Lithograph of Taureau from 1866
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Class overview | |
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Preceded by | None |
Succeeded by | Bélier class |
Completed | 1 |
History | |
France | |
Name | Taureau |
Ordered | 5 September 1863 |
Builder | Dyd and Indret, Toulon |
Laid down | 5 October 1863 |
Launched | 10 June 1865 |
Commissioned | 19 August 1865 |
Stricken | 25 October 1890 |
Fate | Sold to be broken up 11 August 1891 |
General characteristics | |
Type | Coastal-defense ship |
Displacement | 2,718 long tons (2,762 t) (deep load) |
Length | 59.92 m (196 ft 7 in) (p.p.) |
Beam | 14.5 m (47 ft 7 in) |
Draft | 5.356 m (17.57 ft) |
Installed power | |
Propulsion | 2 shafts, 2 steam engines |
Speed | 12.58 kn (23.30 km/h; 14.48 mph) |
Range | 1,250 nmi (2,320 km; 1,440 mi) at 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph) |
Complement | 150 |
Armament | |
Armor |
Taureau was the first ironclad coastal defence ship (garde-côtes cuirassé) built for the French Navy (Marine Nationale). Launched in 1865, the vessel was a one-off design that had a primary armament of a single 11-ton bronze ram complemented by a single 240 mm (9.4 in) gun. She was variously known as an armoured ram, steam ram and screw-powered turret ship for the defence of roadsteads (batterie à hélice et à tour pour la defense des rades). Despite having a high speed of 12.58 knots (23.3 km/h; 14.5 mph) and high manoeuvrability due to having a large rudder and two propeller shafts that enabled her to turn within her own length, the ship spent most of her career in reserve. The vessel was temporarily commissioned on 20 July 1870, ready to be deployed in the English Channel during the Franco-Prussian War, but saw no action. Taureau was removed from the fleet list in 1890 and was sold to be broken up in 1891.