Palestro-class ironclad floating battery
Type of ironclad vessel
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The Palestro class consisted of four ironclad floating batteries built for the French Navy in 1859–1862 to replace the Crimean War-built Dévastation class because of fears that the 1855 ships would deteriorate because they had been hastily built with green wood that was prone to rot quickly.[1] Saigon caught fire and sank in 1863, but was salvaged and repaired. Pei-ho was struck from the navy list in 1869, but the others were commissioned during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871.[2]
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Paixhans (right) in 1862 | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Palestro class |
| Operators |  French Navy |
| Preceded by | Dévastation class |
| Succeeded by | Embuscade class |
| Built | 1859–1863 |
| In service | 1862–1871 |
| Completed | 4 |
| Scrapped | 4 |
| General characteristics (as built) | |
| Type | Ironclad floating battery |
| Displacement | 1,563 t (1,538 long tons) |
| Length | 47.5 m (155 ft 10 in) |
| Beam | 14.04 m (46 ft 1 in) |
| Draft | 3 m (9 ft 10 in) |
| Installed power | 580 ihp (430 kW) |
| Propulsion | 2 propellers, 2 steam engines |
| Sail plan | fore-and-aft rig |
| Speed | 7–7.5 knots (13.0–13.9 km/h; 8.1–8.6 mph) |
| Complement | 200 |
| Armament | 12 × 164.7 mm (6.48 in) Mle 1860 30 pdr guns |
| Armor |
|
Design and development
In contrast to the Dévastation class, the Palestros were intended to serve as coastal-defense ships and were designed by the naval architect Henri Dupuy de Lôme to have greater mobility and seaworthiness than the older ships. They were also reduced in size to minimize their profile.[3] The ships had an overall length of 47.5 m (155 ft 10 in), a beam of 14.04 m (46 ft 1 in) and a draft of 3 m (9 ft 10 in). They displaced 1,563 metric tons (1,538 long tons). The Palestro class was powered by a pair of high-pressure direct-acting steam engines, each driving a single propeller shaft. The engine was rated at 580 indicated horsepower (430 kW). The ships were designed to reach 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph), but some were slightly faster. They were fitted with two masts using a fore-and-aft rig.[2][4][1]
The Palestros carried a main battery of a dozen 164.7 mm (6.48 in) Mle 1860 30 pdr guns on the main deck. The ships were protected by a full-length waterline belt of wrought iron that was 120 mm (4.7 in) thick. Protection for the gun battery was 110 mm (4.3 in) thick.[5] The ship's complement numbered 200 sailors of all ranks.[4]
Ships
| Name | Laid down | Launched | Completed | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paixhans | 24 May 1859 | 9 September 1862 | July 1863 | Scrapped, August 1871 – February 1872 |
| Palestro | June 1863 | Scrapped, August 1871 – January 1872 | ||
| Pei-ho | 20 July 1859 | 25 May 1861 | October 1862 | Scrapped, April 1870 – October 1871 |
| Saigon | 24 June 1861 | November 1862 | Hulked, 1871; scrapped, 1884 |