Paddle corvettes (1st class, 400 nhp)

CATINAT (launched 1851)
BERTHOLLET (launched 1850)


CATINAT paddle corvette (1st class)

Displacement:	1440t
Dimensions:	187ft 0in wl, 195ft 6in deck x 33ft 7in ext x 15ft 3in mean
Same, meters:	57.00, 59.60 x 10.24 x 4.65m
Machinery:	400nhp (Rochefort). Oscillating cylinders, direct, tubular boilers, 10.8kts. Coal 280t
Hull material:	Wood
Armament:	(Orig.) 2-30p No.1, 4-16cm shell. (1861) 2-16cm shell, 6-30p No.2. (1865) 2-16cm M1858-60 MLR, 6-14cm No.1 MLR
Complement:	163

Name	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Commiss.	Fate
CATINAT	Rochefort	15.3.45	11.10.51	10.10.52	Stk. 11.5.80

Class. Plans for this ship were approved in 2.45 after her designer, Cros, reduced her tonnage to 1331t from the 1619t in his initial design. The ship was designed for 320nhp, but in mid-1846 the navy decided to exploit new engine technology and raise her horsepower to 400nhp without increasing her size. Unfortunately, when engines were ordered from Schneider in 9.48, the navy supplied the original 1619-ton plans, and the engines were designed too large for the ship. When the error was discovered in 12.48, the Schneider engines were reassigned to Berthollet (below) and the engines proposed for that ship were designed to fit in Catinat. The beam of Catinat over her paddles was 57ft 5in.

Disposal. Catinat became a storage hulk at Gabon and was BU 1889.



BERTHOLLET paddle corvette (1st class)

Displacement:	1509t
Dimensions:	190ft 3in wl, 201ft 1in deck x 34ft 1in mld, 34ft 9in ext x 14ft 11in mean
Same, meters:	58.00, 61.30 x 10.40, 10.60 x 4.54m
Machinery:	400nhp (Schneider). Direct, tubular boilers, 1046ihp, 10.90kts. Coal 285t
Hull material:	Wood
Armament:	(Orig) 2-30p No.1, 4-16cm shell. (1859) 2-30p No.1, 6-30p No.2. (1861) 6-16cm rifles, 2-12cm No.2 shell
Complement:	163

Name	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Commiss.	Fate
BERTHOLLET	Rochefort	7.49	7.7.50	1.11.50	Stk. 15.3.66

Class. Had it not been for the mistake over the engines of Catinat (q.v.), this ship might have been a screw corvette. When Sabattier at Rochefort was ordered in 9.48 to design a new corvette, he drew plans for a 1900-ton 10-knot spardeck corvette similar to Infernal but with a screw. Early in 12.48 he was asked to recast his plans for a 1400-ton 11-knot open-battery corvette similar to Phlégéton. Late in 12.48 Berthollet was assigned Catinat's paddle engines. New hull plans were drawn by Forquenot and approved in 6.49. Berthollet's beam over her paddle boxes was 57ft 10in.

Disposal. Berthollet was BU 1866.