Normandie (ship)
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| Career (France) |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | Normandie |
| Builder: | Cherbourg, France |
| Laid down: | 14 September 1858 |
| Launched: | 10 March 1860 |
| Commissioned: | 13 May 1862 |
| Decommissioned: | 1871 |
| 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 × 6.4in (163 mm) rifled muzzle-loaders model (1858/60) 6 × 7.6in (193 mm) BL model 1866 |
| Armour: | 110 to 119 mm iron plates |
The French Navy's Normandie was a sister ship to the La Gloire, the world's first ocean-going ironclad battleship. The Gloire class were designed by the French naval architect Dupuy de Lôme. Normandie was the third and last of the class to be completed.
In 1862, Normandie became the first ironclad to cross the Atlantic, on her way to support the French intervention in Mexico.
Normandie'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 1871, 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
