French corvette Sphinx (1829)
{{Other ships|French ship Sphinx}}
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{{Infobox ship image |Ship image=Sphinx-IMG 6945.jpg |Ship caption=1/100th Model of the French paddle steamer corvette Sphinx. Made by the model workshop of the Musée de la Marine in 1962, on display at Toulon naval museum. }} {{Infobox ship career |Hide header= |Ship country=France |Ship flag=Image:Flag of the Kingdom of France (1814-1830).svg Image:Civil and Naval Ensign of France.svg |Ship name=Sphinx |Ship namesake=Sphinx |Ship ordered= |Ship builder=Rochefort, plans by Hubert |Ship launched=3 August 1829 |Ship acquired= |Ship commissioned= |Ship decommissioned= |Ship in service= |Ship out of service= |Ship renamed= |Ship captured= |Ship struck= |Ship reinstated= |Ship fate=Wrecked 6 July 1845 |Ship honours= |Ship notes=First naval steamer of France }} {{Infobox ship characteristics |Hide header= |Header caption= |Ship class=Sphinx class aviso |Ship displacement=913 tonnes |Ship length= {{convert|48.20|m|ft}} |Ship beam=Hull: {{convert|8.16|m|ft}} Including paddles: {{convert|14|m|ft}} |Ship draught= {{convert|3.00|m|ft}} |Ship propulsion=*Sail plan
|Ship range= |Ship endurance= |Ship test depth= |Ship boats= |Ship capacity= |Ship complement= |Ship time to activate= |Ship sensors= |Ship EW= |Ship armament=6 × 24-pounder carronades + 2 to 4 × 160 mm howitzers |Ship armour=Timber |Ship aircraft= |Ship motto= |Ship nickname= |Ship honours= |Ship notes= |Ship badge= }} |
Sphinx was a paddle steamer, initially rated as a corvette, of the French Navy, and lead ship of her class. She was the first operational French naval steamer. She took part in the Invasion of Algiers in 1830, pioneering the role of steamers in navies of the mid-19th century, and later took part in the transfer of the Luxor Obelisk from Egypt to Paris.
Career
Sphinx was built in Rochefort on plans by Jean-Baptiste Hubert around a low-pressure Newcomen steam engine purchased from Fawcett, in Liverpool. Indret then used this engine as its template for the locally produced engines that powered the subsequent Sphinx-class avisos.[https://books.google.com/books?id=yagbAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA594 Comptes rendus hebdomadaires des séances de l'Académie des sciences, Volume 6]
On 25 May 1830, Sphinx sailed with a French squadron under Admiral Guy-Victor Duperré for the Invasion of Algiers. On 13 June, along with Nageur, she silenced the coastal defences of Sidi Fredj. She then carried the news of the fall of Algiers back to France.{{Cite web |url=http://users.skynet.be/tintinpassion/VOIRSAVOIR/Marin2/pages_Marin2/045_Marin2.html |title=1829. Vapeur le Sphinx (France) |access-date=2012-06-12 |archive-date=2016-02-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160216171731/http://users.skynet.be/tintinpassion/VOIRSAVOIR/Marin2/pages_Marin2/045_Marin2.html |url-status=dead }}
In August 1832, under Lieutenant Sarlat, Sphinx sailed to Alexandria to rendezvous there with the barge Louqsor, which was to load the Luxor Obelisk and bring it to Paris.{{Cite web |url=http://www.normannia.info/pdf/berruyer1833.pdf |title=L'Obélisque de Louqsor à Cherbourg |access-date=2012-06-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081120040325/http://www.normannia.info/pdf/berruyer1833.pdf |archive-date=2008-11-20 |url-status=dead }} After the complex loading of the obelisk, the ships departed on 1 April 1833. Spinx steamed at 4.5 knots with Louqsor in tow and reached Toulon on 10 May, where she had to spend 20 days in quarantine due to the fear of cholera.Philippe Béjot, "Le transport de l'obélisque de Louxor", [http://www.aamm.fr/20_Neptunia/Neptunia.htm Neptunia] no 263, p. 45 The ships arrived at Cherbourg on 12 August 1833.
From 1835, Sphinx cruised off Toulon and Algiers, under Lieutenant Baudin.
In 1841, she was in the Mediterranean under Lieutenant Lacheurié,Roche, op. cit. and in 1843 under Lieutenant Guichon de Grandpont.[http://www.shom.fr/fr_page/fr_prod_annales/annale_coloniale/annale_coloniale_1843.2.htm ANNALES COLONIALES - 1843]
On 6 July 1845, while under the command of Lieutenant Muterse, Sphinx departed Dellys, bound for Algiers. Due to a navigation error, during a heavy fog she ran aground near Cape Matifu. The steamers Caméléon, Chimère, and Tartare attempted unsuccessfully to aid her. Sphinx became a total loss, though her entire crew was saved.
Legacy
The wreck of Sphinx was discovered on 25 June 2005 by Max Guérout, of the Groupe de Recherche et d'Archéologie Navale,[http://archeonavale.org/archeobase/pafiledb.php?action=file&id=13 Groupe de Recherche et d'Archéologie Navale] in four metres of water.
Because she was the French Navy's first steamer, Sphinx has attracted some attention. Models of the ship are on display at the Musée national de la Marine in Paris[http://www.herrero-michel.fr/Images%20avec%20descriptif/1013%20Le%20Sphinx%20GB.html Le Sphinx, corvette à vapeur de la force de 160 chevaux portant 11 bouches à feu], Extrait (modifié) du Catalogue raisonné du Musée de Marine de 1909. as well as at the annex of the Museum in Toulon. A model of her engine can be seen at the Musée des Arts et Métiers in Paris.
Citations
{{Commons category|Sphinx (ship, 1829)}}
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References
- [http://www.servicehistorique.sga.defense.gouv.fr/medias/planbato/GM02PL0070.tif High-resolution scan of the plans]
- {{cite book |first=Jean-Michel |last=Roche |year=2005 |title=Dictionnaire des bâtiments de la flotte de guerre française de Colbert à nos jours, 1671 - 1870 |isbn=978-2-9525917-0-6 |oclc=165892922 |pages=422 |publisher=Group Retozel-Maury Millau}}
- {{cite book |first=Max |last=Guérout |year=2009 |chapter=Le Sphinx |title=Histoires d'épaves, catalogue de l'exposition au Fort de Balaguier |pages=54–91 |publisher=Musée de Balaguier}} [http://www.archeonavale.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?p=876]{{Dead link|date=December 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20120619101614/http://geniemaritime.ensta-paristech.fr/images/parcours_genie_maritime.pdf La construction navale en France - Génie Maritime]
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