Palestro-class ironclad floating battery

The Palestro class consisted of four ironclad floating batteries built for the French Navy in 1859–1862 to replace the Crimean War-built Dévastation class because of fears that the 1855 ships would deteriorate because they had been hastily built with green wood that was prone to rot quickly.^[1] Saigon caught fire and sank in 1863, but was salvaged and repaired. Pei-ho was struck from the navy list in 1869, but the others were commissioned during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871.^[2]

Paixhans (right) in 1862
Class overview
Name	Palestro class
Operators	French Navy
Preceded by	Dévastation class
Succeeded by	Embuscade class
Built	1859–1863
In service	1862–1871
Completed	4
Scrapped	4
General characteristics (as built)
Type	Ironclad floating battery
Displacement	1,563 t (1,538 long tons)
Length	47.5 m (155 ft 10 in)
Beam	14.04 m (46 ft 1 in)
Draft	3 m (9 ft 10 in)
Installed power	580 ihp (430 kW)
Propulsion	2 propellers, 2 steam engines
Sail plan	fore-and-aft rig
Speed	7–7.5 knots (13.0–13.9 km/h; 8.1–8.6 mph)
Complement	200
Armament	12 × 164.7 mm (6.48 in) Mle 1860 30 pdr guns
Armor	Waterline belt: 120 mm (4.7 in) Battery: 110 mm (4.3 in)

Design and development

In contrast to the Dévastation class, the Palestros were intended to serve as coastal-defense ships and were designed by the naval architect Henri Dupuy de Lôme to have greater mobility and seaworthiness than the older ships. They were also reduced in size to minimize their profile.^[3] The ships had an overall length of 47.5 m (155 ft 10 in), a beam of 14.04 m (46 ft 1 in) and a draft of 3 m (9 ft 10 in). They displaced 1,563 metric tons (1,538 long tons). The Palestro class was powered by a pair of high-pressure direct-acting steam engines, each driving a single propeller shaft. The engine was rated at 580 indicated horsepower (430 kW). The ships were designed to reach 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph), but some were slightly faster. They were fitted with two masts using a fore-and-aft rig.^[2][4][1]

The Palestros carried a main battery of a dozen 164.7 mm (6.48 in) Mle 1860 30 pdr guns guns on the main deck. The ships were protected by a full-length waterline belt of wrought iron that was 120 mm (4.7 in) thick. Protection for the gun battery was 110 mm (4.3 in) thick.^[5] The ship's complement numbered 200 sailors of all ranks.^[4]

Ships

Construction data

Name	Laid down	Launched	Completed	Fate
Paixhans	24 May 1859	9 September 1862	July 1863	Scrapped, August 1871 – February 1872
Palestro			June 1863	Scrapped, August 1871 – January 1872
Pei-ho	20 July 1859	25 May 1862	October 1862	Scrapped, April 1870 – October 1871
Saigon		24 June 1861	November 1862	Hulked, 1871; scrapped, 1884