Pre-Dreadnought Battleships: FS Suffren

[Brian James]

Pre-Dreadnought Battleship FS Suffren pictured in 1904.
Suffren was originally intended to be a modified version of the Iéna with more firepower and better armour. Before World War I Suffren had an eventful career as she twice collided with French ships and twice had propeller shafts break. She was quickly sent to the Dardanelles after the beginning of the war to reinforce British forces already there.Suffren joined the British ships in multiple bombardments of the Ottoman fortifications at the mouth of the Dardanelles. She was moderately damaged during the major action of March 18th 1915 and had to be sent to Toulon for repairs. Upon her completion she returned to provide gunfire support for the Allied forces during the Gallipoli Campaign.She provided covering fire as the Allies withdrew from the peninsula and accidentally sank one of the evacuation ships. After repairs she was assigned to the French squadron assigned to prevent any interference by the Greeks with Allied operations on the Salonica front. While en route to Lorient for a refit Suffren was torpedoed off Lisbon by U Boat SM U-52 on November 26th 1916.The torpedo detonated a magazine and Suffren sank within seconds, taking her entire crew of 648 with her. U-52 searched the scene but found no survivors.

[Brian James]

I cleaned up this old French postcard depicting Central Battery,Barbette Ship,Ironclad Battleship FS Redoutable with Armoured Coast Guard Ship FS Tonnerre pictured at Arsenal de Brest c1899.

[designeraccd]

A couple more of these "fierce face" French beauties!! The pair were considered monitors with the single turret forward

Some specs......


Displacement normal, t

Tonnerre: 5765

Fulminant: 5871


Displacement full, t


Length, m

73.6 pp 76.0 oa


Breadth, m

17.6


Draught, m

6.50 - 7.19 max


No of shafts

1


Machinery

1 HC, 8 cylindrical boilers


Power, h. p.

4200 - 4500


Max speed, kts

13.7


Fuel, t

coal 390


Endurance, nm(kts)

1400(10)


Armour, mm

wrought iron; belt: 330 - 250, breastwork: 330, turret: 330 - 300, deck: 50


Armament

1 x 2 - 274/20 M1875 No.2


Complement

220

DFO

[Brian James]

Pre-Dreadnought Battleship FS Suffren pictured c1908.