NAPOLEON 1852 ship-of-the-line

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aukepalmhof
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NAPOLEON 1852 ship-of-the-line

Post by aukepalmhof » Mon Apr 06, 2020 8:16 pm

Built as a ship-of-the-line by Toulon Arsenal in Toulon for the French Navy.
14 July 1847 Ordered:
7 February 1848 laid down as PRINCE DE JOINVILLE.
16 May 1850 launched as NAPOLÉON the lead vessel of the Napoléon-class ship of the line
Displacement 5,120 tons, dim. 77.8 x 17 x 8.4m, (draught).
Propulsion: Sail and 2-cyl Indret geared, 960 hp (574 ihp) steam engine. Speed 12.1 knots.
Armament: 90 guns.
Crew 910.
01 May 1852 commissioned.

The NAPOLÈON was a 90-gun ship of the line of the French Navy, and the first purpose-built steam battleship in the world. She is also considered the first true steam battleship, and the first screw battleship ever. Launched in 1850, she was the lead ship of a class of 9 battleships, all built over a period of 10 years. This class of ship was designed by the famous naval designer Henri Dupuy de Lôme.

Technological context
Before the experimental adoption of the screw in warships in the 1840s, the only available steam technology was that of the paddle wheels, which, due to their positioning on the side of the hull and the large machinery they required were not compatible with the broadside cannon layout of the battleships.
"Dupuy de Lôme conceived and carried out the bolder scheme of designing a full-powered screw liner, and in 1847 Le NAPOLÈON was ordered. Her success made the steam reconstruction of the fleets of the world a necessity. She was launched in 1850, trials in 1852, and attained a speed of nearly 14 knots (26 km/h). During the Crimean War, her performances attracted great attention, and the type she represented was largely increased in numbers. She was about 240 ft (73 m). in length, 55 ft (17 m). in breadth, and of 5,000 tons displacement, with two gun decks. In her design boldness and prudence were well combined. The good qualities of the sailing line-of-battle ships which had been secured by the genius of Sané and his colleagues were maintained; while the new conditions involved in the introduction of steam power and large coal supply were thoroughly fulfilled."

Developments by other navies.
From 1844–45 the Anglo-French Entente collapsed following the French interventions in Tahiti and Morocco, and the publication of French pamphlets advocating a stronger navy (such as "Notes sur l’état des forces navales" by the Prince de Joinville), leading to an arms race in the naval area.

The United Kingdom already had a few coastal units with screw/steam propulsion in the 1840s, called "blockships", which were conversions of small traditional battleships into floating batteries with a jury rig, with a medium 450 hp (340 kW) engine for speeds of 5.8 knots (10.7 km/h; 6.7 mph) to 8.9 knots (16.5 km/h; 10.2 mph). The Royal Navy had also commissioned a number of steam sloops, HMS RATTLER being the first screw-propelled warship to be launched anywhere in the world in 1843. Both nations had also developed steam frigates, the French POMONE launched in 1845, and the British AMPHION a year later. However, the NAPOLÈON was the first regular steam battleship to be launched.

In 1847, Britain had designed a screw/steam battleship named the JAMES WATT, but the project much delayed and she didn't enter service until 1854. Her sister ship, the AGAMEMNON was ordered in 1849 and commissioned in January 1853. Another sailing battleship, SANS PAREIL was converted to steam on the stocks and launched in March 1851; she beat AGAMEMNON into service in November 1852. Britain’s reluctance to commit to the steam battleship apparently stemmed from her commitment to long-distance, worldwide operation, for which, at that time, a sail was still the most reliable mode of propulsion.
In the end, France and Great Britain were the only two countries to develop fleets of wooden steam battleships, although several other navies are known to have had at least one unit, built or converted with British technical support (Russia, Turkey, Sweden, Naples, Denmark, and Austria). Altogether, France built 10 new wooden steam battleships and converted 28 from older battleship units, while Britain built 18 and converted 41.

She was struck from the Navy list on 06 November 1876.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_shi ... 9on_(1850)
Angola 1996 6000k sg1180, scott 963d.
Attachments
Napoleon Lebreton_engraving-19.jpg
1996 NAPOLEON (2).jpg

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