Paddle corvettes (2nd class, 220 nhp, launched 1844-49)

CASSINI (launched 1845)
TITAN (launched 1844)
NEWTON (launched 1848)
LABORIEUX (launched 1848)
SOUFFLEUR (launched 1849)


CASSINI paddle corvette (2nd class)

Displacement:  1175t
Dimensions: 177ft 2in wl x 30ft 10in mld, 31ft 6in ext x 14ft 3in mean
Same, meters: 54.00 x 9.40, 9.60 x 4.35m
Machinery: 220nhp (Schneider). Side-lever, 440ihp, 10.80kts
Hull material: Wood
Armament: (Orig) 2-22cm No.2 shell, 2-30p No.1
Complement: 123

Name           Builder     Laid down Launched  Commiss.  Fate         
CASSINI Lorient 10.4.43 22.4.45 1.5.45 Stk. 9.11.63

Class. Engines were ordered in 5.42 for a new 220nhp steamer, and plans by Le Grix for the ship were approved in 12.42. Cassini was built with conventional side-lever engines for comparison with the direct-acting machinery installed in her contemporary, Titan. Cassini was converted into a steam mortar vessel in 1855 with 2 mortars and 2 smoothbores and served at the bombardment of the forts at Kinburn.

Disposal. Cassini became a storage hulk and was BU 1869.



TITAN paddle corvette (2nd class)

Displacement:  1049t
Dimensions: 174ft 6in wl, 176ft 9in deck x 30ft 6in mld, 31ft 0in x 12ft 8in mean, 12ft 11in max.
Same, meters: 53.20, 53.87 x 9.30, 9.45 x 3.85, 3.93m
Machinery: 220nhp (Cavé). Oscillating cylinders, direct, 9kts. Coal 175t
Hull material: Wood
Armament: (Orig) 4-16cm shell
Complement: 123

Name           Builder     Laid down Launched  Commiss.  Fate         
TITAN Toulon 11.10.42 19.3.44 1.6.44 Stk. 4.5.68

Class. Of the three 220nhp steamers planned for construction in 1842 (Titan, Cassini and Chaptal), two became experiments with new types of machinery. The builder of Titan's engines, Cavé, was an early advocate of direct-acting engines with oscillating cylinders, and he produced his own variations on a standard pattern developed by Penn in England. The engines of Titan and the ones put in Newton were ordered in 9.42 and were early examples of this type. Boucher designed the hull with special internal arrangements for use as a hospital ship, because a new ship was needed to replace converted steamers then supporting the army in Algeria. His plans, approved in 7.42, provided for rapid conversion back to an armed steamer. The beam over Titan's paddle boxes was 51ft 9in.

Titan was one of the first large French naval steamers designed with only two masts. This rig was proposed in 7.43 to avoid problems in fitting her engines, but by this time the navy was also dissatisfied with the three-masted rig of its steamers because the sails on the mizzen mast had proven to be practically useless and the mainmast could not carry square sails because of its proximity to the funnel. The French were also influenced by the fact that nearly all British steamers in the 220-320nhp range had two masts.

Disposal. Titan became a coal hulk and was BU 1896.



NEWTON paddle corvette (2nd class)

Displacement:  924t
Dimensions: 177ft 10in wl, 190ft 1in deck x 29ft 5in ext x 11ft 5in mean and max.
Same, meters: 54.20, 57.95 x 8.96 x 3.48m
Machinery: 220nhp (Cavé). Oscillating cylinders, direct, tubular boilers. Coal 190t
Hull material: Iron
Armament: (1856) 6-16cm shell
Complement: 123 (est.)

Name           Builder     Laid down Launched  Commiss.  Fate         
NEWTON Cherbourg 3.11.45 14.10.48 1.9.49 Lost 10.6.57

Class. In 11.44 the minister decided to build this ship and give her the paddle engines ordered in 9.42 for the corvette Chaptal, which subsequently received a screw propeller. Hull plans by Moissard, a naval engineer who specialized in designing post office packets, were approved in 1.45. The use of an iron hull resulted in a substantial saving in weight compared to earlier 220nhp ships. The beam over her paddles was 51ft 2in.

Disposal. Newton was lost at Newfoundland.



LABORIEUX paddle corvette (2nd class)

Displacement:  849t
Dimensions: 147ft 8in wl, 158ft 10in deck x 27ft 5in mld, 27ft 11in x 13ft 2in mean, 13ft 8in max.
Same, meters: 45.00, 48.40 x 8.35, 8.50 x 4.01, 4.17m
Machinery: 220nhp (Rochefort). Side-lever, tubular boilers
Hull material: Wood
Armament: (1853) 2 carronades
Complement: 123

Name           Builder     Laid down Launched  Commiss.  Fate         
LABORIEUX Rochefort 6.47 29.7.48 3.5.49 Stk. 5.12.61

Class. This ship was built to use 220nhp engines ordered for Coligny in 1843. She was classified as a corvette but was designed and used as a tug in the vicinity of Rochefort. Her hull, designed by De Senneville, was originally to have been iron but was changed to wood at Rochefort's request. The plans were approved in 5.47.

Disposal. Laborieux replaced the sail brig-aviso Alcyone as station ship at Ile d'Aix in 1853. She became a hulk and was BU 1879.



SOUFFLEUR paddle corvette (2nd class)

Displacement:  700t
Dimensions: 150ft 11in wl, 161ft 5in deck x 27ft 4in x 11ft 1in mean, 11ft 2in max.
Same, meters: 46.00, 49.20 x 8.32 x 3.38, 3.40m
Machinery: 220nhp (Indret). Side-lever. Coal 150t
Hull material: Iron
Armament: (1856) 2-12p carronades
Complement: 123

Name           Builder     Laid down Launched  Commiss.  Fate         
SOUFFLEUR Indret 6.47 17.9.49 22.2.50 Stk. 12.7.87

Class. This ship was built to use a 220nhp engine ordered for Eclaireur in 1843. She was classified as a corvette but was designed as a tug for use in the vicinity of Brest. Plans by Gervaize were approved in 1.47.

Disposal. Souffleur was BU 1888.