Suffren-class ship of the line

The Suffren class was a late type of 90-gun ships of the line of the French Navy.

The design was selected on 30 January 1824 by the Commission de Paris, an appointed Commission comprising Jean-Marguerite Tupinier, Jacques-Noël Sané, Pierre Rolland, Pierre Lair and Jean Lamorinière. Intended as successors of the 80-gun Bucentaure class and as the third of four ranks of ships of the line,Les vaisseaux de la commission de Paris (1824), Nicolas Mioque they introduced the innovation of having straight walls, instead of the tumblehome design that had prevailed until then; this tended to heighten the ships' centre of gravity, but provided much more room for equipment in the upper decks. Stability issues were fixed with underwater stabilisers.

Only the first two, Suffren and Inflexible, retained the original design all through their career; the others were converted to steam and sail during their construction.80/90-guns ships-of-the-line

Ships

Fourteen ships were ordered to this design, of which twelve were modified as steam-driven vessels.

Suffren Builder: Cherbourg Begun: August 1824 Launched: 27 August 1829 Completed: March 1831 Fate: Deleted February 1861, renamed Ajax in April 1865, and taken to pieces 1874-76.

Inflexible Builder: Rochefort Begun: August 1827 Launched: 21 November 1839 Completed: August 1840 Fate: Condemned August 1875.

Bayard Builder: Lorient Begun: July 1823 Launched: 28 August 1847 Completed: August 1849 Fate: Renamed Triton in August 1876

Duguesclin Builder: Rochefort Begun: March 1823 Launched: 3 May 1848 Completed: August 1848 Fate: Wrecked 14 December 1859; refloated and taken to pieces in June 1860

Breslaw Builder: Brest Begun: May 1827 Launched: 31 July 1848 Completed: 1849 Fate: Deleted in May 1871, renamed Breslau 1881 and taken to pieces 1886-87.

Charlemagne Builder: Toulon Begun: April 1834 Launched: 16 January 1851 Completed: December 1851 (as steam screw ship) Fate: Condemned in February 1882. Taken to pieces 1884

Jean Bart Builder: Lorient Begun: 26 January 1849 Launched: 14 September 1852 Completed: April 1853 (as steam screw ship) Fate: Renamed Donawerth in August 1868; sold or broken up in 1869

Donawerth Builder: Lorient Begun: July 1827 Launched: 15 February 1854 Completed: July 1854 Fate:

Tilsitt Builder: Cherbourg Begun: March 1832 as Diomède, renamed 23 November 1839 Launched: 30 March 1854 Completed: May 1854 Fate:

Saint Louis Builder: Brest Begun: July 1848 Launched: 25 April 1854 Completed: Fate:

Alexandre Builder: Rochefort Begun:May 1848 Launched: 27 March 1857 Completed: Fate:

Fontenoy Builder: Toulon Begun: June 1827 Launched: 2 December 1858 Completed: Fate:

Masséna Builder: Toulon Begun: September 1835 Launched: 15 March 1860 Completed: Fate:

Castiglione Builder: Toulon Begun: October 1835 Launched: 14 July 1860 Completed: Fate:

Citations

References