Atalante (ship, 1868)

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Atalante in Sydney, 1873

The Atalante was a wooden French Panzerkorvette of Alma class. The corvette was used both in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870/71 and in the Tonkin campaign in 1883. It was named after the heroine Atalante of Greek mythology .

Technical specifications

  • Type of ship: ironclad
  • Builder: Arsenal Cherbourg
  • Start of construction: June 1865
  • Launched: April 9, 1868
  • Commissioning: July 11, 1869
  • Size: 3825 metric tons
  • Length: 68.78 m
  • Width: 14.2 m
  • Draft: 6.56 m
  • Drive: steam engine
  • Power: 1640 hp
  • Screws: 1
  • Masts: 3
  • Sails: Unknown, baroque rigging
  • Armament: 6–19.4 cm guns , four 12.0 cm guns
  • Armor: 100–150 mm
  • Crew: 316

history

North German Confederation

The Atalante was designed by Henri Dupuy de Lôme . After commissioning in 1869, the corvette remained in the reserve . After the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War, she served in the North Sea Squadron of Vice Admiral Martin Fourichon from late July to mid-September 1870 and was involved in the blockade of the German North Sea ports.

In 1872 the Atalante became the flagship of the Pacific Squadron , and in 1873 she was overtaken in a dock in Sydney . In 1874 she was transferred to the reserve again, but served as the flagship of the China squadron as early as 1875 . From 1878 to 1882 it was again in reserve.

Warships in front of Fort Thuan An
Landing of French soldiers

In 1882 the corvette became part of the Cochinchina Division and took part in the Tonkin Campaign . From August 18 to 21, 1883, she was involved in the bombardment of the forts during the Battle of Thuan An . An Atalante landing party stormed the north fort. The ship was then part of the Far East Squadron ( Escadre d'Extrême-Orient ). On Sino-French War corvette participated directly. From 1885 she was in reserve in Saigon and was decommissioned in 1887. Unclear when, she was wrecked in the port due to her poor condition .

Sister ships

Alma , Armide , Jeanne d'Arc , Montcalm , Reine Blanche , Thétis .

literature