Protected Cruisers

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Brian James
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Protected Cruisers

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Protected Cruiser FS Jurien de la Gravière pictured at Toulon c1916.She was the last Protected Cruiser built for the French Navy,she was laid down on November 15th 1897 at Lorient and launched on July 26th 1899. Sea trials lasted over a year due to construction errors, with the ship not being commissioned until 1903.After her commissioning, Jurien de la Gravière served in the Far East.
She had a main armament of eight Modèle 1893 164.7 mm guns. Two guns were in shielded centerline mounts fore and aft, and the remaining six were in casemate mounts on the ship's sides. Ten 47 mm 3-pounder and six 37 mm 1-pounder Hotchkiss guns were mounted for defense against torpedo boats. Two submerged 18 in torpedo tubes were mounted with one each side midships
Her armoured deck was 2 in with 3 in sloped sides amidships over the magazines and machinery spaces, and tapered to 1 in with 2 in slopes fore and aft. Above this was a 1 in upper deck, and between the decks were subdivided compartments containing the ship's coal fuel and food stores.She served in the Mediterranean during the First World War, patrolling the Strait of Otranto, repressing insurrections in Crete, and bombarding Turkey. She took part in the blockade of Greece after the Noemvriana events.In 1920, she occupied the station of Syria, before being replaced by Cassard.
Jurien de la Gravière was decommissioned on July 27th 1921 and was eventually sold for scrap in 1922.
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Brian James
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Re: Protected Cruisers

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Friant Class Protected Cruiser FS Chasseloup Laubat pictured at New York in 1906 and under refit in drydock at Bizerte,Tunisia c1908.
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Brian James
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Re: Protected Cruisers

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Third Class Protected Cruiser Forbin pictured at Constantinople c1890.
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Brian James
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Re: Protected Cruisers

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Protected Cruiser Amiral Cécille,pictured with Lead Ship,Protected Cruiser Troude at Fort de France, Martinique c 1900..an unidentified Sloop in drydock in the foreground.
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Brian James
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Re: Protected Cruisers

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Lead Ship, Protected Cruiser Forbin pictured fitting out at Arsenal de Rochefort on January 14th 1888..The Class was built as part of a construction program intended to provide scouts for the main battle fleet. They were based on the earlier Unprotected Cruiser Milan, with the addition of an armour deck to improve their usefulness in battle. They had a high top speed for the time, at around 20 knots, and carried a main battery of four 5.4 inch guns.
Forbin spent the 1890s in the Reserve Squadron, based in the Mediterranean Sea; during this period, she was kept in partial commission to participate in annual training exercises. She was in reserve by 1901, when she had an ammunition fire related to unstable Poudre B propellant charges. Forbin was reactivated in 1906 for service with the Northern Squadron. By 1911, she had been moved to the Moroccan Naval Division. She was converted into a Collier in 1913 and was used in that capacity until she was struck from the naval register in 1919. She was sold for scrap in 1921.
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Brian James
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Re: Protected Cruisers

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Friant Class Protected Cruiser Bugeaud pictured in 1904.
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Brian James
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Re: Protected Cruisers

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Lead Ship, Protected Cruiser D'Estrées pictured on sea trials off Arsenal de Rochefort in 1899.
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Brian James
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Re: Protected Cruisers

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Launch day for Lead Ship, Protected Cruiser D'Estrées at Arsenal de Rochefort on October 27th 1897.
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Brian James
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Re: Protected Cruisers

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Protected Cruiser Sfax pictured at Villefranche-su-Mer in 1895..She was the first vessel of the type to be built for the French Navy, which was a development from earlier unprotected cruisers like Milan. Unlike the earlier vessels, Sfax carried an armoured deck that covered her propulsion machinery and ammunition magazines. Intended to be used as a Commerce Raider in the event of war with Great Britain, Sfax was rigged as a Barque to supplement her engines on long voyages abroad. She was armed with a main battery of six 6.5 inch guns and a variety of lighter weapons.
Sfax had a relatively uneventful career. She spent most of her career alternating between the Mediterranean, Northern, and Reserve Squadrons. During this period, she was primarily occupied with conducting training exercises; while in the Reserve Squadron, she was kept in commission for only part of the year. She briefly served on the North American station in 1899, but by 1901, had been reduced to reserve. She was struck from the naval register in 1906 and subsequently broken up.
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Brian James
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Re: Protected Cruisers

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Lead Ship, Protected Cruiser Forbin pictured as she departs Arsenal de Rochefort for sea trials in 1888.
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