French cruiser Lapérouse

Lapérouse

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:	steam engine Sail
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".