The British newspaper Standard of London published in July 1838 an item dealing with the strength of the French navy which was considered as accurate. There were 11 ships of the line 1st class each with 126 guns, 23 ships of the 2nd class each with 86 guns, 23 ships of the line 3rd class each with 82 guns, together 57 ships of the line mostly built since 1818. There were 40 frigates 1st class, each with 60-36pdrs, 10 frigates with 46-36pdrs, 15 frigates of the 3rd class each with 32 guns and 15 frigates 4th class each with 26 guns. Further more were 24 corvettes of 20-32 guns, 16 gun brigs and 27 steamboats mostly with 160 hp and well armed. In the arsenals were 3.000 guns and carronades and other stores to fit out 50 ships of the line, 20 frigates and 20 corvettes. The Standard named all 57 ships of the line at that moment available and mentioned that each of them had 4-80pdr howitzers called Paixhans. All frigates 1st class were to be fitted out with 2 Paixhans, the steamboats of 160 hp 3 and the frigates 2nd and 3rd class, sloops and brig were to be fitted out with 4-30pdr howitzers. All ships were well fitted out and needed less than six weeks to be prepared for actual duty. The newspaper compared this with the British navy and considered that if the tidings from, Chatham, Plymouth and Portsmouth were correct the British navy wasn’t able to send half that number ships within 6 months or even worse in a whole year to sea. The British admiralty should take France as an example and there was also a reference to Russia which navy even should be larger.
