NAVYPEDIA

Ships

Name	No	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comp	Fate
Magenta			Arsenal de Brest	22.6.1859	22.6.1861	5/1862	explosion 31.10.1875
Solférino			Arsenal de Lorient	24.6.1859	24.6.1861	8/1862	stricken 7.1882

Technical data

Displacement normal, t	7058
Displacement full, t
Length, m	86.1 wl 92.0 oa
Breadth, m	17.3
Draught, m	8.63 max
No of shafts	1
Machinery	1 2-cyl HSE return connecting rod, 9 oval boilers
Power, h. p.	4019
Max speed, kts	12.9
Fuel, t	coal 625 - 800
Endurance, nm(kts)
Armour, mm	wrought iron; belt: 120, battery: 120-110, CT: 100
Armament	2 x 1 - 223/12 shell SBML, 16 x 1 - 194/16 50pdr SBML, 34 x 1 - 165/17 M1858 MLR
Complement	706

Standard scale images

Project history

These wooden-hulled ships designed by Dupuy de Lôme were the only broadside ironclads with two gun decks and were also the first with a spur ram. The latter projected 2m and was covered by a 14t steel cone supported by some of the heaviest longitudinal timbers, but as the tactical diameter was 800m the ships were not very suited to ramming. The lower gun deck had 16 55pdr SB guns and 10 16cm and the main deck 24 16cm with respective heights above water of 1.6m and 4.3m. The two howitzers were on the upper deck.     Metacentric height was about 1.6m and the class were considered good seaboats. They were originally rigged as barquentines with 1700m² of sail but were altered to barques with 1950m² in 1864.

Ship protection

The belt was complete but the 45m-long armour on the gun decks ended in thin bulkheads and did not reach bow or stern where the sides were unprotected wood. Belt consisted of 120mm layer of wrought iron on 830mm wood backing from 1.5m below to 1.6m above the wl. 120mm iron armour of the battery had 670mm wood backing. CT had 100mm sides.

Modernizations

1864, both: - 34 x 1 - 165/17; + 34 x 1 - 165/19 M1864 MLR

1865, Magenta: - 24 x 1 - 165/19; + 4 x 1 - 240/18 M1864 MLR, 8 x 1 - 194/19 M1864 MLR

1868, Magenta: - 4 x 1 - 194/19, 16 x 1 - 194/16, 10 x 1 - 165/19; + 6 x 1 - 240/18 M1864-66 MLR, hull was sheathed (18.3m breadth)

1869, Solférino: - 2 x 1 - 223/12, 16 x 1 - 194/16, 34 x 1 - 165/19; + 10 x 1 - 240/18 M1864-66 MLR, 4 x 1 - 194/19 M1864-66 MLR, hull was sheathed (18.3m breadth)

Naval service

The loss of Magenta was due to a fire that began at night in the wardroom galley and got out of control. The forward magazines were flooded but the after ones could not be reached and after 175 minutes the ship blew up.