Built as an iron-clad broadside wooden-hulled three-masted battleship at the Arsenal de Toulon at Toulon for the French Navy.
01 May 1858 keel laid down.
24 November 1859 launched under the name La GLOIRE, two sisters the INVINCIBLE and NORMANDIE.
Displacement 5.630 tons, dim. 77.25 x 16.76 x 7.62m. (draught).
Powered by one 2-cyl trunk steam engine, 2.500 hp, single shaft, speed 13 knots.
Bunker capacity 665 tons coal
First barquentine rigged, later re-rigged in ship rig, total sail area 1.960m².
Armament: when built, 36 – 163mm guns.
Crew 570.
April 1860 completed.
August 1860 commissioned.
She was designed by Stanislaus Dupuy de Lôme after the Crimean War after new developments in naval gun technology.
After she was built, all wooden ships of the line were obsolete, and the era of the armored battleship had arrived.
15 October 1860 sailed under command of C.V. Majastre, from Toulon to show her at different French ports.
From 30 November till 01 December 1860 used for trials off Toulon.
11 February 1862 at Villefranche with Le ROBUSTE.
06 March 1863 ready for sea at Toulon.
20 July 1863 sailed from Toulon for Cherbourg.
May 1865 accompanied Napoleon III to Algeria.
1865 Refitted and armament changed to 8 – 24 cm, 4 – 19cm guns.
17 December 1866 decommissioned.
After a few times more commissioned and decommissioned, for the last time she was decommissioned on 14 February 1871 at Brest.
1879 Stricken.
1880 Scrapped at Brest.
Angola 2000 KZr950.000.00 sg?, scott?
Equatorial Guinea 1976 15p sg?, Scott?