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Bélier-class ram

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The Bélier class, sometimes called the Cerbère class, was a class of four battleship rams built for the French Navy in the 1870s. Designed to have an offensive coast guard role, they rarely left their home port during their career and were the last of their type.

Cerbère and Bélier
Class overview
NameBélier class
Builders
Operators French Navy
Preceded byTaureau
Built1865–1874
In service1868–1897
Planned4
Completed4
Scrapped4
General characteristics
TypeArmored ram
Displacement3,510–3,758 long tons (3,566–3,818 t)[1]
Length66.4 m (218 ft) oa[1]
Beam16.14 m (53.0 ft)[1]
Draft5.97 m (19.6 ft)[1]
Propulsion2 × screws[1]
Speed12 kn (22 km/h; 14 mph)[1]
Range680 nmi (1,260 km; 780 mi)[1]
Complement150 officers and enlisted[1]
Armament
  • As built:
  • 2 × 240 mm (9.4 in) 16 ton BLR and four 37mm rapid fire (RF) guns
Armor
  • 220mm complete waterline[1]
  • turret 180mm[1]

The Bélier class was designed with thicker waterline and turret armor compared to their predecessor, the Taureau, after its armor was proved to be insufficient.[2][full citation needed] They had wooden hulls with an iron ram and upper works. Funnels were side by side on all four ships. Although Cerbère was originally rigged for sail (brig configuration), they were discarded and the remaining three ships of the class were completed without sails.

Cerbère class

Bélier was commissioned at Cherbourg in 1872, remaining there throughout its career, successively commanded by Commanders Didot, Courbet, Pouthier, Bonamy de Villemerenil and Riou de Kerprigent and was scrapped in 1896.

Bouledogue was commissioned at Lorient in 1873. Commanded by the Captains of the vessel Franquet, Schwerer, Massenet and Schlumberger, it became the centerpiece of the mobile defense of the port of Lorient in 1886 and was scrapped on 24 April 1896.

Cerbère was commissioned in Brest in 1868, commanded by Chaxel. Commanded by Galiber, Cerbère moved berth to Cherbourg in 1870, leaving for Le Havre in August 1870, commanded by Carrade. From 1873 Cerbère was commanded by Bailloud, then Cahagne and finally Riou de Kerprigent before being scrapped on 12 November 1886.

Le Tigre, commissioned at Rochefort in 1874 under Jouneau's command, was berthed at Brest, traveled regularly to Cherbourg and was finally scrapped on 13 February 1892.

Ships

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Name Built[3] Laid down[1] Launched[1] Completed[1] Fate[3]
Bélier Arsenal de Cherbourg 1 April 1865 29 August 1870 10 June 1872 Struck 8 July 1896
Bouledogue Arsenal de Lorient 5 December 1865 26 March 1872 16 April 1873 Struck 24 April 1896
Cerbère Arsenal de Brest 14 September 1865 23 April 1868 20 September 1868 Struck 11 December 1886
Tigre Arsenal de Rochefort 1 April 1865 9 March 1871 20 July 1874 Struck 13 February 1892

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Caruna 1971, p. 317.
  2. ^ Gille 1999, p. 47.
  3. ^ a b Roger Chesneau; Eugène M. Koleśnik, eds. (1979), Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships (1860-1905), p. 299

Sources

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  • Caruna, Joseph (September 1971). "Warship Information Service". Warship International. Vol. 8, no. 3. pp. 290–317. JSTOR 44887494.
  • Gille, Eric (1999). Cent ans de cuirassés français [A Century of French Battleships] (in French). Nantes: Marines édition. ISBN 2-909-675-50-5.
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