French Ironclad Colbert

The central battery ironclad Colbert is one of the ten ships of the French navy that constitute the group ranking next in importance to the squadron of great turret ships, of which the Formidable is the largest. The group consists of six types, as follows:

274mm cannon in the armoured section of a Colbert class
ironclad, by Gustave Bourgain, circa 1885. 

1. The Ocean type; three vessels; the Marengo, Ocean, and Suffren.
2. The Friedland type, of which no others are built.
3. The Richelieu type, of which no others are built.
4. The Colbert type, of which there are two; the Colbert and the Trident.
5. The Redoubtable type, of which no others are built.
6. The Devastation type, of which no others are built.

Laid down in 1870, the Colbert was launched at Brest in 1875, and her sister ship, the Trident, in 1876. Both are of iron and wood, and the following are the principal dimensions of the Colbert, which apply very closely to the Trident: She is 321 ft. 6 in. long, 59 ft. 6 in. beam, and 29 ft. 6 in. draught aft. Her displacement is 8,457 tons, her indicated horse power is 4,652, and her speed 14.4 knots. She has coal carrying capacity for 700 tons, and her crew numbers 706. The thickness of her armor belt is 8.66 in., that protecting the central battery is 6.29 in. thick, which is also the thickness of the transverse armored bulkheads, while the deck is 0.43 in. in thickness.

the French ironclad war ship Colbert.

The Colbert-class was designed by Constructor Sabattier as an improved version of the ironclad Richelieu and they were the last ships authorized in the 1857 Naval Program. The class reverted to a single propeller shaft to improve sailing qualities and to lessen the chance of the propellers being fouled by fallen rigging. As central battery ironclads, their armament is concentrated amidships and consists of eight old 11 in. guns, two 9 in., six 6 in., four deck mounted torpedo tubes, and fourteen revolving and machine guns. Like most ironclads of their era, they are also equipped with a plough-shaped ram.

While the exact reason for such a prolonged construction time is not known, it is believed that reduction of the French Navy's budget after the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71 and out-of-date work practices in French dockyards were likely causes.—Engineering.

html Technical Specifications:

Class	Year	MS	Ram	Spd	Hs	Blt	Bty	Blk	Trt	Deck	Armament
CBI	1877	35	Y	2	6	3	3	2	—	—	Bow: 1o9, A: 1o9, FS: 1o11, BS: [3o11], 3o6; DT-4, 14QF

click image for a PDF copy of the ship chart.

HMS Imperieuse

WAR SHIPS OF THE BRITISH ROYAL NAVY.

RECENTLY COMMISSIONED-H.M.S. IMPERIEUSE

As an example of one of the latest additions to the Royal Navy, we give an engraving of H.M.S. Imperieuse. for which we are indebted to the Illustrated London News. The Imperieuse and her sister ship, the Warspite, were launched in 1883 & 1884, receiving their commissioning pennants in 1886 & 1888 respectively. The ships are designed as fast cruisers, carrying four heavy revolving guns in barbette towers, capable of being fired in any direction, besides six lighter guns. Each ship will be able to carry 900 tons of coal, and to steam at the rate of sixteen knots per hour. The ships are brig-rigged, with a large spread of canvas for cruising.

The dimensions of the ship are: Length, 315 feet; displacement, 7,300 tons; horse power, 8,000.—Engineering

Technical Specifications:

Class	Year	MS	Ram	Spd	Hs	Blt	Bty	Blk	Trt	Deck	Armament
AC	1886	34	N	3	6	M5	-	4	4	4	F,A,P,S: [1x9B], FS,AS: 1x6B, BS:3x6B; BT-2, ST-2, MT-1, 4QF

Click image for a PDF copy of the ship chart.

HIJMS Kotaka

TORPEDO BOAT FOR THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT.

THE JAPANESE NAVY'S SEA-GOING TORPEDO BOAT KOTAKA.

We give a photograph of the Japanese Government's new torpedo boat, HIJMS Kotaka, lately completed by Messrs. Yarrow & Co., of Poplar, which is of more than usual interest, as she is a distinct departure from the now stereotyped form of torpedo boat. Not only is she the largest that has hitherto been built, but she embodies several new features. The principal novelty is that vulnerable parts of the the vessel, including the machinery, are all protected by one inch steel armor which may be considered as an almost perfect defense against machine-gun fire, having in view the distance at which a torpedo boat attacks and the acute angle of fire at which it would be hit. The dimensions are 166 ft. long by 19 ft. beam, and she will be propelled by twin screws driven by engines indicating 1,400 horse power, from which a speed of nineteen to twenty knots, or about 23 miles an hour, maybe reasonably expected. The vessel has already been shipped in pieces to Japan, where she was put together; and if the trials come up to the expectations formed, there is no doubt that this type of torpedo boat will find much favor with many governments. For not only is good protection obtained, but the vessel, from her large size, offers great and very comfortable accommodation for the officers and crew, and is undoubtedly deserving of being considered thoroughly sea-going. How far the advantages gained by the one inch of steel armor will counter-balance the disadvantages of reduced speed and increased cost in consequence is for naval authorities rather than for engineers and shipbuilders to determine.

The Kotaka's armament consists of two torpedo tubes placed forward for direct firing ahead, the torpedoes being ejected by gunpowder. There will also be amidships and aft, on the deck, turntables, upon each of which will be mounted two torpedo guns, placed at an acute angle with one another and arranged for firing over the side. These guns, by being nearly, but not quite, parallel with each other, if fired simultaneously, will clearly very materially increase the probability of the vessel aimed at being hit. It is a remarkable fact that the Japanese were the first to introduce sea-going torpedo boats into their navy, Messrs. Yarrow & Co. having, some eight years ago, constructed a number of such craft for the Japanese Government, under the superintendence of Sir E. J. Reed. Again they have taken the initiative, in conjunction with Messrs. Yarrow and Co., in adopting a vessel of such an entirely new type and possessing such evident advantages over their predecessors. —The Engineer.

Technical Specifications:

Class	Year	MS	Ram	Spd	Hs	Blt	Bty	Blk	Trt	Deck	Armament
TB	1888	(4)	N	3	3	-	-	-	-	-	BT-2, DT-4, 4QF

Click image to download a PDF copy of the chart.