Sail ships of the line (4th class, 74 guns)

TEMERAIRE class (launched 1818-31)
LA TOUR D'AUVERGNE (cancelled 1852)


TEMERAIRE class sail ships of the line (4th class, 74)

Displacement:  2966
Dimensions: 180ft 7in wl, 183ft 4in deck x 47ft 5in mld, 48ft 9in ext x 22ft 1in mean, 23ft 3in max. Depth 20ft 11in
Same, meters: 55.05, 55.87 x 14.45, 14.87 x 6.73, 7.08m. 6.38m
Masts: Main 60ft 4in x 3ft 1in; Fore 55ft 3in x 2ft 11in; Mizzen 53ft 9in x 1ft 11in. Sail area 2893 sq.yd.
Armament: (1817) GD 28-36p; UD 30-18p; SD 14-8p, 10-36p carr. (1828) Same but SD 20-36p carr., 4-18p. (Scipion 1844 and Trident 1854) GD 24-36p, 4-22cm shell; UD 30-18p; SD 22-36p carr., 2-16cm shell (4 in Trident). (Marengo 1856) GD 24-30p No.1, 4-22cm No.1; UD 24-30p No.2, 4-22cm shell No.2; SD 14-30p carr., 4-16cm shell
Complement: 678

Name           Builder     Laid down Launched  Commiss.  Fate         
DUC DE BERRY Rochefort 12.07 18.6.18 -- Frigate 1831
JEAN BART Lorient 6.11 24.8.20 1.10.20 Stk. 26.10.33
TRITON Rochefort 12.07 22.9.23 5.4.34 Stk 5.11.49
COURONNE Brest 10.13 26.8.24 23.2.30 Stk. 17.8.69
GENEREUX Cherbourg 1.13 23.9.31 11.2.39 Stk. 21.11.55

Class. Other ships of this type, modeled on a ship designed by Sané and launched in 1782, were already afloat in 1816. The height of the lower battery was 5ft 10in. The armaments above are those of the earlier sisters Scipion and Marengo and represent the evolution of the class. Duc de Berry, begun as Glorieux, was renamed 8.7.14 and 15.7.15. She was taken to Brest after launch but was not commissioned and became Glorieux again on 9.8.30. Triton, begun as Vénitien, was renamed 29.8.14 and 15.7.15. Her frame was begun at Bayonne 10.05 and was completed by 12.07. Serious work on the ship at Rochefort did not begin until 9.14. Couronne was renamed Barricade 29.2.48 and Duperré 1849.

Disposals. Glorieux ex Duc de Berry became the razeed frigate Minerve (q.v.) on 12.10.31. Jean Bart was BU 1833 at Brest. Triton became a sheer hulk and was BU 1872. Couronne served briefly as a hulk and was BU 1870. Généreux became a barracks hulk for seamen at Toulon and was BU 1865.



LA TOUR D'AUVERGNE sail ship of the line (4th class, 74)

Displacement:  3200t
Dimensions: 182ft 9in wl, 184ft 5in deck x 48ft 7in mld, 50ft 0in ext x 22ft 5in mean
Same, meters: 55.70, 56.20 x 14.80, 15.24 x 6.84m
Masts: Probably as old 74s
Armament: (2.1850) GD 24-30p No.1, 4-50p or 4-22cm No.1 shell; UD 28-30p No.3, 2-50p; SD 2-30p No.1, 6-30p No.4. (6.1850) GD 24-30p No.1, 4-50p; UD 26-30p No.3, 4-22cm No.2 shell; SD 12-30p carr., 4-30p No.4.
Complement: 650-660

Name           Builder     Laid down Launched  Commiss.  Fate         
LA TOUR D'AUVERGNE Brest -- -- -- Canc. 1852

Class. Although the 3rd class 90-gun ship was to be the mainstay of the fleet, the French navy wanted to retain a few 4th class ships for use in shallow water or for coastal bombardment during combined expeditions. The old 74s were rapidly disappearing, and the navy planned to build a maximum of four new ones. The data above are from design requirements developed by the Conseil des Travaux on 27.2.50, with an alternative armament requested by the Council of Admiralty on 5.6.50. The hull lines of Sané's 80-gunner were to be followed as closely as possible, and all of the operational characteristics of the old 74s were to be retained except for a reduced supply of water. Space and weight were to be reserved for auxiliary steam machinery of 110-120nhp (later reduced to 80nhp, 110ihp) for 4.5 to 5 kts. The council tentatively approved a plan by Leboulleur de Courlon on 25.6.51, but in approving his modified plan on 21.1.52 it recommended deferring the project until the trials of Charlemagne and Napoléon. The success of these more powerfully engined ships later in 1852 put an end to the idea of a 4th class battleship with weak steam propulsion.