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Richelieu

Ships

Name	No	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comp	Fate
Richelieu			Arsenal de Toulon	1.12.1869	3.12.1873	12.4.1875	condemned 3.1900

Technical data

Displacement normal, t	8984
Displacement full, t
Length, m	98.2 wl 101.7 oa
Breadth, m	17.5
Draught, m	8.69 max
No of shafts	2
Machinery	2 HRCR compound, 8 oval boilers
Power, h. p.	4200
Max speed, kts	13
Fuel, t	coal 640
Endurance, nm(kts)	2410(10)
Armour, mm	wrought iron; belt: 220 - 180, over ram 110, battery: 160, barbettes: 160, deck: 13, CT: 100
Armament	6 x 1 - 274/18 M1870, 5 x 1 - 240/18 M1870, 10 x 1 - 120/25 M1870, 8 x 5 - 37/20 M1885
Complement	750

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Project history

A wooden-hulled central battery ship originally intended to be of 7400t with only 240mm guns. The 274mm guns were in a similar battery to that in Friedland with 4 240mm in barbettes above the corners of the battery and the fifth gun firing forward under the forecastle. There were more compartments than in Friedland and the spur ram projected 3m, while twin screws were intended to give greater handiness in ramming. Metacentric height was only about 0.45m and although originally full rigged, Richelieu later had fore and aft sails only.

Ship protection

The belt was complete and the unarmoured wooden sides above were plated by 15mm iron.

Modernizations

1870s: - 10 x 1 - 120/25; + 6 x 1 - 139/21 M1870

1880s: + 10 x 5 - 37/20 M1885, 4 - 350 TT (aw, beam)

Naval service

She capsized following a fire on 29.12.1880 at Toulon but was raised and repaired. In September 1885 she was used for trials of torpedo nets at up to 4kts. She sank in the Bay of Biscay after sale in 1911.