NAVYPEDIA

Ships

Name	No	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comp	Fate
Bélier			Arsenal de Cherbourg	1.4.1865	29.8.1870	6/1872	stricken 1896
Bouledogue			Arsenal de Lorient	5.12.1865	26.3.1872	1873	stricken 1897
Cerbère			Arsenal de Brest	14.9.1865	23.4.1868	10/1868	stricken 1887
Tigre			Arsenal de Rochefort	1865	9.3.1871	8/1874	stricken 1892

Technical data

Displacement normal, t	3532
Displacement full, t
Length, m	65.6 pp
Breadth, m	16.4
Draught, m	5.66 max
No of shafts	2
Machinery	2 HRCR, 6 oval boilers
Power, h. p.	1800
Max speed, kts	12 - 12.5
Fuel, t	coal 180
Endurance, nm(kts)
Armour, mm	wrought iron; belt: 220 - 180, turret: 180, deck: 15
Armament	1 x 2 - 240/18 M1864/66 MLR
Complement	159

Standard scale images

Project history

The general conception of this class was of an enlarged Taureau; the vessels were wooden-hulled and had a spur ram projecting 3.0m. The 240mm guns were in a turret designed by Dupuy de Lôme. This resembled the British Coles turret but the roller path was on top of an armoured tower which protected the turret steam turning gear. Metacentric height was given as 2.3m and tactical diameter as 280-340m. The class could be distinguished from Taureau by having two funnels close abreast.

Ship protection

The belt was complete with a 180mm lower edge and extended from 0.74m above to 1.47m below water, but the displacement was insufficient for an armour deck, and there was only a 15mm deck at the belt upper edge, with a turtle-deck above as in the Taureau.

Modernizations

early 1870s, all: - 1 x 2 - 240/18; + 1 x 2 - 240/18 M1870, 4 x 5 - 37/17 Hotchkiss

Naval service

The hull timbers in Tigre were reported as being rotten as early as 1878,