French ironclad Jemmapes

Jemmapes in 1895
History
France
NameJemmapes
Ordered18 December 1889
BuilderAteliers et Chantiers de la Loire, Saint-Nazaire and Saint-Denis
Laid down26 December 1889
Launched27 April 1892
Commissioned4 March 1895
Decommissioned22 March 1910
Stricken3 August 1910
FateSold to be broken up 5 November 1927
General characteristics
Class & typeJemmapes-class coastal defense ship
Displacement6,579 t (6,475 long tons) (deep load)
Length89.6 m (294 ft 0 in) (o/a)
Beam17.48 m (57 ft 4 in)
Draft6.71 m (22.0 ft)
Installed power
Propulsion2 shafts, 2 triple-expansion steam engines
Speed15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Range2,667 nmi (4,939 km; 3,069 mi) at 11 kn (20 km/h; 13 mph)
Complement299
Armament
Armor

Jemmapes was the lead ship of a class of two coastal defense ships built for the French Navy (Marine Nationale) in the 1890s. Launched in 1892, the vessel joined the Northern Squadron of the French Navy (Esadre du Nord) at Brest. Armed with a main armament of two 340 mm (13.4 in) guns, the vessel was designed within the principles of the Jeune École. The ship initially joined the Northern Squadron, which was called, "the most homogenous and dangerous squadron that one could meet at sea". In 1902, the vessel was subject to underway replenishment when coal was transferred from the bunkers of other battleships during a naval exercise with the Mediterranean Squadron. Jemmapes also took part in large naval exercises in 1895 and 1900 but otherwise had an uneventful career as French naval doctrine moved from a fleet of smaller coastal defense ships to larger ocean-going battleships. The ship was decommissioned in 1910 and served as a hulk before being sold in 1927 to be broken up.