-rigged and had a sail area of 1,454 square meters (15,650 sq ft).[1]
Armamentedit
Alma mounted her four 194-millimeter (7.6 in) Modèle 1864 breech-loading guns in the central battery on the battery deck. The other two 194 mm guns were mounted in barbettes on the upper deck, sponsoned out over the sides of the ship. The four 120-millimeter (4.7 in) guns were also mounted on the upper deck. She later exchanged her 194 mm guns for newer Modèle 1870 guns.[3] 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 (7.96 t). The gun fired its shell at a muzzle velocity of 1,739 ft/s (530 m/s) and was credited with the ability to penetrate a nominal 12.5 inches (320 mm) of wrought iron armour at the muzzle. The guns could fire both solid shot and explosive shells.[4]
Armoredit
Alma had a complete 150-millimeter (5.9 in) wrought iron waterline belt, approximately 2.4 meters (7.9 ft) high. The sides of the battery itself were armored with 120 millimeters (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 millimeters (3.9 in) thick, backed by 240 millimeters (9.4 in) of wood.[5] The unarmored portions of her sides were protected by 15-millimeter (0.6 in) iron plates.[2]
Serviceedit
Alma was laid down at Lorient on 1 October 1865 and launched on 26 November 1867. The ship began her sea trials on 24 August 1869, but did not enter service until the following year, after sailing to Brest to have sheathing added to protect her armor. She was commissioned as the flagship of the China Squadron under command of Rear Admiral Dupré and the ship departed Brest on 15 June 1870. She grounded on a shoal in the Inland Sea on 15 July[Note 2] and lost her false keel.[3] After the start of the Franco-Prussian WarAlma blockaded the Prussian corvettes Hertha and Medusa in the Japanese port of Yokohama from mid-December 1870 until the end of the war.[6]
On 24 August 1871 Alma rode out a typhoon in Yokohama.[7] In May 1872, she was in collision with the Swedish barqueSiam at Wusong, China. Siam sank; Alma developed a severe leak and was beached.[8] She was relieved by Belliqueuse on 1 August 1872 and reached Toulon on 16 January 1873. The ship was assigned to the Evolutionary Squadron on 8 October 1873. She was in reserve in Cherbourg from 1876 to 1881. Alma recommissioned on 1 March 1881 and was assigned to the Levant Squadron. From 6–16 July 1881 the ship bombarded the Tunisian port of Sfax as part of the French occupation of Tunisia.[7] She was reduced to reserve in Cherbourg on 8 January 1883. The ship was condemned on 12 March 1886, but Alma was not sold until May 1893 for 129,000 francs.[3]
Notesedit
^Ironclad 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.
^This would have been an amazingly fast passage to Japan for this time and the date could well be a typo.
^ abWilson, H. W. (1896). Ironclads in Action: A Sketch of Naval Warfare From 1855 to 1895. Vol. 2. Boston: Little, Brown. pp. 2–4.
^"Shipping Intelligence". Glasgow Herald. No. 10111. Glasgow. 27 May 1872.
Referencesedit
Brassey, Thomas (1888). The Naval Annual 1887. Portsmouth, England: J. Griffin.
de Balincourt, Captain; Vincent-Bréchignac, Captain (1976). "The French Navy of Yesterday: Ironclad Corvettes". F.P.D.S. Newsletter. IV (4). Akron, OH: F.P.D.S.: 26–32. OCLC 41554533.
Gardiner, Robert, ed. (1979). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905. Greenwich: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN0-8317-0302-4.
Roberts, Stephen (2021). French Warships in the Age of Steam 1859–1914. Barnsley: Seaforth. ISBN978-1-5267-4533-0.
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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 Model of her sister ship Jeanne d Arc on display at the Musee de la Marine in Paris before the rear barbettes were deleted History France NameAlma NamesakeBattle of Alma BuilderLorient Laid down1 October 1865 Launched26 November 1867 Commissioned1870 FateSold May 1893 General characteristics Class and typeAlma class ironclad Displacement3 778 t 3 718 long tons Length68 84 m 225 ft 10 in Beam14 04 m 46 ft 1 in Draft6 53 m 21 ft 5 in mean Installed power4 boilers 1 896 ihp 1 414 kW Propulsion1 shaft steam engine Sail planBarque rig Speed11 knots 20 km h 13 mph Range1 360 nmi 2 520 km 1 570 mi at 10 knots 19 km h 12 mph Complement316 Armament6 single 194 mm 7 6 in Mle 1864 guns 4 single 120 mm 4 7 in guns ArmorBelt 150 mm 5 9 in Battery 120 mm 4 7 in Barbettes 100 mm 3 9 in Bulkheads 120 mm 4 7 in Contents 1 Design and description 1 1 Propulsion 1 2 Armament 1 3 Armor 2 Service 3 Notes 4 Footnotes 5 ReferencesDesign and description editThe Alma class ironclads Note 1 were designed as improved versions of the armored corvette Belliqueuse suitable for foreign deployments Unlike their predecessor the Alma class ships were true central battery ironclads as they were fitted with armored transverse bulkheads 1 Like most ironclads of her era she was equipped with a metal reinforced ram 2 Alma measured 68 84 meters 225 ft 10 in between perpendiculars with a beam of 14 04 meters 46 ft 1 in She had a mean draft of 6 53 meters 21 ft 5 in and displaced 3 778 metric tons 3 718 long tons 1 Propulsion edit The ship had a single Mazeline horizontal return connecting rod steam engine driving a single propeller Her engine was powered by four oval boilers 2 On sea trials the engine produced 1 896 indicated horsepower 1 414 kW and the ship reached 11 3 knots 20 9 km h 13 0 mph 1 Alma carried 250 metric tons 250 long tons 2 of coal which allowed the ship to steam for 1 360 nautical miles 2 520 km 1 570 mi at a speed of 10 knots 19 km h 12 mph She was barque rigged and had a sail area of 1 454 square meters 15 650 sq ft 1 Armament edit Alma mounted her four 194 millimeter 7 6 in Modele 1864 breech loading guns in the central battery on the battery deck The other two 194 mm guns were mounted in barbettes on the upper deck sponsoned out over the sides of the ship The four 120 millimeter 4 7 in guns were also mounted on the upper deck She later exchanged her 194 mm guns for newer Modele 1870 guns 3 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 7 96 t The gun fired its shell at a muzzle velocity of 1 739 ft s 530 m s and was credited with the ability to penetrate a nominal 12 5 inches 320 mm of wrought iron armour at the muzzle The guns could fire both solid shot and explosive shells 4 Armor edit Alma had a complete 150 millimeter 5 9 in wrought iron waterline belt approximately 2 4 meters 7 9 ft high The sides of the battery itself were armored with 120 millimeters 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 millimeters 3 9 in thick backed by 240 millimeters 9 4 in of wood 5 The unarmored portions of her sides were protected by 15 millimeter 0 6 in iron plates 2 Service editAlma was laid down at Lorient on 1 October 1865 and launched on 26 November 1867 The ship began her sea trials on 24 August 1869 but did not enter service until the following year after sailing to Brest to have sheathing added to protect her armor She was commissioned as the flagship of the China Squadron under command of Rear Admiral Dupre and the ship departed Brest on 15 June 1870 She grounded on a shoal in the Inland Sea on 15 July Note 2 and lost her false keel 3 After the start of the Franco Prussian War Alma blockaded the Prussian corvettes Hertha and Medusa in the Japanese port of Yokohama from mid December 1870 until the end of the war 6 On 24 August 1871 Alma rode out a typhoon in Yokohama 7 In May 1872 she was in collision with the Swedish barque Siam at Wusong China Siam sank Alma developed a severe leak and was beached 8 She was relieved by Belliqueuse on 1 August 1872 and reached Toulon on 16 January 1873 The ship was assigned to the Evolutionary Squadron on 8 October 1873 She was in reserve in Cherbourg from 1876 to 1881 Alma recommissioned on 1 March 1881 and was assigned to the Levant Squadron From 6 16 July 1881 the ship bombarded the Tunisian port of Sfax as part of the French occupation of Tunisia 7 She was reduced to reserve in Cherbourg on 8 January 1883 The ship was condemned on 12 March 1886 but Alma was not sold until May 1893 for 129 000 francs 3 Notes edit Ironclad 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 This would have been an amazingly fast passage to Japan for this time and the date could well be a typo Footnotes edit a b c d de Balincourt and Vincent Brechignac p 26 a b c d Gardiner p 302 a b c de Balincourt and Vincent Brechignac p 28 Brassey p 477 de Balincourt and Vincent Brechignac p 27 von Pflugk Harttung p 588 a b Wilson H W 1896 Ironclads in Action A Sketch of Naval Warfare From 1855 to 1895 Vol 2 Boston Little Brown pp 2 4 Shipping Intelligence Glasgow Herald No 10111 Glasgow 27 May 1872 References editBrassey Thomas 1888 The Naval Annual 1887 Portsmouth England J Griffin de Balincourt Captain Vincent Brechignac Captain 1976 The French Navy of Yesterday Ironclad Corvettes F P D S Newsletter IV 4 Akron OH F P D S 26 32 OCLC 41554533 Gardiner Robert ed 1979 Conway s All the World s Fighting Ships 1860 1905 Greenwich Conway Maritime Press ISBN 0 8317 0302 4 Roberts Stephen 2021 French Warships in the Age of Steam 1859 1914 Barnsley Seaforth ISBN 978 1 5267 4533 0 von Pflugk Harttung Julius 1900 The Franco German War 1870 71 London Swan Sonnenschein Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title French ironclad Alma amp oldid 1187513743, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
