French battleship Iéna

Common card · No. 466587

Iéna French pronunciation: [je.na] was a pre-dreadnought battleship built for the French Navy (Marine nationale). Completed in 1902 and named for one of Napoleon's victories, the ship was assigned to the Mediterranean Squadron and remained there for the duration of her career, frequently serving as a flagship. She participated in the annual fleet manoeuvres and made many visits to French ports in the Mediterranean. In 1907, while Iéna was docked for a refit, there was a magazine explosion that was probably caused by the decomposition of old Poudre B propellant. It killed 120 people and badly damaged the ship. Investigations were launched afterwards, and the ensuing scandal forced the Navy Minister to resign. While the damage could have been repaired, the five-year-old ship was considered obsolete due to the arrival of new dreadnoughts, and it was deemed worth neither the time nor the expense. Her salvaged hulk was used as a gunnery target in 1909, then sold for scrap in 1912.

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