Coast Defense Ships: Photo Gallery (1)

Taureau and the later Bélier and Cerbère, right to left, in reserve at Cherbourg. Bouledogue was stationed at Lorient and Tigre at Brest. (Photo: NH 74921 from ONI Album of French Warships)

Cerbère (Coast defense ironclad) at Cherbourg. (Photo: Facebook by Klaus Haller 28.9.2021)

Bélier (Coast defense ironclad) in drydock at Cherbourg. Note the twin two-bladed screws and complex rudder. (Photo: Facebook by Vladimir Yakubov 20.11.2022 from SHD Cherbourg 4_Fi_709)

Bouledogue (Coast defense ironclad) at Lorient. Note the pair of short funnels. (Photo: Facebook by Gottfried Alexander van der Horst 14.9.2020)

Bouledogue (Coast defense ironclad) in reserve at Lorient. The larger station ironclad may be Triomphante, completed at Rochefort in 1879 and in reserve, possibly here, into 1881, and the smaller one may be Atalante, which was in reserve at Lorient in 1878-1882. (Photo: Facebook by Andrey Myatishkin 17.11.2024)

Tigre (Coast defense ironclad) under construction ca. 1869 in drydock at Rochefort. (Photo: Facebook by A. Myatishkin 15.5.2025 from SHD Rochefort MR_5_G_1246)

Tigre (Coast defense ironclad) nearly ready for launching ca. 1871 in drydock at Rochefort. Note the pair of short funnels. (Photo: Facebook by A. Myatishkin 9.8.2023 from SHD Rochefort MR_5_G_1093)

Tempête (2nd class coast defense ironclad). She spent much of her career at Brest. (Photo: NH 66094, Farenholt collection from ONI)

Tempête (2nd class coast defense ironclad) at Bizerte. She was there between 1897 and 1905. (Photo: Postcard by E. Fages, Bizerte)

Vengeur (2nd class coast defense ironclad). She was at Cherbourg from 1885 to 1905. (Photo: Feuille signalétique, Archives Marine BB8-2345)

Vengeur (2nd class coast defense ironclad). (Photo: NH 74908 from ONI Album of French Warships)

Tonnerre (1st class coast defense ironclad) at Brest. She was there from 1878 to 1882.(Photo: Feuille signalétique, Archives Marine BB8-2345)

Tonnerre (1st class coast defense ironclad). Her machinery was taken from the ironclad Normandie. (Photo: NH 74885 from ONI Album of French Warships)

Tonnerre (1st class coast defense ironclad), possibly shown during her stay at Toulon from 1882 to 1885. (Photo: NH 88825)

Tonnerre (1st class coast defense ironclad). After a stay at Toulon from 1882 to 1885 she served the rest of her career at Cherbourg. (Photo: NH 66096, Farenholt collection from ONI)

Fulminant (1st class coast defense ironclad) at Cherbourg, where she served from 1881 to 1887 with a trip to Toulon in 1885-86. (Photo: Facebook by V. Yakubov 13.5.2023 from print by N.B.)

Fulminant (1st class coast defense ironclad) at Brest, where she served after 1887. (Photo: Shipscribe)

Fulminant (1st class coast defense ironclad). (Photo: Shipscribe)

Fulminant (1st class coast defense ironclad). (Photo: Feuille signalétique, Archives Marine BB8-2345)

Tonnant (2nd class coast defense ironclad) at Toulon between August 1885 and April 1886. She spent the rest of her career at Cherbourg. (Photo: Facebook by V. Yakubov 26.5.2025)

Vengeur and Tonnant (2nd class coast defense ironclads) moored in the Napoleon III Basin at Cherbourg between a paddle steamer and the two-decker barracks hulk Jemmapes. The original row of open building ways for wooden ships is behind them. (Photo: NH 74907 from ONI Album of French Warships)

Furieux (1st class coast defense ironclad) with Fulminant. (Photo: Shipscribe)

Furieux (1st class coast defense ironclad). (Photo: Shipscribe)

Furieux (1st class coast defense ironclad). (Photo: NH 64447)

Furieux (1st class coast defense ironclad). (Photo: Facebook by Ljubomir Petrovic 22.11.2024)

Furieux (1st class coast defense ironclad) soon after modernization. (Photo: Facebook by V. Yakubov 27.2.2024)

Furieux (1st class coast defense ironclad) at Brest with funnel extensions. (Photo: Postcard by Artaud Nozias, Nantes)

Caïman (1st class coast defense ironclad). She was the only one of the class built with double tops and she also had a different shape stern. Later her after tripod mast was replaced with a short pole. (Photo: Print by G.J.)

Indomptable (1st class coast defense ironclad). (Photo: NH 74940 from ONI Album of French Warships)

Indomptable (1st class coast defense ironclad), plan of forward gun mount and ground tackle by Usine de la Marine, Indret. (Photo: Facebook)

Indomptable (1st class coast defense ironclad). In a later refit her after tripod mast was replaced with a short pole and the outer casings on her funnels were lowered. (Photo: NH 74963 from ONI Album of French Warships)

Requin (1st class coast defense ironclad). (Photo: NH 64451)

Requin (1st class coast defense ironclad), stern view. (Photo: NH 64450)

Terrible (1st class coast defense ironclad). Both masts were later reduced to poles with no tops. She was not modernized like the others but did receive two 340mm guns behind heavy shields in 1900. (Photo: Facebook by Vladimir Yakubov 14.5.2023)

Terrible (1st class coast defense ironclad), stern view. (Photo: Facebook by V. Yakubov 14.5.2023)

Indomptable (1st class coast defense ironclad) on 27 May 1902 after completing modernization. Caïman completed a similar modernization in 1903 but with more pilot house windows. (Photo: Feuille signalétique, Archives Marine BB4-2026)

Indomptable (1st class coast defense ironclad) after modernization. (Photo: Shipscribe)

Coast defense ironclads at Cherbourg: from right to left Furieux, Caïman, and Indomptable, all after modernization, and the newer Valmy. Note the different stern configurations of Indomptable and Caïman. (Photo: Postcard by L. Ratti, Cherbourg)

Requin (1st class coast defense ironclad) at Cherbourg after modernization. (Photo: Postcard by L. Ratti, Cherbourg)

Requin (1st class coast defense ironclad) on 24 May 1902 after completing modernization. In addition to a new armament she received triple expansion engines and Niclausse boilers with new funnels. (Photo: Feuille signalétique, Archives Marine BB8-2345)

Requin (1st class coast defense ironclad) during World War I with Jaureguiberry behind her. (Photo: Shipscribe)