Ship Type Menu.Screw avisos (2nd class, 150 nhp)
PREGENT class (launched 1857)
SURCOUF class (launched 1858)
D'ESTAING class (launched 1859-60)
LAMOTTE-PICQUET class (launched 1859-63)
PREGENT class
screw avisos (2nd class)Displacement: | 615t |
Dimensions: | 162ft 5in wl x 27ft 5in x 11ft 4in mean |
Same, meters: | 49.50 x 8.35 x 3.45m |
Machinery: | 150nhp (Mazeline). 2 cylinders, return connecting rod, trials (Prégent) 480ihp = 9.9kts |
Hull material: | Composite (Arman system) |
Armament: | (Orig.) 2-16cm shell. Later 4-12cm bronze field MLR |
Complement: | 65 |
Name | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Commiss. | Fate |
PREGENT | Arman | 6.56 | 22.4.57 | 21.4.64 | Stk. 29.10.74 |
RENAUDIN | Arman | 6.56 | 19.5.57 | 1.1.58 | Stk. 8.5.73 |
Class. This new type of aviso grew out of a review of the role of steam in the fleet carried out between 1852 and 1856. Avisos for the foreign stations were to be small wooden-hulled ships with a complete sail rig, auxiliary steam power of 150nhp, and one large gun and a few small ones. (Cruiser warfare requiring speed would be left to large corvettes of the
Phlégéton type.) Specifications for this type were drawn up in 10.55 based on Normand's highly successful screw postal packet
Napoléon (acquired by the navy in 1851 as the second-class aviso
Corse). The speed of the design was increased somewhat over the 7 to 8 knots originally planned to make them usable with the fleet as well. In 1855 the 2nd class aviso category was redefined to include all ships in the 100-180nhp range, making the new ships notional successors to both the
Corse and
Sphinx groups. Plans for two ships by Carlet were approved in 4.56. Both ships were placed in reduced commission (commission de port) on 16.5.57.
Disposals. Prégent became a coal hulk at Cherbourg and was BU 1887.
Renaudin was BU 1879.
SURCOUF class
screw avisos (2nd class)Displacement: | 628t |
Dimensions: | 162ft 5in wl x 26ft 8in x 11ft 4in mean |
Same, meters: | 49.50 x 8.12 x 3.45m |
Machinery: | 150nhp. Surcouf: (Mazeline) 2 cylinders, return connecting rod, 10.05kts. D'Entrecasteaux received the rebuilt engines of the paddle second-class aviso Flambart: 150nhp, trials 290ihp = 9.40kts. |
Hull material: | Composite (Arman system) |
Armament: | (Orig.) 2-30p. (Surcouf by 1875) 2-14cm No.2 MLR, 2-12cm bronze field MLR. (D'Entrec. by 1875) 4-14cm M1867 MLR |
Complement: | 65 |
Name | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Commiss. | Fate |
SURCOUF | Rochefort | 9.56 | 16.3.58 | 26.4.58 | Stk. 15.11.78 |
D'ENTRE- CASTEAUX | Rochefort | 9.56 | 26.7.58 | 31.12.58 | Stk. 18.8.76 |
Class. These two ships were ordered at the same time as the
Prégent class. Plans for them by Vésignié were approved in 4.56
D'Entrecasteaux may have received the engine of
Tancrède or
Lynx in the 1860s.
Disposals. Surcouf served as headquarters hulk for torpedo boats at Brest from 1878 to 1884, then became a coal hulk at Brest, was renamed
Charbonnier 1885, and was BU 1902.
D'Entrecasteaux was ceded to the government of Annam on 18.8.76 as
Loi Dat. She probably reverted to the French flag and was disposed of when France occupied Annam in 1884.
D'ESTAING class
screw avisos (2nd class)Displacement: | 695t |
Dimensions: | 173ft 11in wl, 177ft 10in deck x 27ft 4in wl, 27ft 7in max x 10ft 8in mean, 12ft 0in max. Depth 10ft 1in |
Same, meters: | 53.00, 54.20 x 8.32, 8.40 x 3.26, 3.66m. 3.08m |
Machinery: | 150nhp (FCM). Trials (D'Estaing) 390ihp = 10.18kts. Coal 112t |
Hull material: | Wood |
Armament: | (1860) 2-16cm shell. (1862-5) 4-12cm bronze field MLR. (L. Tréville 1873) 2-14cm M1867 MLR, 2-12cm bronze field MLR. (D'Estaing by 1875) 4-14cm M1867 MLR |
Complement: | 65 |
Name | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Commiss. | Fate |
D'ESTAING | Toulon | 25.3.58 | 26.5.59 | 26.4.59 | Stk. 4.8.76 |
LATOUCHE- TREVILLE | Toulon | 6.58 | 16.2.60 | 7.5.60 | Stk. 5.6.86 |
Class. This pair and the first two ships of the
Lamotte-Picquet class were ordered in 8.57, both for the foreign stations and for miscellaneous duties in European waters, including fishery protection. The two ships at Toulon were designed by Dutard.
Disposals. D'Estaing was reportedly decommissioned 1.8.76 and transferred to Annam on 4.8.76 with the gunboat
Scorpion.
Latouche-Tréville was BU 1887.
LAMOTTE-PICQUET class
screw avisos (2nd class)Displacement: | 672t |
Dimensions: | 179ft 0in wl, 185ft 4in deck x 27ft 3in wl, 27ft 11in max x 10ft 7in mean, 12ft 6in max. Depth 9ft 1in |
Same, meters: | 54.55, 56.50 x 8.30, 8.50 x 3.22, 3.82m. 2.76m |
Machinery: | 150nhp (Mazeline in Lamotte-Picquet, Coëtlogon, and Curieux; FCM 2-cylinder return connecting rod in others). Trials 7.90 to 11.25kts (570ihp). Coal 100t |
Hull material: | Wood |
Armament: | (1860) 2-16cm shell. (1862) 4-12cm bronze field MLR. (1866) 1-16cm M1858-60 MLR, 2-12cm MLR (Diamant and Amphion). (1867) 2-14cm No.1 MLR, 2-12cm bronze field MLR. (1872) 4-14cm No.2 MLR |
Complement: | 65 |
Name | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Commiss. | Fate |
LAMOTTE- PICQUET | Cherbourg | 21.4.58 | 18.5.59 | 24.11.59 | Stk. 26.2.81 |
COETLOGON | Cherbourg | 21.4.58 | 4.6.59 | 10.2.60 | Stk. 2.11.77 |
CURIEUX | E.Cardon | 1860 | 13.12.60 | 13.2.61 | Stk. 14.2.79 |
DIAMANT | Arman Bord. | 15.12.59 | 8.5.61 | 1.8.61 | Stk. 7.5.78 |
LUTIN | Arman Bord. | 15.12.59 | 25.4.61 | 1.8.61 | Stk. 13.2.68 |
LYNX | Moulinié | 1.12.59 | 10.5.61 | 16.10.61 | Stk. 21.6.66 |
TANCREDE | Bichon | 1.12.59 | 25.5.61 | 17.10.61 | Stk. 21.6.66 |
ADONIS | Arman Ajac. | 1860 | 15.1.63 | 18.7.63 | Stk. 27.3.83 |
AMPHION | Arman Ajac. | 1860 | 9.5.63 | 12.10.63 | Lost 21.4.66 |
Class. The first two were ordered with the
D'Estaing class in 8.57, on plans by Vésignié which were approved in 3.58.
Curieux was built at Honfleur, the next four at Bordeaux, and the last two at Ajaccio--all, in part, to keep private yards employed. Of the privately-built ships, the first five were ordered in late 1859 and the last two in November 1860. Dimensions varied slightly--those given here are for
Lamotte-Picquet which is representative of the class. Armaments changed often; the table shows when the successive armaments were introduced. Sail area was 1024 sq.yd.
Disposals. The hulls of
Lutin,
Lynx, and
Tancrède deteriorated quickly and were BU 1866-68. The engines of the first were reused in
Boursaint (1872, 750t) and the machinery of the other two was made available for
D'Entrecasteaux (above) and probably
Bruat (1867, 677t).
Lamotte-Picquet became a barracks hulk and headquarters hulk for torpedo boats at Lorient and was BU 1892.
Coëtlogon,
Curieux, and
Diamant were BU 1879.
Adonis became a mooring hulk at Rochefort and was BU 1907.
Amphion was wrecked at Vera Cruz.
Copyright © Stephen S. Roberts 2004-2015.