Dévastation-class ironclad floating battery

Lave in 1854
Class overview
NameDévastation class
Operators French Navy
Preceded byNone
Succeeded byPalestro class
Built1854–1855
In service1855–1871
Completed5
Scrapped5
General characteristics
TypeIronclad floating battery
Displacement1,604 t (1,579 long tons)
Length53 m (173 ft 11 in)
Beam13.55 m (44 ft 5 in)
Draught2.8 m (9 ft 2 in)
Installed power
Propulsion1 propeller; 1 direct-acting steam engine
Speed3.2–3.8 knots (5.9–7.0 km/h; 3.7–4.4 mph)
Crew282
Armament
  • 16 × single 194 mm (7.6 in) 50 pdr smoothbore guns
  • 2 × single 120 mm (4.7 in) 18 pdr smoothbore guns or
  • 2 × single 12 pdr carronades
Armour

The Dévastation-class ironclad floating batteries were built for the attack of Russian coastal fortifications during the Crimean War. France had intended to build ten of these vessels, but in the time available was only able to construct five in French shipyards, of which the first three took part in the attack on Kinburn in 1855, and served in the Adriatic in June–July 1859 during the Italian war. All five were stricken from the navy list between 1867 and 1875 and subsequently scrapped.