Model NG-MC-1132 Rijksmuseum Amsterdam Netherlands. Original url
Bruno Johannes Tideman was probably the most influential Dutch naval engineer in the 19th Century. His proposals for a steel plant in Vlissingen, Netherlands resulted in founding the nowadays still existing shipyard Kon. Mij. De Schelde although now named Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding specialized in building warships. In 1859 made Tideman a trip to France where he sighted floating batteries which inspired him in making this design. It was in fact a quadrangles shaped raft in the centre open and where a gun on a sliding sledge was placed. A huge steering wheel situated in the side behind the gun was connected to a pulley at the outside of the hull and over which pulley a chain was guided. By turning the wheel was It possible to alter the position of the raft. At the front side was the raft protected by a separate floating armoured parapet.
