Ship Type Menu.Sail spardeck corvettes (30 guns)
BAYONNAISE class (launched 1846-49)
ARTEMISE class (launched 1846-49)
GALATEE class (launched 1845-49)
CONSTANTINE (launched 1851)
AVENTURE class (launched 1852-70)
BAYONNAISE class
sail spardeck corvettes (30 guns)| Displacement: | 1117t |
| Dimensions: | 141ft 1in wl, 144ft 0in deck x 38ft 9in mld x 16ft 3in mean |
| Same, meters: | 43.00, 43.90 x 11.80 x 4.95m |
| Masts: | (1854) Main 53ft 10in x 2ft 6in; Fore 47ft 4in x 2ft 3in; Mizzen 44ft 7in x 1ft 8in |
| Armament: | (Bayonnaise 1847) GD 18-16cm shell, 2-22cm shell, 2-30p No.2; SD 6-16cm shell. (Capricieuse c1849) GD 22-16cm shell, 2-30p No.1; SD 2-30p No.1. Later modified to GD 20-16cm shell, 4-30p No.1; SD 2-16cm shell. (Bayonnaise 1855) GD 18-16cm shell, 2-30p No.2; SD 4-30p carr., 2-30p No.2. 2 more 16cm later added on GD. |
| Complement: | 229 |
| Name | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Commiss. | Fate |
| BAYONNAISE | Cherbourg | 31.7.44 | 7.9.46 | 1.2.47 | Stk. 15.11.69 |
| CAPRICIEUSE | Toulon | 10.47 | 5.7.49 | 1.9.49 | Stk. 18.3.65 |
Class. Plans for three new spardeck corvettes (
Bayonnaise,
Galatée, and
Artémise) were requested from the ports on 31.8.43 with an increased beam to permit carrying the armament assigned to the type in 1835 and 1838: 24-16cm on the gun deck and 6-18p carronades on the spardeck. Plans by De Moras for
Bayonnaise were approved in 6.44. Two more ships,
Constantine and
Eurydice, were ordered in 1846, when it was decided to give the type an armament of heavier guns to match foreign corvettes such as HMS
Carysfort observed on foreign stations. Ultimately this armament was to consist of 20-30p No.3 and 2-22cm No.3 shell (both proposed new model guns) with 4-16cm shell on the spardeck, but until the new guns were developed they were to carry 22-16cm shell and 2-22cm No.2 shell with 4-16cm shell on the spardeck. As completed, the ships all had slightly different armaments. To save time, the 1843 plans were reused for the later ships with a modified distribution of gun ports.
Disposals. Bayonnaise became a headquarters hulk and was BU 1877.
Capricieuse was BU 1865.
ARTEMISE class
sail spardeck corvettes (30 guns)| Displacement: | 1134t |
| Dimensions: | 141ft 1in wl, 148ft 2in deck x 38ft 9in mld x 15ft 9in mean |
| Same, meters: | 43.00, 45.17 x 11.80 x 4.81m |
| Masts: | As Bayonnaise |
| Armament: | (Thisbé 1849) GD 22-16cm shell, 2-22cm shell; SD 6-18p carr. |
| Complement: | 229 |
| Name | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Commiss. | Fate |
| ARTEMISE | Lorient | 21.8.44 | 19.11.46 | 5.4.47 | Stk. 7.12.68 |
| THISBE | Lorient | 24.3.47 | 9.1.49 | 6.3.49 | Stk. 17.8.69 |
Class. These ships were designed by Larchevesque-Thibaut using the same specifications as for
Bayonnaise. The plans were approved in 6.44.
Disposals. Artémise was BU 1868.
Thisbé became a hulk and was BU 1871.
GALATEE class
sail spardeck corvettes (30 guns)| Displacement: | 1179t |
| Dimensions: | 141ft 1in wl, 145ft 2in deck x 38ft 9in mld, 39ft 7in ext x 16ft 6in mean, 17ft 3in max. |
| Same, meters: | 43.00, 44.25 x 11.80, 12.06 x 5.02, 5.26m |
| Masts: | As Bayonnaise |
| Armament: | (Galatée 1846) GD 22-16cm shell, 2-22cm No.2 shell; SD 4-16cm shell. (Sérieuse c1849) GD 22-16cm shell, 2-30p No.1; SD 2-30p No.2 |
| Complement: | 229 |
| Name | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Commiss. | Fate |
| GALATEE | Brest | 16.2.44 | 27.12.45 | 12.9.46 | Stk. 17.8.69 |
| SERIEUSE | Brest | 24.3.47 | 1.8.48 | 12.3.49 | Stk. 15.2.72 |
| EURYDICE | Cherbourg | 22.9.46 | 23.5.49 | 10.9.49 | Stk. 3.5.77 |
Class. These ships were designed by Roger using the same specifications as for
Bayonnaise. The plans were approved in 2.44.
Eurydice became a transport in 1863.
Disposals. Galatée became an annex to the training hulk
Bretagne and was BU 1893.
Sérieuse became a barracks hulk and was BU 1889.
Eurydice became a storage hulk at Gabon and was BU 1879.
CONSTANTINE sail spardeck corvette (30 guns)| Displacement: | 1142t |
| Dimensions: | 144ft 4in wl x 37ft 9in mld x 16ft 5in mean |
| Same, meters: | 44.00 x 11.50 x 5.00m |
| Masts: | As Bayonnaise |
| Armament: | (Design) GD 14-30p No.3, 2-30p No.2, 2-22cm shell No.2; SD 2-30p No.1 or No.2. (1853) GD 18-16cm shell, 2-30p No.1; SD 2-30p No.3 |
| Complement: | 229 |
| Name | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Commiss. | Fate |
| CONSTANTINE | Rochefort | 17.8.46 | 10.10.51 | 1.12.52 | Stk. 25.4.67 |
Class. This ship was designed by Forquenot in 1846.
Disposal. Constantine became a headquarters hulk and was BU 1894.
AVENTURE class
sail spardeck corvettes (30 guns)| Displacement: | 1193t |
| Dimensions: | 141ft 1in wl x 38ft 9in mld, 39ft 4in ext x 16ft 2in mean, 17ft 2in max. |
| Same, meters: | 43.00 x 11.80, 12.00 x 4.92, 5.24m |
| Masts: | As Bayonnaise |
| Armament: | (Cornelie and Cordelière) GD 16-16cm shell, 4-22cm No.2 shell; SD 2-30p No.1. (Favorite 1878) GD 8-14cm No.1 MLR |
| Complement: | 229 |
| Name | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Commiss. | Fate |
| AVENTURE | Brest | 2.5.49 | 27.11.52 | 11.3.54 | Lost 28.4.55 |
| CORNELIE | Toulon | 9.49 | 11.58 | 1.9.60 | Stk. 9.5.79 |
| CORDELIERE | Lorient | 26.4.50 | 12.6.58 | 5.7.58 | Stk. 10.3.70 |
| FAVORITE | Rochefort | 30.7.49 | 14.5.70 | 14.10.78 | Stk. 10.2.92 |
Class. This class was designed by Roger and was similar to his earlier
Galatée. A fifth ship,
Jeanne Hachette, was scheduled to be begun at Toulon in 1850 but was deferred, then cancelled c1853.
Disposals. Aventure was lost on reefs off New Caledonia.
Cornélie was originally stricken 17.8.69 and served as a storage hulk, but she was reactivated in 1874 as a seamen's training ship. She was again hulked in 1879, was serving as a barracks hulk at Rochefort in 1900, and was BU 1909.
Cordelière became a storage hulk, was reclassified as a service craft in 1874, and was BU 1876.
Favorite was BU 1893.
Copyright © Stephen S. Roberts 2004-2015.