Russian ship Lefort
| Career (Russia) |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | Lefort |
| Namesake: | Franz Lefort |
| Laid down: | 1833 |
| Launched: | August 9, 1835 |
| Fate: | Capsized and sunk September 23, 1857 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Imperatritsa Aleksandra |
| Tonnage: | 3,500 tonnes (7,700,000 lb) |
| Length: | 58.3 metres (191 ft) |
| Beam: | 15.6 metres (51 ft) |
| Draft: | 6.6 metres (22 ft) |
| Propulsion: | Sails |
| Crew: | 743 sailors, 13 officers |
| Armament: | 94 guns |
Lefort (Russian "Лефорт", also spelled "Leffort") was a ship of the line of the Imperial Russian Navy.
Lefort was a ship of the line of the Imperatritsa Aleksandra (Empress Alexandra) class, rated at 84 guns but actually armed with 94 guns. Her keel was laid in 1833 at Saint Petersburg and she was launched August 9, [O.S. July 28] 1835 in the presence of Nicholas I.[1][2] She was named after Admiral Franz Lefort, chief of the Russian Navy from 1695-1696.
Upon commissioning she joined the Russian Baltic Fleet. During the Crimean War in 1854 she aided in the defence of Kronstadt against a Franco-British fleet but did not see combat.[2]
On the morning of September 23, [O.S. September 10] 1857, the Lefort was within the Gulf of Finland en route from Reval (present day Tallinn, Estonia) to Kronstadt along with the ships Imperatritsa Aleksandra, Vladimir, and Pamiat Asova, under the command of Rear-Admiral I. Nordman. The ship had on board 756 crew and officers, 53 women, and 17 children (families of the crew).[3] The squadron was caught in a sudden squall and the Lefort heeled over once, righted herself, then heeled over again and sank between the islands of Gogland and Bolshoy Tyuters with the loss of all 826 people on board.[3][2]
A board of inquiry investigating the disaster alleged that the ship's hull had not been caulked adequately and the cargo load was too small, and incorrectly arranged.[2] In addition, it was speculated that the gun ports had been left open to provide fresh air for the passengers; this may have contributed to the sinking of the ship as water could have poured in through the open ports when the ship first heeled over.[3]
See also
Notes
- ↑ Russian 2nd Rates at 3decks.com Naval Warfare Sailing History website accessed September 24, 2009
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 On the Wreck of the Warship Le Fort by GA Reinfeldt website accessed September 24, 2009
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Lefort at Wreck.FR website accessed September 24, 2009
External links
- Russian 2nd Rates at 3decks.com Naval Warfare Sailing History
- On the Wreck of the Warship Le Fort by GA Reinfeldt (in Russian)
- Lefort at Wreck.FR
