French cruiser Lapérouse
| File:Laperousse.jpg | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 France | |
| Name | Lapérouse |
| Namesake | Jean-François de Galaup, comte de Lapérouse |
| Builder | Brest shipyard |
| Laid down | 23 June 1875 |
| Launched | 5 November 1877 |
| Homeport | Brest |
| Fate | Wrecked 31 July 1898 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | 1st class,serial type Iphigénie |
| Type | Cruiser |
| Tonnage | 2240 tonnes |
| Length | 80 m (260 ft) |
| Beam | 11.40 m (37.4 ft) |
| Draught | 5.50 m (18.0 ft) |
| Installed power | 2,300 shp (1,700 kW) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Sail plan | full-rigged |
| Speed | 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) |
| Crew | 264 |
| Armament | 15 140mm / 5.5 inch M1870M guns, 2 Hotchkiss quick-firing guns, eight 1-pounder revolvers |
| Notes | beached on the coast of Madagascar |
Lapérouse was a cruiser of the French Navy, lead ship of her class, named after Jean-François de Galaup, comte de Lapérouse.
Lapérouse was built at Brest, France. She was laid down in 1875 and launched in 1877. Her main armament was mounted in barbettes.
Lapérouse was part of the Far East Squadron under Admiral Amédée Courbet. On 31 July 1898, she was anchored in Fort-Dauphin's Bay at Anosy, Madagascar, waiting for coal for a voyage in which she was to provide transport for the Governor of Madagscar, General Joseph Gallieni, when a storm hit. A sudden gust of wind broke her two anchor chains, and she drifted toward the coast, ran aground, and was wrecked. All hands were saved.
Sources and references
French navy construction drawings of the ship "LAPEROUSE, Naval construction plans".
Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1898 | |
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| Shipwrecks |
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| Other incidents |
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