French ship Diadème (1811)

For other ships with the same name, see French ship Diadème.

Diadème was a 3rd rank, 90-gun Bucentaure-class ship of the line built for the French Navy during the first decade of the 19th century. Completed in 1811, she played a minor role in the Napoleonic Wars.

The Robuste, sister-ship of the Diadème
History
France
Name	Diadème
Namesake	Diadem
Ordered	29 October 1807
Builder	Lorient
Laid down	November 1807
Launched	30 November 1811
Stricken	21 January 1856
Fate	Broken up 1868
General characteristics
Class & type	Bucentaure-class ship of the line
Displacement	3,868 tonneaux
Tons burthen	2,034 port tonneaux
Length	59.28 m (194 ft 6 in)
Beam	15.27 m (50 ft 1 in)
Draught	7.8 m (25 ft 7 in)
Depth of hold	7.64 m (25 ft 1 in)
Sail plan	Full-rigged ship
Crew	866 (wartime)
Armament	90 guns: Lower gun deck: 30 × 36 pdr guns Upper gun deck: 32 × 24 pdr guns Forecastle and Quarterdeck: 14 × 12 pdr guns & 14 × 36 pdr carronades

Description

Designed by Jacques-Noël Sané, the Bucentaure-class ships had a length of 59.28 metres (194 ft 6 in), a beam of 15.27 metres (50 ft 1 in) and a depth of hold of 7.64 metres (25 ft 1 in). The ships displaced 3,868 tonneaux and had a mean draught of 7.8 metres (25 ft 7 in). They had a tonnage of 2,034 port tonneaux. Their crew numbered 866 officers and ratings during wartime. They were fitted with three masts and ship rigged.^[1]

The muzzle-loading, smoothbore armament of the Bucentaure class consisted of thirty 36-pounder long guns on the lower gun deck and thirty-two 24-pounder long guns on the upper gun deck. The armament on the quarterdeck and forecastle varied as the ships' authorised armament was changed over the years that the Bucentares were built. Diadème was fitted with fourteen 12-pounder long guns and fourteen 36-pounder carronades.^[1]

Construction and career

Diadème was ordered on 29 Octaber 1807 and laid down in November 1807 at the Arsenal de Lorient. The ship was named on 1 September 1810^[2] and launched on 30 November 1811. She was commissioned on 1 January 1812 and completed in March.^[3] Diadème was decommissioned on 11 July 1814 during the Bourbon Restoration. She had major refits in 1822 and 1833, and was recommissioned in 1836. The ship was assigned to the Mediterranean Squadron in 1841.^[2] Diadème was struck on 21 January 1856 and was hulked as a barracks ship until she was broken up in 1868.^[3]