Terrible class Ironclad (1881)

France. Barbette Ironclads: Terrible, Indomptable, Caiman, Requin. Built 1877-1888, service until 1918.

The Terrible class were four French ironclad barbette ships of the late 1870s and early 1880s. These ships, with Indomptable, Caïman (small alligator), and Requin (shark), were initially designed to answer the Sachsen class in Germany and later the Italia class and their massive guns. They had the largest guns ever fitted on a French Battleship, but had a limited career due to their poor sea keeping, inherited for their planned Baltic use. After the 1890s, they spent most of their years in reserve, apart for fleet manoeuvres; and they were modernized in the late 1890s. Terrible ended as a target ship in 1909, Requin remaining in service in World War I, stationed later as a guard ship in the Suez Canal. She repelled an Ottoman attack in February 1915 and was scrapped in 1920. Her two remaining sisters were sold for BU in 1927–1928.

Development

The Marine Nationale reassessed its naval forces with a fleet plan in 1872, right after the Franco-Prussian War. It was considerably decreased compared to the previous Imperial Navy, notably due to crushing financial reparations and wholesale budget restrictions. The plan was revised but with the knowledge about the German Sachsen class ironclad and barbette ships, which started construction in 1874.
The German ships followed a long line of ironclads, and were the firts modern steam-only barbette ships of the Kaiserliches Marine. Called “Ausfallkorvetten” they were intended to break a potential new French blockade, in coordination with naval fortifications.

Launch of SMS Bayern in 1878

The French knew these ships had two Krupp 26 cm (10.2 in) L/22 guns. So the initial plan was to design ships with 300cm guns to out-range them. The Terrible class was designed as scaled down versions of the Amiral Baudin class, with one less main gun, but the caliber was revised and upscaled to also preform shore bombardment and reduce German naval fortifications in shallow waters. They were tailored for the Baltic Sea, with a low draft and freeboard. This choice was about to hamper their seakeeping and reduce their deployments flexibility. The final armament was established as a record 420 mm (16.5 in) guns in individual barbettes fore and aft, the largest guns ever put on a French capital ship.

They were also the prototypes of a new series of coastal or shallow water small barbette ships, alongside regular, high-freeboard barbette ships. Essentially they were “seaworthy monitors” that France also ised in the late 1860s. Influences were multiples. Outside Germany and the Sachsen class, in 1877, the Italian fleet under Benedetto Brin revealed the Duilio and Italia classes and focus immediately turned back to the Mediterranean. The initial 300 mm guns planned were scrapped and under the direction of Admiral Louis Pierre Alexis Pothuau, a new program started with a ship now capable of Mediterranean Operations, starting with the high-freeboard Amiral Duperré and Amiral Baudin-class. The other driving force behind the Terrible class was the planned replacement for many classic Ironclads from the 1960-70s now in poor condition and in need of replacement. This was also easier to justify at the Assemblée nationale to obtain funds. But the Italian’s drive to massive guns had to effect the program saw the calibre increased dramatically. The Italians indeed with the Italia class had now two pairs of 450 mm (17.7 in), that were unmatched at the time.

Developments abroad had indeed much influence on the Terrible class design work. Attention shifted again on the Sachsen class that could outperform the French Tonnerre and Tempête classes. If Amiral Duperré and the Baudins could defeat the Sachsens, but they were considered significantly larger and too deep a draft for Baltic Sea operations, so the initial design work was performed on a shallow draught vessel, wide and slow but well protected, but with a conventional armament, from a proposal from naval architect Victorin Sabattier, Director of Matériel under the French Naval Minister Albert Gicquel des Touches.

This first draft was sent for review to the Conseil des travaux (Board of Construction) on 26 June 1877. Sabattier planned for a single, 45 cm 100 t (98-long-ton; 110-short-ton) gun or two conventional 50 t (49-long-ton; 55-short-ton) guns in a barbette forward. He also planned a massive, 600 mm (23.6 in) armour plate for the belt armour, in part to be impervious to the largest German coastal guns, and to answer the Italian ironclads. Gicquel des Touches presented the project as an improvement over the Tonnerre class. The Conseil however could not agree and deferred the decision until the meeting on 7 August, in which the consensus was for a very strong armour protection (thickest of any vessel afloat) but instead of a single gun forward, fearing an attack from astern, they preferred an intermediary calibre, but fore and aft.

By October 1977, the Navy’s Artillery Directorate came to the rescue and presented a new 75 t (74-long-ton; 83-short-ton) 420 mm (16.5 in) naval gun. Sabattier adopted this model as no 100-ton gun was available then. So the design was revised to two barbettes, one forward, one aft to engage targets ahead or astern. Gicquel des Touches approved these plans on 31 October. Construction of the first two was greenlighted, which named attributed were Terrible and Indomptable. Sabattier then submitted an alternate design with different hull lines at the stern. Now Pothuau became naval minister, and approved this alternative design on 5 July 1878. This became the sub-class Caïman, followed by Requin authorized in September 1878.

However these design recalculations led to significant design faults, notably in gun arrangement as they were placed on the centerline and arranged for broadside-first combat, whereas compromises led to design a very thick, but short belt. With the ships completed they appeared considerably overweight, of 500 t (490 long tons; 550 short tons) on average, which lowered their waterline and hampered stability. But crucially, this left their belt almost completely submerged in service and the ships were left very vulnerable, notably for any forward engagement or other angles in a prolonged fight between two lines of battle. A lucky hit just had to be done when the ship was rolling inwards of the incoming shell, for it to penetrate the weak upper armour and caused havock.

Design of the class

Hull and general design

The Terrible class (except for Caïman) measured 82.8 m (271 ft 8 in) between perpendiculars or 84.8 m (278 ft 3 in) at the waterline, 88.25 m (289 ft 6 in) in overall length. They had a beam of 17.52 m (57 ft) at the waterline, for an average draft of 7.74 m (25 ft 5 in), which was already close to limits in the Baltic, but more reasonable for the Mediterranean. They displaced 7,767.2 t (7,644.5 long tons; 8,561.9 short tons) instead of 9-10,000 tonnes for a standard sea-going barbette ironclad.

The case of Caïman:
She was redesigned by Sabattier, integrating a slightly different hull shape, at her stern.
Dimensions were as follows: 82,8 m between perpendiculars, 84.7 m (277 ft 11 in) waterline, 87.7 m (287 ft 9 in) overall.
The beam was slightly superior at 17.54 m (57 ft 7 in), her draft decreased to 7.36 m (24 ft 2 in). Displacement decreased as well to 7,638.8 t (7,518.2 long tons; 8,420.3 short tons).

Their hulls were divided into 11 or 12 watertight compartments, using by transverse bulkheads. The combination of a fairly low freeboard and pronounced ram bow made them very wet in heavy or even moderate seas. The superstructure was as usual fairly minimal with a small conning tower, a bridge atop and wings. They received two tripod masts to support relatively large and protected spotting tops, directing each a main battery gun. Terrible and Requin received four searchlights, the others six for night action. The crew amounted to 373 officers and enlisted men, which was less than for a large ironclad.

Powerplant

The Terrible class propulsion was nothing new, with two compound steam engines, for each a single screw propeller. Steam came from twelve coal-burning fire-tube boilers, located in the first three ships. Requin had ten boilers, ducted into four small funnels, in two pairs side by side, astern of the conning tower. Indomptable and Caïman had funnel pairs fully encased, however, seemingly making two large funnels side by side. The total output was calculated at 6,000 indicated horsepower (4,500 kW) and top speed 14.5-15 knots (26.9 to 27.8 km/h; 16.7 to 17.3 mph).

For coal storage, they carried 394 t (388 long tons; 434 short tons), giving them a very limited range of 1,678 nautical miles (3,108 km; 1,931 mi) at 11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph) cruising speed. This was just good enough to reach the Baltic ports to blockade, provided they had a logistical fleet or could recoal in Denmark. In the Mediterranean, it was enough to reach the Italian coast down to Calabria from Toulon. Steering made use of a single rudder but in general these ships developed a poor reputation, with very poor sea keeping. They were unstable gun platforms, and since these heavy guns needed much time to reload, it was a common practice to wait for the ship to reach its optimal roll angle for firing. Plus, the simultaneous volley of both guns only aggravated the roll.

Protection

Terrible along was built in mild steel armour, while her sister had a newly developed compound armour.
Belt: Entire hull length, 500 mm (19.7 in) thick (central), 400 mm (16 in) bottom edge. 2.2 m (7 ft 3 in) high on paper (much lower FL)
Belt, bow section: 300 mm (11.8 in) waterline Bottom edge: 250 mm (9.8 in)
Belt, stern section: 300 mm waterline, 200 mm (8 in) bottom edge*
Barbettes, main battery: 450 mm (17.7 in) thick. Supporting tubes 200 mm (8 in)
The armoured tubes extended down to meet the armour deck, connected to the top of the belt.
Gun hoods: 17 mm (0.67 in) immune to most shell fragments.
Deck: 80 mm (3.1 in) iron or mild steel +16 mm (0.63 in) hull plating.
Sloped deck section: 80 mm (3.1 in) iron or mild steel +16 mm (0.63 in) hull plating.**
Conning towers fore and aft: were also 25 mm (1 in)
100 mm gun shields: 25 mm (1 in)
*Caïman’s had different stern lines so, lower strake 200 mm armour.
**Indomptable had its slopes reduced to 60 mm (2.4 in).

Armament

The Terrible’s main armament comprised two Canon de 42 cm modèle 1875 (16.5 in) guns forward and aft on centreline barbettes. They were supported by four 100 mm (3.9 in) M1881 26,2 calibre guns in individual pivot mounts with gun shields. Light guns for close defence rounded this up. Indomptable and Caïman had two 47 mm (1.9 in) M1885 QF guns and sixteen 37 mm (1.5 in) Hotchkiss revolver cannon but Terrible and Requin differed by two 65 mm (2.6 in) guns, two M1885 gun, and a single 47 mm Hotchkiss revolver cannon plus ten 37 mm revolvers. This was completed on all ships by the same four 356 mm (14 in) torpedo tubes mounted in the hull above the waterline, two per broadside.

Canon de 42 cm modèle 1875

These were 22-caliber guns. However after Terrible’s gunnery tests, this calibre had to be shortened to 19.35 calibres after revealing cracks at the muzzle. Rate of fire as estimated in 1891 was eight minutes per gun, making these almost useless in a conventional naval engagement.
Despite this, they were saluted at the time as the largest guns ever carried by a French capital ship, and yet fired at the same rate but at lower ranges compared to the Italian massive 100t Armtrong 17-inch (432 mm) breech-loading guns of the Italians. The Italian guns fire a heavier 2,000-pound (910 kg) shell at 1,811 feet per second (552 m/s) with 37.6 in (960 mm) penetration a wrought iron plate, much more than the 500 mm French belt.
These 76,785 kgs main guns were delivered by Schneider-Creusot et Fonderie de Ruelle. The barrel alone measured 8,895 mm (22 calibre) with a muzzle velocity of 530 m per second and a max range of 9,100 meters (9950 yds) at+ 10°. The barbettes authorized a traverse of 270°.

The development of a 420 mm calibre started under the Second Empire with the cast iron artillery model 1864-1869 and casting of two prototypes on March 16 and 30, 1867, at the Ruelle foundry, reinforced with steel hoops and weighing 38 tons. It was mounted on a carriage and chassis for traverse, fired a 250 kgs ball filled with 50 kg of powder, tested in naval fortifications of ports and harbours, exhibited at the 1867 World’s Fair.
Next were developed the Model 1870 and 1870-1875 with two 420 mm gun projects studied under the names Model 1870 and then Model 1870-1875, culminating in the Model 1875, following a race in Europe between 1870 and 1880 notably for new barbette ships.
The 42 cm Model 1875 Gun was created based on the Model 1875-1879 entirely made of steel, which design started in 1878.
The barrel was cast by Schneider-Creusot and finished by the Ruelle foundry with an A steel tube drilled and clamped on its lower part, where the breech and powder chamber were located, by three rows of steel hoops. The working pressure was 2,800 kg per cm².

There was a breech nut hollowed out at the base of the barrel with the insides reamed and grooved for the right rifling pitch, 84 grooves.
The breech is opened in three stages with a 60° axial rotation followed by a straight backward translation and rotation, to expose the bore and load shell and powder bags. The breech is closed in reverse order before firing again, a process performed in eight minutes, whatever the crew training. The drive was using two hydraulic presses, one for opening and one for closing using the Farcot system. She shells were brought from ammunition bunkers by rail-mounted trolley and elevator, lifted with two cartridges by a hydraulic crane onto a platform and carriage.

The French 420mm M1875 was tested capable of defeating 825 mm of iron or 550 mm of steel at close range at Le Havre in 1891, but also 960 mm at point-blank range and 780 mm at 2,000 m.
Only eight were manufactured, for the four Terrible class. There were no spare barrels. Traverse was 270° total or 135° on each side, with an elevation, ranging from -7° to +10°. Exact calibre was 19.75 calibres after the firing accident at Ruelle for Terrible and 22 calibre for the remaining six.

Each ship carried 110 steel shells and 10 cast iron shells and when their mount were modified in 1896-1897, it improved aiming and night firing. After the refit of 1900-1902 these dinosaurs were replaced by the fast firing 274 mm model 1893-96 in new closed turrets.
In 1916, this gun model was studied for conversion into a land howitzer for 520 mm HE shells, but it went nowhere. The project was driven so far as the German artillery intelligence services believing the “Canon de 420 M” 1875″ was in service with the French army. The shells were powered by the infamous “powder B” that decayed faster than anticipated in hot climates, causing the total destruction of the battleship Iéna among others.

100 mm (3.9 in)/26 M1881

No data. Closest was the Canon de 100 mm Modèle 1891 which replaced it on refits. It was a 1,700 kg (3,700 lb) shielded naval gun with canet breech and hydraulic recoil, firing 100 x 869 mm R HE shells at 10 rpm and 710–740 m/s (2,300–2,400 ft/s) at a range of 9.5 km (5.9 mi). They were located on the ship’s upper decks on the broadside.

47mm/20 Hotchkiss M1885 QF

Fixed QF 47 × 376 mm R 3 kg (6.6 lb) full/1.5 kg (3.3 lb) shell
47 mm (1.9 in). The gun used a Vertical sliding-wedge breech for 30 rpm
Muzzle velocity 571 m/s (1,870 ft/s), range 5.9 km (3.7 mi) at +20°.

37mm/20 Hotchkiss M1885 QF

5-barrelled Gatling style revolver cannons. These four guns were tailored to be pintle-mounted and transferred on wheeled undercarriages both for landing parties and to be relocated over the deck. They had gravity-fed 8-rounds magazines, each with 18 pounds (8 kg) shells. 68 rounds per minute and accuracy range of 2,000 yards (1,800 m).

65mm/40 M1885 QF

Also known as the QF 6-pounder Hotchkiss in UK and on export, licenced by Elswick. Likely replaced by the Canon de 65 mm Modèle 1891 in refits.

356 mm Torpedo Tubes

Four (One pair for each broadside) of 356 mm or 14 inches torpedoes. They were the torpille 356 Mle 1887 sporting a 42 kg warhead, capable of crossing 400 m at 27 knots. Also used by the cruiser Sfax and Amiral Duperré.

Modifications

Line-drawing of the Terrible class after refit
In the 1880s and early 1890s, the refits saw the adoption of M1885 and later M1887 torpedoes.
In 1892, their 100 mm guns were replaced by M1891 QF pattern guns.
In 1896, Caïman’s light battery was a single 65 mm gun, six 47 mm QF guns, six 37 mm QF guns (upper fighting tops) plus sixteen 37 mm revolver cannon.
In 1897-1903 extensive modernizations were performed in two stages.
Primary changes: New main battery guns, new boilers. Terrible: Two 340 mm/35 (13.4 in) Modèle 1893e installed, plus 504 mm (19.8 in) frontal gun shields.
The other three had two 274 mm/40 (10.8 in) M1893/1896 mounted in fully enclosed and balanced turrets protected by 274.4 mm (10.80 in) of Harvey armour on fixed bases 210 mm (8.3 in) thick. Indomptable, Caïman, and Requin had now six 100 mm QF guns, ten 47 mm guns but either three 37 mm QF guns and a single 37 mm (1.5 in) Maxim (Terrible) or four 37 mm QF guns (Indomptable and Caïman). Terrible and Requin had all TTs removed, two for their above sisters.
The new boilers received were of a similar type except for Requin which had modern Niclausse water-tube boilers and instead of compound engines, modern triple-expansion steam engines.
Caïman reached 4,887 ihp (3,644 kW) for 13.38 knots on trials, Terrible 4,238 ihp (3,160 kW) for 13.5 knots, Requin 6,130 ihp (4,570 kW) but speed is unknown.
Attempts to lighten the ships and improve stability saw the installation of lighter pole masts, removal of the fighting and spotting tops and in case of Indomptable and Caïman removal of the mainmast but also funnel casing lowered. For Indomptable her aft-most bottom belt strake was replaced with wood to lighten it. They also received new conning towers protected by 60 mm (2.4 in) over 20 mm (0.79 in) plating. Requin however had a forward conning tower that was 136 mm (5.4 in) thick.
Their crew grew to 332 officers and men.
Requin in World War I saw her armament reduced and in 1919, she still had two 274 mm guns, six 100 mm guns, but only four 47 mm guns.

Conway’s profile

⚙ specs. as built
Displacement	7,767.2 t (7,644.5 long tons; 8,561.9 short tons)
Dimensions	88.25 x 17.78 x 7.74 m (289 ft 6 in x 58 ft 4 in x 25 ft 5 in)
Propulsion	2 shafts compound steam engines, 12 × fire-tube boilers 6,000 ihp (4,500 kW)
Speed	14.5 to 15 kn (26.9 to 27.8 km/h; 16.7 to 17.3 mph)
Range	1,678 nmi (3,108 km; 1,931 mi) at 11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph)
Armament	2× 420 mm, 4 × 100 mm, 2× 47 mm, 16× 37 mm, 4 × 356 mm TTs
Protection	Belt 300-500 mm, Deck 80 mm, Barbettes 450 mm, CT 25 mm
Crew	373

Career of the Terrible class

Terrible was laid down second (Indomptable was first on 5 December) at Arsenal de Brest on 10 December 1877, launched first on 29 March 1881 and commissioned on 15 July 1886. As soon as trials commenced, her insufficient freeboard was obvious in even moderate seas, with a seaworthiness so poor the captain soon learned to moderate all manoeuvres to avoid excessive rolling and pitch. Not only Terrible, but also Indomptable had repeated problems by the late 1880s in Mediterranean fleet operations as well as Requin, flooding underway in the English Channel with her forecastle ploughing so deep the class was compared to submarines. Poor seakeeping meant a limited range of evolutions, and they were almost impossible to integrate in a battle fleet for regular drills. They were seen as only valuable in the context of sheltered coastal waters. They saw active service in the Mediterranean or Northern Squadron in the Channel only. Even a crossing to the intended Baltic sea was perilous to the best of times.

From 1891 to 1897, Terrible, Indomptable, and Caïman were in the Reserve Squadron (Mediterranean Fleet) and only reactivated for annual fleet manoeuvre with reservists, the rest of times with reduced crews. Requin remained with the Northern Squadron and visited Russia and Great Britain in 1891 and of all four, was the only one really upgraded and modernized completely. This never changed her initial seaworthiness issues, however. But this explained why she was reactivated by 1900 and used as guard ship in Toulon in 1902. Terrible was laid up and in 1903, but Indomptable, Caïman took part in the 1906 fleet manoeuvres. Terrible was stricken in 1909, sunk as a target, Indomptable and Caïman in 1910 and 1911, then hulked.
Requin was mobilized in World War I and soon sent in the Suez Canal to defend it against the Ottoman Empire. Most of the time she acted as deterrent but at some point, she helped to repulse an attack in February 1915, even duelling with Ottoman heavy field artillery. Next she supported entente offensives in Palestine. Post 1918 saw her as a training ship until 1919, stricken in 1920 and sold for scrap in 1921. Indomptable and Caïman’s hulks were BU in 1927 and 1928.

Terrible (1881)

Terrible was laid down at Arsenal de Brest, Brest on 10 December 1877, launched on 29 March 1881 and commissioned on 15 July 1886 with a launch date accelerated to free the slipway for the new ironclad Neptune. The machinery was installed from 17 September 1882 onwards, until 16 February 1884. She was commissioned second after Indomptable (November 1885) on 15 July 1886 and started her sea trials, plus official acceptance trials in February-May 1887. On 22 June she was sent to the 2nd category reserve and remained there for a year and a half, recommissioned on 23 January 1888. She was sent to Toulon but replaced in reserve from 13 April, until 23 August for the annual fleet manoeuvres, delayed by shortages of propellant charges. She was at Hyères by 30 August and at sea until 4 September, back to port on the 10th.

Terrible was then reduced to the Reserve Squadron in Toulon with 50% or 1/3 crew of care takers until mobilized for the annual training manoeuvres with reservists to complete the crew. In the fleet manoeuvres of 1891 from 23 June, Terrible, Caïman and Indomptable needed days to be ready and join the fleet on 6 July, for five days, and back to Reserve Squadron. This repeated in 1893. In 1894, Terrible entered the 1st Division, Reserve Squadron, with Caïman and Richelieu. But took in the fleet manoeuvres from 1 to 10 July and 17 to 28 July for fleet drills. Same in 1895, with Indomptable and Amiral Duperré. In 1896, under Amiral Duperré as flagship, Caïman, Terrible, and Trident, same story. In 1896 she was alons with Caïman and Amiral Duperré, plus the old Friedland and Dévastation. Terrible was in the 2nd category reserve from 10 September 1897 and decommissioned for modernization in two stages between 1898 and 1900. From 15 January 1899 she was assigned to the Coastal Defense Division, recommissioned on 23 January, with Caïman and the ironclads Amiral-Tréhouart, Bouvines, Jemmapes, and Valmy. She was decommissioned for the second phase on 10 November, until mid-1900, followed by gunnery trials on 10 July. The reserve division was composed of sea-going ironclads (Marceau, Neptune, Courbet) and a division of coastal ironclads (Terrible (flag), Furieux, Tonnant, Vengeur). She took part of the annual fleet manoeuvres and, on 1 August, placed in the 2nd category of reserve.
Terrible was alone in the Reserve Squadron by 1901 (sisters in reconstruction) with the ironclad Magenta and in 1902 she was laid up, out of service. In 1903, her place in the reserve squadron had been taken by pre-dreadnought battleships, and she was only activated for limited machinery tests on 4-5 June 1903 and 1-2 December 1904. In the special reserve from 1906, she was struck on 8 April 1908. It was envisioned to sell her, but instead she converted into a target ship until 6 July 1909. On the firing practice on 28 August, some 300 rounds landed on her for fatal damage as she capsized and sank two days later. Her two 340 mm guns in storage ended as railway guns in 1916 for the French Army, entering service by November 1917.

Indomptable (1883)

Indomptable was laid down at Arsenal de Lorient, Lorient on 5 December 1877, launched on 18 September 1883 and commissioned on 10 November 1885. After fitting-out work in which she had her propulsion installed from 3 June 1884 to 20 February 1885, she started sea trials on 10 November 1885, and further with full complement in 15 June 1886. She was sent to Brest on 22 June for official trials from July to September and departed on 23 October for Toulon, arriving on the 31st and taking part in the next year’s training exercises but was damaged by a gale and had to take shelter in Hyères. Next she entered the 1st category reserve on 20 January 1887, then 2nd category in 1888.
In May 1887, she was in convoy escort exercises between France and North Africa. She trained with Amiral Duperré, Courbet and Colbert, and had an exercise with four simulated troopships between Toulon and Algiers. However, the commander of the troopship convoy decided to use bad weather for the crossing to prevent enemy torpedo boats intercepting these, but Indomptable was badly swamped, so much her captain signalled his barbettes were flooded and needed to be detached, taking refuge in Hyères and later joining the fleet at Algiers.
In 1889, Indomptable was forced to leave the year’s fleet, drills unable to keep pace while cruising from Toulon to Algiers. This happened in a light westerly wind in chich even smaller torpedo boats could keep station. This caused the stir in the Navy. She ended in the Reserve Division in Toulon for five years, maintained inactive with a care taker crew and fullu reactivated for the summer’s exercises. In June, 23, 1891 exercises, Indomptable, Caïman and Terrible joined five ironclads and joined the fleet on 6 July for five days.
Indomptable was in the same state in 1893 with Terrible and Caïman, Colbert, Friedland, Richelieu, Redoutable, and Trident. In 1894 she entered the 2nd Division Reserve with Colbert but saw the fleet manoeuvres in two phases in July. Same for the following year. In 1896, she was no longer in the Reserve Squadron but entered an extensive modernization at Toulon, with sea trials from 2 to 3 July.
In 1898, she was the only one in her class in service and underwent her second phase of modernization, completed in 1901. In 1902 in Toulon she became guard ship. In 1903 she was back in the Reserve Squadron for annual manoeuvres in 1906 with Requin, Caïman, Hoche, and Charles Martel. Later she was moved to the Cherbourg reserve, until struck from the register on 3 August 1910 and entering Arsenal de Rochefort to be converted as mooring hulk for many years, until BU in 1927.

Caïman (1885)

Caïman was laid down at Arsenal de Toulon, Toulon on 16 August 1878, launched on 21 May 1885 and commissioned on 1 August 1887. Her propulsion machinery was installed from 20 September 1885 to 25 April 1887 and she was commissioned on 1 August 1887 for sea trials until 1888. Tests started off Hyères from March to June 1888, but she took part as she was in the annual fleet manoeuvres, activated on 23 August 1888 and started on 30 August, until 4 September, back at Toulon on the 10th and resuming sea trials until mid-October. On 16 October she entered the 2nd category of reserve and fully commissioned on 21 December, replacing Indomptable in the Training Squadron from 25 January 1889, then returned to the 2nd category reserve in 1890.
Like her sister she remained in reserve with reduced crews, and fully commissioned for the annual fleet manoeuvres each year in the summer, completing the crews with reservists. But in 1891 this was almost a week of preparation for five days exercises. Same in 1893 with Terrible and Indomptable, plus 4 ironclads. In 1894, she was in the 1st Division, Reserve Squadron with Terrible and Richelieu and in exercises on 1-10 July and 17-28 July, joined afterwards by Indomptable and Amiral Duperré. In 1897 her unit composition change and in 1898 she was modernized (new boilers May-October, sea trials). She was assigned to the Coastal Defence Division 1898-1899, then reduced to the 2nd category reserve for another modernization until 1903. In 1906, she returned to the Reserve Squadron for the annual manoeuvres but was laid up at Cherbourg and in reserve until struck on 20 February 1911. Condemned on 22 March, she was converted into a utility mooring hulk, until 1927 sold and BU at Rochefort.

Requin (1885)

Requin was laid down at Forges et Chantiers de la Gironde, Lormont, near Bordeaux, on 15 November 1878. She was launched on 13 June 1885 and commissioned 1 December 1888. She had her propulsion machinery installed from 15 December to 25 November 1886 but was in limited commission at the Arsenal de Rochefort by December, still incomplete, and entered the Brest on the 23rd to be decommissioned on 7 January 1887,er guns and armour plating installed, and recommissioned for sea trials on 1 December 1888, official acceptance trials in March-May 1889, “complete” in June, and assigned on 9 July to the 2nd category reserve. Her first service started on 1 March 1890 with the Northern Squadron. In the next fleet manoeuvres she was in the 2nd Division, 1st Squadron with Marengo (flag) and Furieux, the former for Vice Admiral Charles Duperré off Oran (Algeria) on 22 June. They sailed to Brest for the 2 July combined operations of the Northern Squadron until 25 July. She was back to Toulon but returned to the Northern Squadron for five years, moslty sailing in the summer in the channel.
In 1891, with Marengo, Marceau, and Furieux under Admiral Alfred Gervais she was sent in visit to Kronstadt from 19 June, to mark the signing of the Franco-Russian Alliance on 27 August. On the way she topped in Bergen and Larvik, Copenhagen, Stockholm. She was in Kronstadt on 23 July and on the way back on 4 August, with stops in Finland and Norway, then Portsmouth, reviewed by Queen Victoria. She arrived at Cherbourg on 27 August. However, her poor sea keeping was revealed when she sailed from Saint-Malo to Brest in 1892. Her interiors were flooded by 15-20 long tons of seawater through her forward barbette. Her battery had been completely washed out. Despite this she became flagship of the Northern Squadron with Furieux and three ironclads in reserve.In 1893 she took part in the fleet manoeuvres in the Channel (Squadron B, with Suffren and Fulminant). In 1894, she was commissioned for four months of this year with, Suffren, Furieux, and Victorieuse.

Requin was relieved by Valmy on 39 July 1895, reduced to the 2nd category reserve at Cherbourg from 8 August for a major reconstruction. Decommissioned on 22 October 1897 she was recommissioned on 19 October 1901 (5 years !) for trials. She alternated decommissions and recommissions until 22 April 1902 and headed for Toulon on 18 May but returned to the Northern Squadron, Cherbourg with the gunboat Styx, now reduced as a harbour guard ship, in reserve for years. In 1906, she was reassigned to the Mediterranean Fleet for the annual manoeuvres with her sisters Indomptable and Caïman. On 2 October 1909 she became a training ship, replaced the cruiser Descartes at the naval gunnery school alongside the old transport Gironde, for four years, until replaced by the pre-dreadnought Charlemagne in 1913. She was next in “special reserve” at Bizerte from 15 October and by January 1914, became a coastal defence ship. The crews made possible her return to active service.
On 8 October 1914 she was mobilized at Bizerte to guard the Suez Canal, a work of her poor sea keeping and modifications as guard ship were fitting. She was stationed in Ismailia from December. Her role was to guard the canal from Ottoman attacks. By January 1915 French and British cruisers patrolled the southern Anatolian coast from Mersin and Smyrna. Requin accompanied them, moved in support. Eventually she joined the patrol but was relieved in mid-January and resume her duty in the canal. With a berth dredged in Lake Timsah (Nile Delta) for her to access, she could support ground forces defending the northern end.

Late January 1915 saw her signalling a massive Ottoman force approaching, prompting the cruiser D’Entrecasteaux joining her on Lake Timsah. The Otttomans attacked by early February. On the 3rd, Requin managed to repel the assault and soon the Ottoman brought their heaviest field artillery pieces in the region. This was hopeless as her massive forward 274 mm blasted these batteries before they could score any hits. Without support, and engaged at closer range by her 100 mm guns, this broke down the Ottoman forces. Her guns barked again when 400 soldiers in reconnaissance were detected by late March and the party was dispersed. The canal was saved and the remained or Requin’s career was pretty calm.

In 1917, Requin transitioned from defence to offence, sailing to shell Ottoman positions along the coast of Palestine to support the Allied campaign there. She took a decisive role in the Third Battle of Gaza in November 1917, blasting away Ottoman fortified positions for a breakthrough supported by tanks. Her spotters were seaplanes from HMS Raven II. This proved decisive at Wadi el Hesi on 1 November. There was counter-battery fire and Requin took some damage, and later sent to Port Said for repairs into March 1918. She then returned to guarding the canal and in 17 December left Port Said for Toulon. She became there a gunnery training ship until July 1919. Decommissioned on 1 August, she was eventually stricken on 21 June 1920, sold on 2 May 1921 to be BU by Societé du Matériel Naval du Midi.