Bayard class Ironclad

France. Barbette Ironclads: Bayard, Turenne. Built 1876-1882, service until 1904

The Bayard class were a class of barbette ironclads of the Marine Nationale built between 1876 and 1882, Bayard and Turenne. They derived from the Amiral Duperré, with the same general arrangement but were scaled down and mostly intended for overseas colonial stations. They retained a sailing rig as well as copper sheathing for their hulls, expected a lack of maintenance facilities. Ventilation was well though out and wood was used extensively to avoid bare metal exposed. The main battery was similar to previous designs with a battery of four 240 mm (9.4 in) guns in individual barbettes, on sponsons around the conning tower. Bayard was sent to East Asia as flagship, seeing the Tonkin campaign establishing French Indochina, and Sino-French War. She carried back the remains of Vice Admiral Courbet in 1885 to France. Turenne replaced her until 1889, back in reserve in France in 1890, BU in 1901. Bayard returned to Indochina in 1893-1899 and became a local storage hulk until 1904, BU that year.

Development

The Bayard class (Turenne class for some authors) was a barbette ship and central battery ironclad hybrid, designed in 1875, but planned as part of a new naval construction program started after the Franco-Prussian War in 1872. The plan organized the fleet between capital ships for high-seas combat close to France, station ironclads for use for the colonial empire, and coastal defense ships also for shore defence. France was budget-stricken at the time and considerable effort were put in the army instead, detrimental to the Navy that, compared to Napoleon’s III fleet, was far smaller.

The Bayard class was a “second class ironclad” in all but name, and was designed by naval architect Victorin Sabattier. His proposal was of a scaled-down high-seas ironclad Amiral Duperré. This was to meet requirements from the French Naval Minister Charles de Dompierre d’Hornoy, requesting station ironclads. Sabattier at first designed a four main battery of guns arranged like for Duperré in four open barbettes, side-by-side forward and centerline aft, supplemented with a single heavy bow chaser. But as construction dragged on, a stern chaser was added, due to the rigging interference in some pieces.

Design of the class

Hull and general design

The Bayard class measured 81.22 m (266 ft 6 in) long (waterline) but 78.78 m (258 ft 6 in) between perpendiculars. Beam was still generous at 17.45 m (57 ft), with an average draft of 7.49 m (24 ft 7 in). Displacement was 6,363 metric tons (6,263 long tons; 7,014 short tons) and the hull was typically French, with a sharply raked forecastle minimal superstructure with a conning tower and small bridge astern of the forward main battery barbettes and a generous tumblehome for extra stability.

Unlike earlier ships, and perhaps due to their colonial, tropical water assignments, they had instead of iron hulls, wooden hulls sheathed in copper to reduce fouling. Not only for crossings but also as there was a lack of shipyard facilities, where they intended to serve. This was also perhaps based on British reports of hull corrosion with iron-hulled vessels in Asia as well. Their crews amounted to 24 officers and 425 enlisted men. They had a single funnel made of two large exhaust tubes close together, a ram bow and bowsprit. Among other details, the hull had no portholes but in typical French fashion square windows that can be closed off by shutters. There was also a large collection of boats of all nature, yawls, cutters, barges, whalers, under davits mostly aft of the barbettes, where the firing blast was less likely to damage them.

Powerplant

The Bayard class were fitted with two compound steam engines. Each drove a single bronze screw propeller (likely 4-bladed). Steam came from eight coal-burning fire-tube boilers, vented through a pair of uptakes which ended in a single funnel casing. Turenne had her casing covering the uptakes entirely, unlike Bayard’s where they ended well below the top and more looked like a pair of small funnels close together. This power plant was rated for 4,000 indicated horsepower (3,000 kW) and the top speed was contracted at 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph). Speed trials saw Turenne reaching 14.15 knots (26.21 km/h; 16.28 mph) out of 4,158 ihp (3,101 kW), the best of the two. For cruising, they sailed at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) up to 3,000 nautical miles (5,600 km; 3,500 mi) on steam alone based on 450t of coal. To supplement these, they had a full-ship rig.

Protection

Their wooden hull supported the armoured structure, backed by teak. Protected was made entirely of wrought iron armour, even though the French were working on a new steel process to produce large plates.
Belt: 250 mm (9.8 in) thick amidships, propulsion machinery, ammunition magazines, entire length, tapered down at the bow to 180 mm (7.1 in), stern 150 mm (5.9 in).
Belt eight: 0.91 m (3 ft) above, 1.99 m (6 ft 6 in) below, 2,90 meters total (90 ft).
Armour Deck: 50 mm (2 in) thick, full length.
Barbettes, main battery: 200 mm (7.9 in).
Conning Tower (fwd): Likely 50 mm (2 in) thick

Armament

240mm/18 M1870 (9.4 in)

These 240 mm L19 guns were located in four indivual barbettes, two abreast forward and two aft on the centerline in a “T” arrangement like the Duperré. They weighed 15.41 long tons (15.66 t). Their armor-piercing shells weighed 317.5 pounds (144.0 kg). Muzzle velocity was 1,624 ft/s (495 m/s). They could penetrate a nominal 14.4 inches (366 mm) of wrought iron armour, at the muzzle. In addition to AP they could fire solid shot against fortification, and explosive shells.

194mm/20 M1870 (7.6 in)

The 194-millimeter/20 cal. gun were in the bow and stern as chase guns. They weighed 7.83 long tons (7.96 t). It fired an 165.3-pound (75.0 kg) AP shell at a muzzle velocity of 1,739 ft/s (530 m/s) and could penetrate 12.5 inches (320 mm) of wrought iron armour at close range.

138mm/21 (4.7 in) M1870

The 138-millimeter/21 calibers were in central battery located amidships in the hull, three guns per broadside. They weighed 2.63 long tons (2.67 t) and fired a 61.7-pound (28.0 kg) HE (explosive) shell at a muzzle velocity of 1,529 ft/s (466 m/s).

356 mm Torpedo Tubes

Likely Whitehead-Fiume Mark I models. In 1881 they were widespread in use with the RN and other navies. No precise data.
The Mark II (manufactured 1879-82 at Woolwhich) weighted 575 lbs and measured 14 feet 7 inches for a 14 inch diameter, top speed 19 knots, up to 500 yards and carrying a 34 lbs warhead of Gun Cotton.

Modifications

In 1883-85, Bayard was added four 47mm/40 M1885 and Turenne: the same plus two 350mm (14 inches) torpedo tubes in the beam, above water.
Between 1883 and 1885, a light battery was added for defense against torpedo boats, twelve 37 mm (1.5 in) 1-pounder Hotchkiss revolvers on individual mounts. The landing party bronze gun was removed and instead two 65 mm (2.6 in) wheeled undercarriage field guns added for landing parties.
By 1890 in a second refit, four 47 mm (1.9 in) 3-pounder Hotchkiss were added to supplement 37 mm guns. So some authors got mixed up between the M1870 and these ones.

37mm/20 Hotchkiss M1885*

Installed in refits: Hotchkiss 5-barrel revolving guns. They fired 500 g (1.1 lb) shells at a muzzle velocity of about 610 m/s (2,000 ft/s), and the range was limited to 3,200 meters (3,500 yd). At that stage, their masts had been replaced by military masts with fighting tops to support these. These revolving funs had a rate of fire of about 30 rounds per minute.

Conway’s profile

⚙ specifications as built 1880
Displacement	6,363 t (6,263 long tons; 7,014 short tons)
Dimensions	81.22 x 17.45 x 7.49 m (266 ft 6 in x 57 ft x 24 ft 7 in)
Propulsion	1 shaft compound steam engine, 8 cyl. boilers: 4,000 ihp (3000 kW)
Speed	14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph)
Range	450t coal, 2,000 nm/10 kts
Armament	4× 240mm (9.4 in), 2× 194mm (7.6 in), 6× 138 mm (5.4 in), se notes
Protection	Belt 150-250 mm (6-9.8 in), Barbettes 200 mm (8 in), Deck 50mm (2 in)
Crew	24 officers +425 ratings

Career of the Bayard class

Bayard

Bayard was laid down at Brest (Britanny, NW France) on 19 September 1876, launched on 27 March 1880 and fitted out until completed in 1882, then commissioned on 22 November 1882 and starting sea trials. She was placed in reserve until recommissioned in May 1883 under command of capitaine Parrayon as flagship for Admiral Amédée Courbet, recently appointed at the head of France’s Trial division on April 1883. On 31 May 1883, after the defeat of the fleet udner Cdr. Henri Rivière in Tonkin at the Battle of Paper Bridge, Courbet headed a newly formed naval division. In early June he left on board ironclad Bayard, the other ironclad Atalante and screw corvette Châteaurenault.

The fleet arrive at Ha Long Bay on 10 July, spending 11 months as flagship of the Tonkin Coasts naval division. By August 1883 she took part in the Battle of Thuận An, shelling the fortification of the old Imperial City of Hué, getting splinter damage from shore batteries. From October 1883 to June 1884 before the Sino-French War she enforced a naval blockade of the coast of Tonkin. On 30 November 1883, due to an imminent Vietnamese attack on the French garrison og Quảng Yên, Bayard sent a landing company whioch added its weight in the citadel, successfully deterring the attack. In June 1884 Bayard was promoted as flagship of the “Far East Squadron” with the war breaking out in China and amalgamation of the Tonkin Coasts and Far East naval divisions. This was the largest forcethe French ever sent in Asia.

On 5 August 1884, sailors from Bayard landed at Keelung, but driven off on 6 August by a heavy Chinese counterattack. The ironclad then missed the Battle of Fuzhou on 23 August, drawing too much water when trying to enter the Min River. She was sent instead to guard the telegraph station at Sharp Peak, near Matsu. On 1 October 1884 Bayard and others supported the French landing at Keelung, bombarding Chinese shore positions. On 8 October Bayard sent another landing party at Tamsui. They were repelled with heavy losses, condemning the Formosa expeditionary corps to a prolonged Keelung Campaign. From November 1884 to January 1885 she remained in the blockade of Formosa (now Taiwan). On 14 November 1884, while off Keelung she nearly foundered as her anchor chain snapped during a typhoon.
In February 1885 the Chinese Nanyang Fleet sortied from Shanghai to break the blockade of Formosa, but Courbet knew about it and sent Bayard and others in an ideal position to trap the Chinese in Shipu Bay. At the Battle of Shipu on the night of 14 February 1885, two Bayard’s launches had been converted as improvised torpedo boats to attack the Chinese squadron at anchor. Yuyuan and composite sloop Chengqing, a stunning success that perhaps inspired later the Japanese for Port Arthur in 1904. In early March 1885, Bayard took part in the blockade of Zhenhai, outport of Ningbo. Later this month, she was sent with the French flotilla for the Pescadores Campaign, sending a landing company on 31 March taking part in the decisive battle and victory at Makung.
Courbet however died of cholera on board Bayard in Makung, Pescadores, on 11 June 1885. Bayard thus left on 23 June to return his body to France and be relieved by her sister sister Turenne as squadron flagship, via Aden on 2 August, Suez, Bône (French Algeria) until 22 August and arrived in Toulon on 26 August, for a state funeral. Next she was sent in Brest to be disarmed and decommissioned.

Bayard back with the remains of Admiral Courbet, with her spars set diagonally, one mast perpendicular to another, as a sign of mourning.

By 1888, she was in the Reserve Division, Mediterranean Squadron. Reactivated on 23 August for annual fleet maneuvers she joined the fleet at Hyères on 30 August and trained until 4 September, returned to Toulon. In 1889 she became the flagship of the “Escadre de la Mediterranee occidentale et du Levant” (Eastern Mediterranean and Levant Squadron) until 1892. She took part in yealry training exercises and entered the 3rd Division, Mediterranean Squadron in 1890, with the two Vauban-class ironclads, close to her design. She took part in large fleet maneuvers that year in a simulated enemy attack from 30 June to 6 July. In the 1890 fleet maneuvers she was transferred to the 4th Division, 2nd Squadron with the two Vaubans and the cruiser Rigault de Genouilly. Off Oran on 22 June she sailed for Brest, arrived on 2 July for combined operations with the Northern Squadron until 25 July. She then returned to Toulon.

In the 1891 fleet maneuvers on 23 June as part of the 3rd Division wit the two Vauban-class she performed similated defenses and attacks until 11 July as part of the blue or the “French” fleet. In 1893, Bayard returned to French Indochina to resume her flagship role there. She steamed there with the ironclad Triomphant, previously in reserve, and four protected cruisers. She remained on the East Asia station until 1896, with the cruisers withdrawn, and Isly and Alger remaining. In 1897 the protected cruiser Descartes relieved Alger. Bayard remained in 1898 but her unit was strengthened to a full squadron, Bayard now demoted to divisional flagship until replaced by the cruiser D’Entrecasteaux. She remained in the area as a stationary guard ship, moored in Port Courbet (now Hạ Long) as flagship, Annam and Tonkin Division (aviso Kersaint and three gunboats). On 26 April 1899, she was struck from the register, converted into a hulk and served as such until sold for BU in 1904 in Saigon.

Turenne

Turenn was built in Lorient. She was Laid down on 1 March 1877, launched on 16 October 1879 and completed in 1882, commissioned on 4 February 1882. Sea trials went on after she was completed, into the following year. She was placed in reserve for two years, recommissioned for active service in 1884 and on 16 February experimented marine gyroscopes at Brest.
She went overseas in 1885, ordered for the Escadre de l’Extrême-Orient (Far East Squadron) as the Sino-French War just broke out. She did not sailed alone but with a whole fleet, with the unprotected cruisers Magon, Roland, Primauguet, Limier, Hugon, and several gunboats plus coalers and support vessels, from Brest on 21 February. They stopped in Algiers in French Algeria to recoal on 3 March and arrived on 25 April on station in French Indochina, to discover combats ceased, with a peace agreement just signed on 4 April. Turenne saw no action during the war and instead she showed the flag, touring over the next five years through East Asia and Pacific, visiting many ports, and still designated for squadron flagship duties.

Turenne, the cruiser Villars, aviso Chasseur, gunboats Vipère and Aspic made a final tour on 14 August 1889, stopped at Chefoo, China, Nagasaki on 13 September and on 14 November, Kobe, then back in Chinese waters. Turenne met Chasseur in Hong Kong on 9 December and they later left French Indochina via Along Bay (17 December) Saigon (4 January 1890) and after arriving they started preparations for the long crossing back to France. She departed on 30 January via Singapore, Colombo, and Aden, reached Suez on 2 March, and arrived in Toulon on 13 March. After a week, she left for Cherbourg and upon arrival she was placed in 2nd category reserve for 5 years.

She was reactivated for a large training exercise for reservists in mid-1891 alongside the coastal defense ships Vengeur, Tonnerre, and Tonnant. She returned in commission for “special service” in 1894, with the cruiser Éclaireur, aviso Voltigeur, gunboat Lézard. In 1896, the journal The Naval Annual reported that like other station ironclads still in inventory, she was “practically condemned” and planned to be struck off, but still, Turnne remained listed in the 2nd categor reserve, with other old coastal defense ships, unprotected cruisers in ordere to be mobilized in case of a major war. Naval estimates of 1899, saw maintenance funding stipped off and Turenne was eventually stricken for good from the naval register on 4 September 1900. She was sold at Cherbourg in 1901 and BU.