French Ships of the Line to 1859: Photo Gallery

Louis XIV, French steam 1st rank ship of the line. Commissioned in 1857, she became gunnery training ship at Brest in 1861 and moved to Toulon as such in 1865. (Photo: Private digital collection)

Souverain, French steam 1st rank ship of the line, probably drying hammocks while serving as a gunnery training ship at Toulon between 1876 and 1885. (Photo: Private digital collection)

The launch of France's last and largest sailing three-decker, Valmy, at Brest on 25 September 1847. She was built on one of the four cales (shipways) de la Boucherie that were erected in the 1830s in an upriver extension of the arsenal that was fortified in 1777. This location is shown in this engraving behind the ship. Valmy became the training ship Borda (iii) in 1863. See 1786-1861 book pages 49-50. (Drawing: L'Illustration, 2 October 1847, p.80)

Borda (iii), ex French sail 1st rank ship of the line Valmy. Listed as École des aspirants at Brest 1865-1879, then École des élèves to 1890. This ship can be distinguished from Borda (iv) by her three-level quarter galleries. Borda (i) was a 10-gun brig that became Observateur in 1839 when the 110-gun Commerce de Paris became Borda (ii). (Photo: Private digital collection)

Borda (iii), French sail 1st rank ship of the line, at Brest. Listed as École des aspirants at Brest 1865-1879, then École des élèves to 1890. This ship can be identified by her three-level quarter galleries. Borda (i) was a 10-gun brig renamed Observateur in 1839 when the 110-gun Commerce de Paris became Borda (ii). (Photo: Wikimedia from Archives M&M Brest 2fi02144)

Bretagne (i), French steam 1st rank ship of the line, being visited at Naples on 5 May 1862 by King Victor Emmanuel II of Italy. Struck in 1866 after removal of her eight worn out boilers, she was listed in the annual fleet lists as Caserne des novices et apprentis marins at Brest 1873-1878 and then as École des novices et apprentis marins to 1880. (Drawing: Le Monde Illustré, 17 May 1862, p. 316)

Bretagne (i), French steam 1st rank ship of the line, on 25 May 1880 in the early stages of dismantlement at Brest near the cales (shipways) de la Boucherie where she was built in the 1850s upriver from the main arsenal. The 2nd class cruiser Nielly is being launched in the center of the view. Other ships from left to right are Vengeur in the foreground fitting out, Terrible and Amiral Baudin on the ways in temporary shiphouses, the prison hulk Veilleur ex Duguesclin, and in the distance Tonnerre. (Photo: Wikimedia from Archives M&M Brest 2fi06385)

Preparations at Brest to launch the French steam 2nd rank ship of the line Impérial, probably on one of the four cales de la Boucherie upriver from the main arsenal. She was launched on 15 September 1856. The ship on the right has a port in the bow, probably for loading timber cargoes to supply the dockyard. Photo by Geneviève-Élisabeth Disdéri. (Photo: Wikimedia from George Eastman Museum)

Impérial, French steam 2nd rank ship of the line of the later Napoléon class, at Brest showing her full original armament. The canot impérial (imperial barge) is approaching in the foreground during the visit to Brest in August 1858 by Emperor Napoleon III and Empress Eugénie. A steam harbor service tug (possibly Élorn) is alongside with a canopy over her stern. From an album of 23 photos by Alfred Bernier presented to the imperial couple. (Photo: Wikimedia from Musée Bretagne FLMjo219104, inv. 2001.0034.23)

Bretagne (ii). Ex French steam 2nd rank ship of the line Ville de Bordeaux with an additional deck, her original round stern, and two high balconies on it. Listed as École des novices et des apprentis marins at Brest 1880-1891. (Photo: Private digital collection)

Bretagne (ii). Ex French steam 2nd rank ship of the line Ville de Bordeaux at Brest as École des novices et des apprentis marins circa the early 1880s. (Photo: Wikimedia from Archives M&M Brest 2fi06397)

Borda (iv). Ex French transport Intrépide, ex steam 2nd rank ship of the line. Listed as École navale at Brest 1890-1913. She has an additional deck and a round stern with two iron balconies. (Photo: Postcard by H. Laurent, Port-Louis)

Borda (iv). Ex French ship of the line Intrépide alongside at Brest in 1911 as École navale with reduced rig. (Photo: BNF btv1b53111537d_1)

Algésiras. Ex French transport, ex steam 2nd rank ship of the line. Listed as École des torpilleurs at Toulon from 1889 (replacing the transport Japon). Decomm. 1898. École des mécaniciens torpilleurs 1901, accidentally burned 1906. (Photo: Postcard by A. Bougault)

Algésiras. Ex French transport, ex steam 2nd rank ship of the line. as École des torpilleurs at Toulon. Like Bretagne (ii) and Borda (iv) she has an additional deck and a round stern with two iron balconies. (Photo: Postcard by Giraud)

Hercule, French sail 2nd rank ship of the line, at Brest in 1860. The first of the Tupinier 100-gunners, she was a prison hulk at Brest in 1860-1873. Photo by Geneviève-Élisabeth Disdéri. See 1786-1861 book pages 62-64. (Photo: Wikimedia from George Eastman Museum, also BNF btv1b10853079c)

Navarin, ex French steam 2nd rank ship of the line. Listed as Caserne école des torpilleurs 1887, Atelier de réparation de la direction des défenses sous-marines 1888, Caserne et atelier de la defense mobile to 1890, Batiment central de la defense mobile to 1905, and Service central de la 1re flottille de torpilleurs de l'Ocean to 1908 when replaced by Saône. (Photo: Wikimedia from Archives M&M Brest 3fi120-487)

Navarin, ex French steam 2nd rank ship of the line, as Bâtiment central de la defense mobile at Brest. Her equipment includes a small floating drydock for her torpedo boats. (Photo: Wikimedia from Archives M&M Brest 2fi17938)

Bretagne (iii), ex French transport Fontenoy, ex steam 2nd rank ship of the line. Listed as École des mousses 1884-1910. (Photo: Wikimedia from Archives M&M Brest 2fi02137)

Bretagne (iii), ex French ship of the line Fontenoy, alongside at Brest as École des mousses. (Photo: Postcard by ND)

Tilsitt, ex French steam 2nd rank ship of the line, as a barracks hulk at Saigon between 1877 and 1887. (Photo: Wikimedia, Tilsitt No. 8 from the Asie du Sud-Est et Monde Insulindien (ASEMI) collection at the Université Côte d’Azur)

Duquesne, ex French steam 2nd rank ship of the line, completed in 1854 and shown housed over on 16 May 1861 in a view of the new bridge at Recouvrance looking downstream towards the château. Duquesne was struck in 1867 and renamed Veilleur as a hulk in 1872. Photo by the Atelier photographique de l'arsenal de Brest. (Photo: Wikipedia from Musée NM Brest 2009-2-72-0611-4)

The French wooden steam line of battle during its brief moment of glory. Shown are four steam 1st and 2nd rank ships of the line moored across from the citadel at Brest in August 1858 during the visit of Emperor Napoleon III and Empress Eugénie. Photo by Alfred Bernier. (Photo: Wikimedia from Archives M&M Brest 2fi04678)

French naval school ships in the Brest roadstead in the 1880s. From top to bottom: Résolue (probably, ex steam frigate), Bretagne (ii) ex Ville de Bordeaux (ex steam 2-decker), Borda (iii) ex Valmy (sail 3-decker), Bougainville (steam 2nd class aviso), and Souffleur (probably, paddle corvette used as a tug). (Photo: Wikimedia from Archives M&M Brest 2fi11382, also E. Mage album, Souvenir de Brest)

French naval school ships in the Brest roadstead in the 1880s with the tidal current going in the other direction. From top to bottom: Bretagne (ii) ex Ville de Bordeaux, Borda (iii) ex Valmy, and Bougainville. Note the square stern with three-level quarter galleries on Borda (iii) and the round stern with two high balconies on Bretagne (ii). (Photo: Postcard by Neurdein Frères)