Hercule-class ship of the line explained

The Hercule class was a late type of 100-gun ships of the line of the French Navy. They were the second strongest of four ranks of ships of the line designed by the Commission de Paris. While the first units were classical straight-walled ships of the line, next ones were gradually converted to steam, and the last one was built with an engine.

Design

The Hercule class evolved as an enlargement of the straight-walled, 90-gun, suggested by Jean Tupinier.^[1]

With the Henri IV, a rounded stern was introduced. The next ships were built with the rounded stern, and it was retrofitted on the early units of the class.

Units

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Builder:Cherbourg

Begun:1829

Launched:1848

Completed:1850

Fate: Bombardment of Odessa (1854). Lost in a storm at Eupatoria in the Crimea (14.11.1854)

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• Annibal, renamed Prince Jérôme^[2]

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• , Lys renamed 1830

Builder:Rochefort

Begun:1825

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Fate: Bombardment at Kinburn (1855)

• , Bucentaure renamed 1839

Builder:Lorient

Begun:1833

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Fate: Bombardment at Kinburn (1855)

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Notes and references

Bibliography

• Book: Roche, Jean-Michel. 2005. Dictionnaire des bâtiments de la flotte de guerre française de Colbert à nos jours. 978-2-9525917-0-6. 165892922. Group Retozel-Maury Millau. 1.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Hercule-class sail ship of the line (2nd class, 100 guns) . Stephen S. . Roberts . shipscribe.com . 2011 . 23 May 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120216034634/http://shipscribe.com/marvap/112a.pdf . 16 February 2012 .
2. http://dossiersmarine.free.fr/fs_v_V5a.html Loire (ex-Hoche, ex-Prince Jérôme, ex-Annibal)