The Dévastation-class ironclad floating batteries were built for the attack of Russian coastal fortifications during the Crimean War.

France had intended to build ten of these vessels, but in the time available was only able to construct five in French shipyards, of which the first three took part in the attack on Kinburn in 1855, and served in the Adriatic in June–July 1859 during the Italian war.

Dévastation's armour consisted of 183 plates of 110 mm (4.3 in) thick wrought iron made by Creusot Rive-de-Gier, which weighed in total 297.5 metric tons (292.8 long tons).

[1][2] In total, the five Dévastation-class ironclad floating batteries cost 6,580,000 Francs (an average of 1,316,000 Francs each).

[8] Dévastation cost 1,146,489 Francs.