Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 4:17:57-4:21:08

Which Royal Navy ironclads could Hoche fight?

Hoche might handle a Colossus-class opponent, but the Admiral and Trafalgar classes possess enough armament and protection to defeat her consistently.

Admiral Class BattleshipsFrench Battleship HocheFrench NavyIroncladsNaval ArmourRoyal NavyTrafalgar Class Battleships
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Question

Should Hoche fight Royal Navy ironclads or scuttle, and which British classes could she realistically face?

Short answer

She could fight older ships such as the Colossus class, but Admiral- and Trafalgar-class opponents would normally beat her.

Notes

The counterfactual first has to define which generation of Royal Navy ironclad Hoche faces. She has a plausible fight against the Colossus class but should not take on an Admiral-class ship. Trafalgar and Nile are still more dangerous, combining four 13.5-inch guns with extremely thick belt armor, quick-firing secondary weapons, and torpedo tubes. Hoche is not useless; British development simply moved rapidly enough for newer classes to overtake her by the time she commissioned. A late ironclad could pass from competitive to outclassed without becoming wholly obsolete.