French ironclad Océan

The {{sclass|Océan|ironclad}}s were designed by Henri Dupuy de Lôme as an improved version of the {{sclass|Provence|ironclad|1}}s. The ships were central battery ironclads with the armament concentrated amidships.de Balincourt and Vincent-Bréchignac 1975, p. 26 For the first time in a French ironclad three watertight iron bulkheads were fitted in the hull. Like most ironclads of their era they were equipped with a metal-reinforced ram.Campbell, p. 288

The ship measured {{convert|87.73|m|ftin|sp=us}} overall, with a beam of {{convert|17.52|m|ftin|sp=us}}. Océan had a maximum draft of {{convert|9.09|m|ftin|sp=us}} and displaced {{convert|7749|t|LT|sp=us}}. Her crew numbered between 750 and 778 officers and men. The metacentric height of the ship was very low, between {{convert|1.7|-|2.2|ft|m|1}}.

The Océan-class ships had one horizontal return connecting rod compound steam engine driving a single propeller. Their engines were powered by eight oval boilers. On sea trials the engine produced {{convert|3600|ihp|lk=in}} and Océan reached {{convert|13.5|kn|lk=in}}. She carried {{convert|650|MT|LT}} of coal which allowed her to steam for approximately {{convert|3000|nmi|lk=in}} at a speed of {{convert|10|kn}}. The Océan-class ships were barque or barquentine-rigged with three masts and had a sail area around {{convert|2000|sqm|sqft|sp=us}}.

These ships had their main armament mounted in four barbettes on the upper deck, one gun at each corner of the battery, with the remaining guns on the battery deck below the barbettes. Océan{{'}}s original armament consisted of four {{convert|240|mm|in|adj=on|sp=us}} guns in the barbettes, and on the battery deck, four {{convert|194|mm|in|adj=on|sp=us}} and four {{convert|164|mm|in|adj=on|sp=us}} guns. This was upgraded to four {{convert|274|mm|in|adj=on|sp=us}} guns in the barbettes and eight {{convert|240|mm|in|adj=on|sp=us}} guns on the battery deck before she was commissioned.Silverstone, p. 62

The 18-caliber 274-millimeter Modèle 1870 gun fired an armor-piercing, {{convert|476.2|lb|kg|1|adj=on}} shell while the gun itself weighed {{convert|22.84|LT|t}}. The gun fired its shell at a muzzle velocity of {{convert|1424|ft/s|m/s|abbr=on}} and was credited with the ability to penetrate a nominal {{convert|14.3|in}} of wrought iron armour at the muzzle. The armor-piercing shell of the 19-caliber 240-millmeter Modèle 1870 gun weighed {{convert|317.5|lb|kg|1}} while the gun itself weighed {{convert|15.41|LT|t}}. It had a muzzle velocity of {{convert|1624|ft/s|m/s|abbr=on}} and was credited with the ability to penetrate a nominal {{convert|14.4|in|mm|0}} of wrought iron armour at the muzzle.Brassey, p. 477

At some point the ship received a dozen {{convert|37|mm|in|adj=on|sp=us}} Hotchkiss 5-barrel revolving guns. They fired a shell weighing about {{convert|500|g|lb|abbr=on}} at a muzzle velocity of about {{convert|610|m/s|ft/s|abbr=on}} to a range of about {{convert|3200|m|yd|sp=us}}. They had a rate of fire of about 30 rounds per minute.{{cite web|url=http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNUS_1pounder_m1.htm|title=United States of America 1-pdr (0.45 kg) 1.46" (37 mm) Marks 1 through 15|date=15 August 2008|access-date=22 December 2009|publisher=Navweps.com}} The hull was not recessed to enable any of the guns on the battery deck to fire forward or aft. However, the guns mounted in the barbettes sponsoned out over the sides of the hull did have some ability to fire fore and aft. Late in the ship's career four above-water {{convert|356|mm|in|adj=on|sp=us}} torpedo tubes were added.

The Ocean-class ships had a complete {{convert|178|-|203|mm|in|sp=us|1|adj=on}} wrought iron waterline belt. The sides of the battery itself were armored with {{convert|160|mm|in|sp=us|1}} of wrought iron. The barbette armor was {{convert|150|mm|in|sp=us}} thick. The unarmored portions of their sides were protected by {{convert|15|mm|in|adj=on|1|sp=us}} iron plates. Gardiner says that the barbette armor was later removed to improve their stability, but this is not confirmed by any other source.

Océan was laid down at Brest in July 1865 and launched on 15 October 1868. The ship began her sea trials on 3 December 1869, but was not commissioned until 21 July 1870 for service during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71. Océan was assigned to the Northern Squadron that attempted to blockade Prussian ports on the Baltic until the squadron was ordered to return to Cherbourg on 16 September 1870.de Balincourt and Vincent-Bréchignac 1975, p. 30

Afterward she was assigned to the Evolutionary Squadron until 1875 when she was placed in reserve. Océan was recommissioned in 1879 for service with the Mediterranean Squadron. She had a lengthy refit in 1884–85 and was assigned to the Northern Squadron after it was completed. Around 1888 the ship was transferred back to the Mediterranean Squadron until she was reduced to reserve around 1891. Océan was assigned to the Gunnery School that same year and later became a training ship for naval apprentices before being condemned in 1894.

{{reflist|30em}}

• {{cite book|last=Brassey|first=Thomas|authorlink=Thomas Brassey, 1st Earl Brassey|title=The Naval Annual 1887|url=https://archive.org/details/brasseysannual00brasgoog|year=1888|publisher=J. Griffin|location=Portsmouth, England}}
• {{cite journal|last=de Balincourt|first=Captain|author2=Vincent-Bréchignac, Captain|year=1975|title=The French Navy of Yesterday: Ironclad Frigates, Part IV|journal=F.P.D.S. Newsletter |volume=III|issue=4|pages=26–30 |oclc=41554533}}
• {{cite book |title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905 |editor1-last=Chesneau |editor1-first=Roger |editor2-last=Kolesnik |editor2-first=Eugene M. |publisher=Conway Maritime Press |location=Greenwich |year=1979 |isbn=0-8317-0302-4 |name-list-style=amp |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/conwaysallworlds0000unse_l2e2|chapter=France|author1-last=Campbell|author1-first=N. J. M.|pages=283–333}}
• {{cite book|last=Roberts|first=Stephen S.|title=French Warships in the Age of Steam 1859–1914: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates|year=2021|location=Barnsley, UK|publisher=Seaforth Publishing |isbn=978-1-5267-4533-0}}
• {{cite book|last=Silverstone|first=Paul H.|title=Directory of the World's Capital Ships|year=1984 |publisher=Hippocrene Books|location=New York|isbn=0-88254-979-0}}

{{Commons category|Océan (ship, 1870)}}

• {{in lang|fr}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20110720221326/http://dossiersmarine.free.fr/fs_f_F7.html classe Océan]

{{Océan class ironclad}}

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Category:Ships built in France

Category:1868 ships

Category:Océan-class ironclads