French ironclad Taureau

Lithograph of Taureau from 1866
Class overview
Preceded by	None
Succeeded by	Bélier class
Completed	1
History
France
Name	Taureau
Ordered	5 September 1863
Builder	Dyd and Indret, Toulon
Laid down	5 October 1863
Launched	10 June 1865
Commissioned	19 August 1865
Stricken	25 October 1890
Fate	Sold to be broken up 11 August 1891
General characteristics
Type	Coastal-defense ship
Displacement	2,718 long tons (2,762 t) (deep load)
Length	59.92 m (196 ft 7 in) (p.p.)
Beam	14.5 m (47 ft 7 in)
Draft	5.356 m (17.57 ft)
Installed power	8 × boilers 1,920 ihp (1,430 kW)
Propulsion	2 shafts, 2 steam engines
Speed	12.58 kn (23.30 km/h; 14.48 mph)
Range	1,250 nmi (2,320 km; 1,440 mi) at 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Complement	150
Armament	1 × 11-long-ton (11 t) ram 1 × single 240 mm (9.4 in) gun
Armor	Belt: 150 mm (5.9 in) Deck: 50 mm (2 in) Turrets: 120 mm (4.7 in)

Taureau was the first ironclad coastal defence ship (garde-côtes cuirassé) built for the French Navy (Marine Nationale). Launched in 1865, the vessel was a one-off design that had a primary armament of a single 11-ton bronze ram complemented by a single 240 mm (9.4 in) gun. She was variously known as an armoured ram, steam ram and screw-powered turret ship for the defence of roadsteads (batterie à hélice et à tour pour la defense des rades). Despite having a high speed of 12.58 knots (23.3 km/h; 14.5 mph) and high manoeuvrability due to having a large rudder and two propeller shafts that enabled her to turn within her own length, the ship spent most of her career in reserve. The vessel was temporarily commissioned on 20 July 1870, ready to be deployed in the English Channel during the Franco-Prussian War, but saw no action. Taureau was removed from the fleet list in 1890 and was sold to be broken up in 1891.