The central battery ironclad Colbert is one of the ten ships of the
French navy that constitute the group ranking next in importance to
the squadron of great turret ships, of which the Formidable is the
largest. The group consists of six types, as follows:

1. The Ocean type; three vessels; the Marengo, Ocean, and Suffren.
2. The Friedland type, of which no others are built.
3. The Richelieu type, of which no others are built.
4. The Colbert type, of which there are two; the Colbert and the
Trident.
5. The Redoubtable type, of which no others are built.
6. The Devastation type, of which no others are built.

[Illustration: THE FRENCH IRONCLAD WAR SHIP COLBERT.]

The Colbert was launched at Brest in 1875, and her sister ship, the
Trident, in 1876. Both are of iron and wood, and the following are the
principal dimensions of the Colbert, which apply very closely to the
Trident: She is 321 ft. 6 in. long, 59 ft. 6 in. beam, and 29 ft. 6
in. draught aft. Her displacement is 8,457 tons, her indicated horse
power is 4,652, and her speed 14.4 knots. She has coal carrying
capacity for 700 tons, and her crew numbers 706. The thickness of her
armor belt is 8.66 in., that protecting the central battery is 6.29
in. thick, which is also the thickness of the transverse armored
bulkheads, while the deck is 0.43 in. in thickness. The armament of
the Colbert consists of eight 10.63 in. guns, two 9.45 in., six 5.51
in., two quick firing guns, and fourteen revolving and machine
guns.--_Engineering._

* * * * *