French ship Duguesclin (1848)

The Duguesclin was a 90-gun Ship of the line of the French Navy. She was the second ship in French service named in honour of Bertrand du Guesclin.

1/20th scale model of Suffren, lead ship of Duguesclin's class, on display at the Musée national de la Marine
History
French Navy EnsignFrance
NameDuguesclin
NamesakeBertrand du Guesclin
BuilderRochefort [1]
Laid down26 March 1823 [1]
Launched3 May 1848 [1]
Stricken17 December 1859 [1]
FateRan aground and lost, scrapped on site
General characteristics
Class and typeSuffren class ship of the line
Displacement4 070 tonnes
Length60.50 m (198.5 ft)
Beam16.28 m (53.4 ft)
Draught7.40 m (24.3 ft)
Propulsion3114 m² of sails
Complement810 to 846 men
Armament
Armour6.97 cm of timber

Career

edit

Bayard was first used as barracks for prisoners sent to deportation to Îles du Salut, and then as a transport for those sent to the Bagne of Cayenne. She then took part in the Crimean War in the Black Sea in 1854 and 1855.[1] On 6 July 1854, Duguesclin ran aground on the Warren Rock, off Cronstadt, Russia as the buoy marking it had been removed by the Russians. Her upper and middle deck guns had to be removed before she could be refloated.[2]

In 14 December 1859, as she conducted trials of her newly installed steam engine under Commander Choux,[3] she ran aground on Île Longue. All efforts to raise her proved fruitless and she was scrapped.[1] Her engine was used on Jean Bart.[3]

Citations

edit
  1. ^ a b c d e f Roche, vol.1, p.162
  2. ^ "The War". Daily News. No. 2551. London. 24 July 1854.
  3. ^ a b 90-guns ships-of-the-line Archived 2008-01-20 at the Wayback Machine

References

edit