Milan (1882)

The Milan is an important ship in the French cruiser development: She was both its first modern steam-only unprotected cruiser, would-be torpedo-cruiser and Bertin’s masterpiece as the world’s fastest warship in 1884. It impressed Jeune Ecole’s guru Admiral Aube that as minister of the Navy, ordered six follow-up cruisers, the Forbin and Troude classes. The Milan was a slender ship with a powerful machinery, notably used to screen the fleet or lead torpedo boats in a coastal defence action. However, her usefulness ended in 1907 and she was stricken in 1908, sold and BU in 1911.

Development

The development of the “locomotive torpedo” by Luppis and then Whitehead in the 1850s at Fiume in the Austrian Empire (the weapon was previously a mine, used in the American Civil war with a remote detonation mechanism), led to further devices with better performances, from a 7 knots, 700 yards contraption armed with a guncotton charge, to a 1870, 17 knots version stabilized with Pendulum-and-hydrostat control, the very first models were sold to all navies interested. France in Particular, with its budget stripped situation after the war with Prussia, looked at taking new technological advantages.

The concept of “torpedo boat” was still in its infancy in the 1870s with launches armed with spar torpedoes showing modest speeds, but other vessels were built as soon as torpedo tubes were ready. Prussia and Italy were the first entering the ball of the “torpedo cruiser” or “torpedo gunboat” or “aviso”, with the SMS Zieten and Pietro Micca launched in 1875. France followed by ordering such ship in 1879, and this was the Milan. Austro-Hungary followed suite. The fad would last about ten years, but the Jeune Ecole soon had its hand on this new project of Emile Bertin.

Indeed, the true origin of the Milan was not a new torpedo cruiser per se but just a proper scout. In the late 1870s, senior officers realized that unprotected cruisers and avisos were too slow to act as scouts for the fleet and the Conseil des Travaux (Naval Works Council) issued a request for a new cruiser design with the highest top speed and armament which was to comprise the new Whitehead torpedoes. The same precise no sails, guns, or even a ram over a displacement below 2,032 tons. A now famous engineer, Louis-Émile Bertin already proposed such a ship in 1875, and the council examined his preliminary design, at a meeting on February 3, 1880. It was retained but needed more details that were delivered on June 8, especially on its propulsion machinery and Bertin’s own traversing torpedo launcher.

Although the later was grounbreaking for 1875, the Conseil estimated this would hardly be practical, but they approved the ship on 24 May 1881. In the official documentation she was designated a “squadron scout”. The Board wanted a prototype for a new breed of low-cost test vessels to evaluate new technologies like the torpedo, and if successful, followed by more of these high-speed fleet scout. Tests with the rotary torpedo launcher however remained inconclusive so it was abandoned.

Two fixed torpedo tubes were added and the gun armament was revised several times until the start of construction until selected on 19 June 1882. Three months had passed since keel laying. By September 19, 1883, the torpedo tubes were removed, to the dismay of Bertin, before entering service in 1886 only armed with cannons. Thus, France missed the train for the start of the torped crusier fad, but caght up from 1891.

Despite all this, the Milan proved to be a fairly successful design. Admiral Théophile Aube which became French Minister of the Navy in 1886, wanted to make it it base for a new planned type of “small cruiser”, ordering six more, converted into the Forbin and Troude-class protected cruisers. Pure torpedo gunboats, the Lévrier class, followed by the Linois and D’Iberville class cruisers followed the niche, but the Milan never was a torpedo cruiser. She was still, the world’s fastest cruiser on trials, and since no other ship type came close, the fastest warship of its day…

Design of the class

Hull and general design

Milan was a singular vessel typical of the late 1870s and early 1880s in its shapes. She measured 92.44 meters (303 ft 3 in) long at the waterline for a beam of 10.04 m (32 ft 11 in), making for a 1:9 hull ratio, better for speed than anything built prior, and an average draft of 4 m (13 ft 1 in). Her stern had the mean draft going down to 4.77 m (15 ft 8 in) however. For this, she displaced 1,672.3 t (1,645.9 long tons) on normal load, probably around 2000t fully loaded. If the elegant poop and overhanging stern was that of a clipper, her prow featured a pronounced plough bow with short fore and sterncastles. Construction was all steel. As was typical for French warships of the period, she had an stern.

Powerplant

The Milan was mostly awaited on the speed department, and she was lovely engineered by Bertin as a greyhound, powered by two horizontal compound steam engines, each driving a shaft and its propeller. It’s unclear if it was four-bladed however. Steam was produced by no less than twelve coal-burning water-tube Belleville boilers, ducted into just two raked funnels close together amidships. Bartin chose the Water-tube boilers as a recent, untested and promising new development. Just like the steam turbines and gas turbines later, this was a revilution true to form, enabling to raise steam much quicker and at greater pressure, traduced also in massive and accelerations.

The first trials made fire-tube boilers obsolete overnight. Thes boilers were located on the centerline amidships, with coal bunkers arranged above them so hat coal was fed by gravity. Not only this signature feature from Bertin helped buffering the hull above fromincoming heat, it was also now less tiresome for stoker to feed the boilers out, as coal literrally fell on their shovels. Stoking workload and fatigue were reduced.

The power plant was rated to produce 3,880 indicated horsepower (2,890 kW). On speed trials in 1885 and using forced draft, Milan managed to reach 3,916 ihp (2,920 kW) traduced into a top speed of 18.47 knots (34.21 km/h; 21.25 mph). The Mechanical Engineer noted that figure made the ships “believed to be the fastest war vessel afloat.”. Milan however never sped up that way in service, being plagued by excessive vibration. Coal storage was 308.7 t (303.8 long tons) for a radius of 5,000 nautical miles (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). However Bertin planned extra compartments to be filled, parfticipate into the ship’s inner protection while extending the range to 6,100 nautical miles (11,300 km; 7,000 mi).

However the Conseil des Travaux, even against its own initial requirements and despite objections by Bertin, was fitted with a backup three-masted schooner rig for long crossings. The sail surface was quite limited however, but the masts never sported these sails anyway. It was completed by two jibs forward.

Protection

The Milan was built as unprotected cruiser, a requirement to reach the desrired speed. She had no armor protection at all, and not the classic armoured turtle deck. Her crew comprised 150 officers and ratings, later increased to 191 in 1891 to man additional guns.

Armament

Less extreme that the “light cruisers” wanted by Amiral Aube later, Milan was better armed, not with just two, but five main guns. This were relatively light 100 mm (3.9 in) guns on individual pivot mounts to deal with torpedo boats. One was located on the forecastle, another was on the sterncastle, two starboard, upper deck, and same to port. The fore and sterncastle guns had gun shields, not the amidship ones. For closer-range eight 37 mm (1.5 in) 1-pounder Hotchkiss revolver cannon on individual shielded mounts as well as a single 65 mm (2.6 in) M1881 field gun complete with its wheeled mount, usable ashore with a landing party.

100 mm/26(3.9 in)

These Canet Guns 26 calibers modele 1881 were installed on the forecastle and sterncastle, one each and on the broadside, one either side, unshielded for the latter. Specs and performances unknown. Data from the modele 1891 onwards only.

37 mm Hotchkiss Revolver

These were well-known rotating 5-barreled guns (Gatling type) 20 caliber (1-pdr), modèle M1885. It was gravity-fed by a clip, and hand-cranked. Muzzle velocity was 388 m/s and penetration 25 mm at the muzzle. This fell to 245 m/s and 185 m/s at 1000 and 2000m with a penetration of 13 and 9 mm respectively. Location unclear, some likely on the forecastle and stern deck as well as on the bridge’s wings to give them greater fire arcs.

65 mm M1881 field gun

Likely a Schneider field gun, with shield and spoked wheels.

Modifications

Minor refits of 1888: -7 February, starboard 100 mm gun removed and replaced by a mine laying system.
-18 December, she was involved the addition of two 47 mm (1.9 in) M1885 QF guns to the sterncastle.
Refit of 1890: Milan had her greatest modernization:

Boilers thoroughly overhauled.

Remaining amidships 100 mm guns removed. Ten 47 mm M1885 QF guns, two 37 mm guns, 65 mm field gun remained.
-In 1892 she had her boilers converted to mixed coal and oil firing (December 1892 to February 1893.
-January 1900: Twelve Belleville boilers updated to eight new models with economizers.

Career of Milan

Milan was ordered in 1881 and registered on the list in January 1882. She was laid down at the Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire shipyard, Saint-Nazaire on 21 March 1882. She was launched on 25 May 1884, commissioned for sea trials in February 1885. Testing of the new all-steel cruiser off Brest lasted from 12 March to 6 August and on the 8th she was at last in full commission and declared ready for active service. On 11 August, she left for Toulon and the Mediterranean, making her entrance on the 16th.

She joined the Escadre d’évolutions or “Training Squadron” from 19 January 1886 for yearly routine training exercises. Her first were large-scale fleet maneuvers held off Toulon from 10 to 17 May, in which Milan was attached to the First Division ironclads, as scout as in her intended role. This was also to test how effective torpedo boats could be defending the shore from an ironclad squadron. Not pnly TBs but also whether cruisers trie to break through their blockade, and if torpedo boats could really pose a threat to these ironclads.

From May 1887, Milan had convoy escort training, especially as the French Army grew its presence in French North Africa, and notably becauase these troops would have been brought back quickly to Europe in case of major war. Milan thus escorted a convoy of four simulated troop ships and four ironclads, as well as the cruiser Hirondelle, torpedo cruiser Condor, high seas torpedo boats Balny and Déroulède. Milan was part of the defending convoy which “tricked” the intercepting cruisers and torpedo boats by staying in bad weather to make their run. The torpedo boats notably were unable to sail in such fould weather and took no part in the planned interception. Milan had others similar exercizes yearly until 1889. Thay year she scouted for nine ironclads, and three cruisers among others, from 30 June to 6 July, and took part in a simulated attack of the French Mediterranean coast.

In the 1890 exercises, there was an exceptional assembly, with the combination of both the Mediterranean Fleet and Northern Squadron. In that forst part, the former sailed to Brest and started exercises on 2 July, until the 6th. They later resumed and ended on the 25th with Milan part of the Fourth Division, Second Squadron, scouting for the ironclads Bayard, Duguesclin, and Vauban, alongside the cruiser Rigault de Genouilly, and three TBs.

On 17 July, the torpedo gunboat “Dague” broke down, Milan took her in tow back to port. However when back she struck an uncharted rock off Brest, gauging a 0.91 by 2.13 m (3 by 7 ft) hull hole. Her pumps managed to maintained her flooding beyond critical levels, and she limped back into Brest, for starting repairs. Patched in three days she was at sea for the final days of the combined manoeuvers befote being sent back to the Med with her squadron and from there, gaining the FCM shipyard, La Seyne-sur-Mer, for repairs and her last overhaul from 1890 to 1893. When recommissioned for sea trials on 1 July 1892 she had new boilers and a new armament, but needed fixes and further work until 1893. She was then officially recommissioned on 5 April.

In 1893, Milan was replaced in her unit by the Forbin and Troude class cruisers, and was sentin reserve. She was reactivated only for the annual fleet maneuvers, Reserve Squadron. There were two phases, from 1 to 10 July and from 17 to 28 July. Milan remained in the Reserve Squadron by 1894, still commissioned for the summer training session, still scouting for her unit of six ironclads, alonsgide the more modern Forbin, the TB cruiser Condor, and forty-eight torpedo boats. Milan repeated the scenario in 1895 for the 1-27 July training session, but decommissions led to a unit reduced to five ironclads, two protected cruisers, two torpedo cruisers, three torpedo gunboats.

Milan was still in the Reserve Squadron by 1896, at that time counting four ironclads, three protected cruisers, two torpedo cruisers. Being in the reserve squadron Milan like others was only fully-manned for these short summer fleet maneuvers. The complement the best of times was made of half, up to two-thirds of her normal operating crews the remainder of the year. These jobs were essential and mostly those of officers and NCOs, whereas it was complemented by reservists when needed. All this time she remained in Toulon and was part again on 6 to 30 July 1896 to the annual maneuvers with that Reserve Squadron, and as part of the cruiser screen, with Lalande and the slower but larger and better armed protected cruisers Amiral Cécille, Sfax and the torpedo cruiser Léger.

The Reserve Squadron in which she served was now the simulated enemy. The scenario repeated on 7 to 30 July 1897, as part of the “enemy” unit in the maneuvers scenario, and for the first time this included night maneuvers (always dangerous due to collisions), and to drill the squadron (fleet defense) against torpedo boats. She also witnessed a simulated battle between squadrons of battleshipsn using practice shells. Her Reserve Squadron was reduced in size in 1898, and this year’s exercise (5 to 25 July) she screened for three ironclads, alonsgide the armored cruiser Chanzy, and the torpedo cruiser Léger.

Milan was decommissioned on 1 January 1900 for a very last, final overhaul until 1901, recommissioned on 15 December. However she was this time no longer active, taking no part in 1901’s exercises. She was eventually decommissioned a last time on 1 June 1907. As the last-surviving unprotected cruiser still listed in the Marine Nationale, she was at last stricken from the naval register on 8 April 1908. From there, she was used as a training ship for engine room personnel. She replaced the old torpedo cruiser Vautour on 1908-1910 however in a last hurrah, despite her venerable age and a design that went back to 1878. Milan was relieved by the protected cruiser Chasseloup-Laubat by December 1910. She was stricken and this time placed on auction, and sold on 1 August 1911 to M. Bénédic, broken up (BU) at La Seyne, near FCM where she was overhauled.

Src

Books

Campbell, N. J. M. (1979). “France” J.Gardiner Conway’s all the world fighting ships 1860-1905.
Brassey, Thomas, ed. (1888). “French Naval Manoeuvres, 1886, 87″, Foreign Manoeuvres”. Naval Annual. Portsmouth: J. Griffin & Co.
Clowes, W. Laird (1894). Brassey, Thomas A. (ed.). “Toulon and the French Fleet in the Mediterranean”. Naval Annual.
Diehl, S. W. B. (1898). The Naval Manoeuvres of 1897 January 1898. Washington, DC
Osborne, Eric W. (2004). Cruisers and Battle Cruisers: An Illustrated History of Their Impact. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO.
Roberts, Stephen (2021). French Warships in the Age of Steam 1859–1914. Barnsley: Seaforth.
Ropp, Theodore (1987). Roberts, Stephen S. (ed.). The Development of a Modern Navy: French Naval Policy, 1871–1904. NIP
Sondhaus, Lawrence (2001). Naval Warfare, 1815–1914. Psychology Press.
“The New French Cruiser “Milan””. The Mechanical Engineer. IX (11). New York: Egbert P. Watson & Son 30 May 1885.

Links

Navypedia
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