Armoured Cruisers: Amiral Charner Class

[Brian James]

Lead Ship, Armoured Cruiser Amiral Charner pictured departing Arsenal de Rochefort in 1895... She spent most of her career in the Mediterranean, although she was sent to China during the Boxer Rebellion of 1900–01. She was assigned to the International Squadron off the island of Crete during 1897-1898 revolt there and the Greco-Turkish War of 1897 to protect French interests and citizens. Amiral Charner spent most of the first decade of the 20th century as a Training Ship or in reserve. She was recommissioned when World War I began in 1914 and escorted convoys for several months before she was assigned to the Eastern Mediterranean to blockade the Ottoman-controlled coast. During this time, she helped to rescue several thousand Armenians from Syria during the Armenian genocide of 1915. Amiral Charner was sunk by Type U-19 Class U-Boat SM U-21, on the morning of February 8th 1916. She sank in only two minutes with the loss of nearly the entire crew. Some 427 men were lost, with only a single survivor rescued five days later.

[Brian James]

Amiral Charner Class Armoured Cruiser Chanzy pictured during a cold move whilst fitting out at Chantiers et Ateliers de la Gironde Shipyards, Lormont, Bordeaux in 1895... She was launched on January 24th 1894 and initially was commissioned for her sea trials on February 6th. These began two days later and revealed so many problems with her engines and boilers that Chanzy was decommissioned for repairs on December 6th. Recommissioned on May 1st 1895 to test the repairs, she entered service on July 20th....Chanzy was recommissioned on September 15th 1906 for service with the Far Eastern Squadron and departed on November 15th. She arrived at Saigon, French Indochina, on January 10th 1907 and visited Hong Kong and ports in China, and Japan in April and May. While departing from Shanghai on May 20th in thick fog, she ran aground on rocks off Ballard Island in the Chusan Islands. Her sister ship Bruix and Protected Cruisers D'Entrecasteaux and Alger attempted to pull her off, but could not do so in the heavy seas. Her crew remained aboard attempting to get her off until they were evacuated without loss on June 1st when she began to founder and her wreck was demolished by the other Cruisers on June 12th 1907.

[Brian James]

Lead Ship, Armoured Cruiser Amiral Charner pictured fitting out at Arsenal de Rochefort in 1893.