French battleship Invincible
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For other ships of the same name, see French ship Invincible.
| Career (France) |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | Invincible |
| Ordered: | 4 March 1858 |
| Builder: | Toulon, France |
| Laid down: | May 1858 |
| Launched: | 4 April 1861 |
| Commissioned: | March 1862 |
| Decommissioned: | 1872 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Gloire Class Ironclad |
| Displacement: | 5,630 tonnes |
| Length: | 77.8 m |
| Beam: | 17 m |
| Draught: | 8.4 m |
| Propulsion: |
Sail (1100 m²) single shaft HRCR (horizontal return), 2,500 hp (1.9MW) steam engine, 8 oval boilers |
| Speed: | 13 knots |
| Range: | 665 tonnes of coal |
| Complement: | 570 |
| Armament: |
36 × 160 mm (6.4in) rifled muzzle-loaders model (1858/60) 6 × 193 mm (7.6in) BL model 1866 |
| Armour: | 110 to 120 mm iron plates |
The French Navy's Invincible was a sister ship to the Gloire, the world's first ocean-going ironclad battleship. It was launched on 4 April 1861. The Gloire class were designed by the French naval architect Dupuy de Lôme. Invincible was the second of the class to be completed.
Invincible's original battery proved to be ineffective against armour, and was replaced in 1868 with breech loaders. Her poor construction, a result of using poor quality timbers, saw her stricken in 1872, after less than 10 years' service.
References
- Roger Chesneau and Eugene M. Kolesnik, ed., Conway's All The Worlds Fighting Ships, 1860-1905, (Conway Maritime Press, London, 1979), ISBN 0-85177-133-5
