Protected Cruisers: Troude Class

[Brian James]

Lead Ship, Protected Cruiser Troude pictured c1891..She was built at Forges Chantiers de la Gironde Shipyards, Lormont near Bordeaux and completed in 1891..She was built as part of a construction program intended to provide scouts for the main battle fleet. They were based on the preceding Forbin Class, the primary improvement being the addition of armour to the conning tower. She was armed with a main battery of four 5.4 inch guns, protected with an armour deck that was 1.6 inches thick, and had a top speed of 20.5 knots...Troude spent most of the 1890s in the Mediterranean Squadron, and in 1897, she was transferred to the Levant Division. There, she briefly served as the divisional flagship and later took part in the international intervention in the Cretan Revolt in 1897–1898. By 1901, Troude was in reserve, but she was reactivated in 1903 for a tour with the Atlantic Squadron. She patrolled fisheries off the coast of North America in 1904 before returning to the Atlantic Squadron in 1905. She was struck from the naval register in 1907 or 1908 and thereafter broken up for scrap.

[Brian James]

Lead Ship, Protected Cruiser Troude pictured off Forges et Chantiers de la Gironde Shipyards at Lormont during sea trials in December 1890.

[Brian James]

Lead Ship, Protected Cruiser Troude pictured at Villefranche-sur-Mer in April 1891.

[Brian James]

Troude Class Protected Cruiser Cosmao pictured on sea trials c 1890.