French ironclad Redoutable
Redoutable was a central battery and barbette ship of the French Navy. She was the first warship in the world to use steel as the principal building material. She was preceded by the Colbert-class ironclads.
Compared to iron, steel allowed for greater structural strength for a lower weight. France was the first country to manufacture steel in large quantities, using the Siemens process. At that time, steel plates still had some defects, and the outer bottom plating of the ship was made of wrought iron.
All-steel warships were later built by the Royal Navy, with the dispatch vessels Iris and Mercury, laid down in 1875–1876.Construction
Contemporary description in ''Scientific American''
Crew
Full complement: 30 officers + 679 ratings.
Trials or 1st category reserve: 8 officers + 371 ratings.
2nd category reserve: 5 officers + 139 ratings.
3rd category reserve: 0 officers + 27 ratings.Service
Redoutable formed part of the French Mediterranean squadron.
Redoutable was present during the negotiation of the Boxer Protocol, a treaty signed on 7 September 1901 with China.Commanding officers of the ''Redoutable''
- Lieutenant Arnauld was the director of movements of the port of Saigon, and commander of the naval auxiliaries and naval barracks.
