NAVYPEDIA

Ships

Name	No	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comp	Fate
Gloire			Arsenal de Toulon	5/1858	24.11.1859	8/1860	stricken 12.1879
Invincible			Arsenal de Toulon	5/1858	4.4.1861	3/1863	stricken 8.1872
Normandie			Arsenal de Cherbourg	14.9.1858	10.3.1860	3/1862	stricken 8.1871

Technical data

Displacement normal, t	5617
Displacement full, t
Length, m	77.9 wl 80.4 oa
Breadth, m	17.0
Draught, m	8.38 max
No of shafts	1
Machinery	1 2-cyl HSE return connecting rod, 8 oval boilers
Power, h. p.	Gloire: 2699
Max speed, kts	Gloire: 12.3
Fuel, t	coal 500 - 682
Endurance, nm(kts)
Armour, mm	wrought iron; belt: 120, battery: 110, CT: 100
Armament	36 x 1 - 165/17 M1858 MLR
Complement	570

Standard scale images

Project history

Although the Gloire will always be famous as the firsf armoured battleship, this class were not very successful ships. Designed by Dupuy de Lôme, the two Toulon ships were ordered 4.3.1858 and the Normandie 6 months later. They were wooden hulled and as vulnerable to damage below the armour as one of the screw 2-deckers.The 165mm RMLs had a very poor performance against armour, and were soon replaced by 165mm BLs (M1860) which were no more powerful. There were two guns on the upper deck and the rest on the broadside behind armour only 1.9m above water.     Originally a light barquenrine rig of 1100 m² was provided but the economics of peacetime cruising caused this to be changed for a full rig of 2500 m² which was later much reduced. They were not good seaboats and as to be expected from a metacentric height of about 2.1m rolled badly. Invincible and Normandie were built of unsound timber and were completely rotted after less than ten years' service.

Ship protection

The 120mm iron belt extended from stem to stern and from 2m below waterline to 0.5m above, being backed by the 800mm wooden hull. Battery had 110mm iron armour on 660mm wooden backing. The CT was 3.7m high and unroofed, and there was 10mm iron under the wooden upper deck.

Modernizations

1863, Gloire: - 36 x 1 - 165/17; + 34 x 1 - 165/15 M1860 BLR

1864, Gloire: - 2 x 1 - 165/15

1864, Invincible: - 36 x 1 - 165/17; + 32 x 1 - 165/15 M1860 BLR

1865, Normandie: - 36 x 1 - 165/17; + 12 x 1 - 194/16 50pdr SBML, 16 x 1 - 165/15 M1860 BLR

1867, Gloire was armed with: 6 x 1 - 240/18 M1864 BLR, 2 x 1 - 194/19 M1864 BLR

1868, Nvincible, Normandie: were armed with 8 x 1 - 240/18 M1864 BLR, 6 x 1 - 194/19 M1864 BLR

Naval service

No significant events.