French ironclad Cerbère

Cerbère was the lead ship of her class of four ironclad rams built for the French Navy during the 1870s. Completed in 1870, she spent most of her career in reserve although the ship was briefly commissioned during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871. Cerbère was scrapped in 1887.

History
France
Name	Cerbère
Namesake	Cerberus
Ordered	15 January 1865
Builder	Arsenal de Brest
Laid down	14 September 1865
Launched	23 April 1868
Completed	July 1870
Stricken	12 November 1886
Fate	Scrapped, 1887
General characteristics (as built)
Class & type	Bélier-class ironclad ram
Displacement	3,589 t (3,532 long tons)
Length	72 m (236 ft 3 in) (oa)
Beam	16.14 m (52 ft 11 in)
Draft	5.83 m (19 ft 2 in)
Installed power	6 boilers 2,120 ihp (1,580 kW)
Propulsion	2 × screws; 2 × return connecting rod engines
Speed	12 kn (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Range	1,800 nmi (3,300 km; 2,100 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Complement	147
Armament	2 × 240 mm (9.4 in) guns
Armor	Waterline belt: 220 mm (8.7 in) Gun turret: 180 mm (7.1 in) Deck: 15 mm (0.6 in)

Design and development

The Bélier class constituted a reversal of the defensive philosophy that drove the design of the preceding ironclad ram, Taureau, with their emphasis on an offensive role using their guns instead of a ram.^[1][2] The ships had an overall length of 72 m (236 ft 3 in), a beam of 16.14 m (52 ft 11 in) and a draft of 5.83 m (19.1 ft). They displaced 3,589 metric tons (3,532 long tons). They were powered by a pair of two-cylinder direct-acting steam engines that used steam provided by six boilers to drive each propeller shaft. The engines were rated at a total of 2,120 indicated horsepower (1,580 kW)^[3] that was intended to give the ships a speed of 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph).^[4] The ships carried enough coal to give them a range of 1,800 nautical miles (3,300 km; 2,100 mi) at a speed of 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). The ship's complement numbered 147 sailors of all ranks.^[3]

Cerbère class

Cerbére was armed with a main battery of two 240 mm (9.4 in) Mle 1864 rifled breech-loading guns in a turret in the bow. The turret sat above a barbette that housed the turret machinery; both had armor 180 mm (7.1 in) thick. The ships were protected by a full-length waterline belt of wrought iron that was 220 mm (8.7 in) thick. The deck armor was 15 mm (0.6 in) thick in Cerbère.^[3][4]

Construction and career

The ship was completed in July 1870 and cruised to Cherbourg and Le Havre in July and August before returning to Brest. The ship was placed in full commission on 12 December until she was reduced to reserve at Cherbourg on 16 April 1871. Cerbère was struck from the navy list on 12 November 1886 and was broken up there the following year.^[3]