Étincelle-class gunboat

The Étincelle class gunboat was a class of twelve gunboats built for the French Navy in 1855, used in the Crimean War.[1]

Portrait of Flèche.
Class overview
Name:	Étincelle class
Operators:	French Navy
Completed:	12
General characteristics [1]
Type:	Étincelle-class gunboat
Tons burthen:	350 tonnes
Length:	43.9
Beam:	7.8 metres
Draught:	3.2 metres
Propulsion:	Sail Creusot steam engine
Crew:	78
Armament:	4 × 50-pounder guns, 20 × riffled guns
Armour:	Timber

Design

The Étincelle class was designed around a wooden hull and a steam and sail propulsion. They carried 50-pounder guns and an assortment of smaller riffled pieces.

Ships

Name	Ship builder	Launched	Fate
Aigrette	Le Havre	1855	Lost after an accidental rupture of the engine off Antivari on 17 August 1859[2]
Alarme	Toulon	1855	Sold for breaking 1871[3]
Avalanche	Le Havre	1855	Sold for breaking 1866[4]
Dragonne	Le Havre	1855	Sold for breaking 1867[5]
Éclair	Nantes	1855	Sold for breaking 1872[6]
Étincelle	Cherbourg	1855	Lost in the Mozambique Channel in March 1862, probably due to a typhoon[7]
Flamme	Brest	1855	Sold for breaking 1872[8]
Flèche	Toulon	1855	Sold for breaking 1882[1]
Fulminante	Le Havre	1855	Sold for breaking 1879[9]
Fusée	Toulon	1855	Sold for breaking 1868[10]
Grenade	Brest	1855	Sold for breaking 1871[11]
Mitraille	Toulon	1855	Sold for breaking 1868[12]

Citations and references

Notes

Citations

1. Roche, vol.1, p.203
2. Roche, vol.1, p.27
3. Roche, vol.1, p.29
4. Roche, vol.1, p.59
5. Roche, vol.1, p.156
6. Roche, vol.1, p.165
7. Roche, vol.1, p.184
8. Roche, vol.1, p.202
9. Roche, vol.1, p.216
10. Roche, vol.1, p.218
11. Roche, vol.1, p.232
12. Roche, vol.1, p.311

References

• Roche, Jean-Michel (2005). Dictionnaire des bâtiments de la flotte de guerre française de Colbert à nos jours. 1. Group Retozel-Maury Millau. p. 203. ISBN 978-2-9525917-0-6. OCLC 165892922.