Troude class cruiser (1888)

Marine Nationale (1886-91), Protected cruisers.
Troude, Lalande, Cosmao: Service until 1908-22

The Troude class were three light protected cruisers built in the 1880s for the Marine Nationale (French Navy), Troude, Lalande and Cosmao. All three from the same yard, F.C. de la Gironde at Bordeaux. Like the Forbin class built in parallel, they were ordered as part of a fleet program as flotilla leaders for torpedo boats, armed with just four 138 mm (5.4 in) guns, albeit this was quickly revised. They were also later re-rated as 3rd class cruisers, similar to the Forbin and assimilated as avisos, machinery vibrations prevented them to meet their untended 20kts speed. Like the Forbins they remained in the Mediterranean Squadron for their whole career. Only one was still active in WWI, Cosmao was reactivated to patrol the Moroccan coast until struck in 1919 and used as hulk until sold for BU in 1928.

Design of the class

Design Development

By 1878, the Marine Nationale wanted to replace its armada of cheap masted unprotected cruisers and avisos used notably as fleet scouts throughout the Empire. They were now obsolete in the scouting role due to their poor speed of 12-14 knots and weak armament so by 1879 the Conseil des Travaux (Council of Works) requested designs for protected, fast cruisers still of low tonnage at 2,000 long tons (2,032 t) displacement. They would have to perform both as fleet scouts and torpedo boats leaders, and thus obliged to run at 20 knots. Naval engineer Louis-Émile Bertin himself advocated for such design since 1875, and his unique prototype, the Milan, would have some influence. Bertin developed it further, giving birth to the Forbin and Troude class.

Milan, designed as a prototype by Bertin, which inspired the Forbin class

By the time these cruisers were planned, the Jeune École doctrine was in full sweep. Battleships were considered costly for a budget-stricken France post-1871, with the Army dsucking all resources, as the Navy had been discredited as being useless during the war. The idea was to downgrade the Navy to a lore cost-efficient mix of cruisers and torpedo boats for a defensive role of French shore and armoured cruiser overseas to prey on merchant shipping and defend French colonies.

By early 1886, Admiral Aube was very much the figurehead of this movement and alongside former navy minister Gabriel Charmes, they published “La réforme de la Marine” (Reform of the Navy), calling for small commerce raiding cruisers armed with just two 138.6 mm (5.46 in) guns, tailored to prey on merchant vessels at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) to escape other cruisers that might be preying on them. Théophile Aube became Naval Minister and requested on 1 February this design to the Inspector General of Naval Engineering De Bussy. The latter submitted specs. to various yards for a cruiser of “no less than 19.5 knots (36.1 km/h; 22.4 mph), range 2,400 nautical miles at 10 knots and two 138.6 mm guns as well as protection consisting only in a 40 mm (1.6 in) curved armor deck”. A more detailed design was reviewed and approved by Aube on 20 March with three vessels allocated to the 1887 budget.

The first two were Forbin and Surcouf built in government shipyard but the third, Troude, was to be built in private shipyards in a competition. Five yards answered on 30 April 1886. Forges et Chantiers de la Gironde was selected as the winner for this cruiser, but changes were brought to the design, so much so this became a separate class. In 1887 an extraordinary budget was passed for three more small cruisers, one remaining of the Forbin class, and two more of the Troude class, Cosmao and Lalande. In between ity was realized that having only two main guns was a bad idea in case speed would not be enough to flee a potential opponent, so the armament was doubled.

About the names:

Aimable Gilles Troude was a contre-amiral (rear admiral) 1762-1824 of the 1st Empire (Napoleonic wars) which served under admiral Guichen and took part in the siege of Gibraltar and won a duel on HMS Venerable in 1801 and took part in the battle of Saintes in 1807, and carried Louis XVIII back from exile to France in 1814.

Julien Pierre Anne Lalande: (1787-1844) was a vice admiral taking part in the Greek Independence war and the Levant crisis of 1839-1841, also having influence in guns designs.
Julien Cosmao: (1761-1825) was a Napoleonic officer best known for the battle of Trafalgar on the 74-guns Pluton, duelling with HMS Belleisle, and latter taking the head of the combined squadron for a last action with Spanish Commodore Enrique MacDonell, retaking Neptuno and Santa Ana, and forcing the British to scuttle a number of their prizes. He also took central stage in the action of 5 November 1813.

Hull and general design

The Troude class were basically a repeat of Forbin class with few differences. The hull was similar in appearance, measuring 95 m (311 ft 8 in) long at the waterline, 96.1 m (315 ft 3 in) long overall, but combined with a narrower beam at 9 meters (29 ft 6 in) versus 9.33 m (30 ft 7 in) and a reduced draft of 5.18 m (17 ft) instead of 5.4 m (17 ft 9 in) aft when fully loaded.
They displaced more however, 1,923 to 1,994 long tons (1,954 to 2,026 t) versus 1,857 t (1,828 long tons; 2,047 short tons) for the Forbins after completion. The hull had the same shapes, typical of the day in France, with a pronounced tumble home shape and long plough ram bow, not reinforced for ramming attacks, and an actual deck that was very narrow. The tumble home was designed to give them extra stability with pear-shaped hulls sections for most of the length and minimal superstructure, a small bridge, three raked masts, one funnel and a conning tower not installed on Cosmao. The crew amounted to 201 officers and enlisted men. They had six boats and cutters under davits.

Powerplant

The narrow hull and 1/10 ratio at the time were seen ideal to lead torpedo boats and render the best of the propulsion system. Like for the Forbins, the Troude had two horizontal, 2-cylinder compound steam engines, driving two 3-bladed bronze fixed pitch screw propellers. However, they were fed by five, not six coal-burning fire-tube boilers. They were ducted into a large and small funnels raked and located forward amidships. This machinery was rated for 5,800 ihp (4,300 kW) which was less than the 6,200 indicated horsepower (4,600 kW) calculated for the Forbins. But originally this machinery was rated at 6,300 indicated horsepower (4,700 kW) for a top speed of 20.5 knots (38.0 km/h; 23.6 mph) in forced draft.

The contracted speed was still 20 knots through and on speed trials they exceeded this at between 6,384 and 6,560 ihp (4,761 and 4,892 kW) for speeds of 20.6 to 20.89 knots (38.15 to 38.69 km/h; 23.71 to 24.04 mph), with Cosmao being the fastest. They were more efficient than the Forbins (to compare 20.33-20.64 knots from 5,918-6,208 ihp).
However, this was never done in practice due to their lightly built hull with insufficiently strong scantling, and engines reportedly unable to withstand prolonged steaming at top speed.

Coal storage was augmented on this class, from 200 t at normal load to 270 (270 long tons; 300 short tons), and pushed to 300 t (300 long tons; 330 short tons) at full load. This made for a range of 1,621 nautical miles (3,002 km; 1,865 mi) at 17 knots and 2,110 nmi (3,910 km; 2,430 mi) at 10 knots, proving to be less effective steamers than the Forbins, which with one more boilers and less coal managed to reach 2,395 nautical miles (4,436 km; 2,756 mi) at the same cruise speed.
To supplement these engines, their original four-masted schooner rig soon degraded to a simpler three-masted schooner rig, a concession by Emile Bertin, which opposed such rigging on his Milan. This sail arrangement still was around 410 m2 (4,430 sq ft) but it was never shown in practice.

Protection

The protection was low key on the Troude, just as the Forbins.
-Curved armor deck: 40 mm (1.6 in) thick, wrought iron sloping down both sides.
-Above deck cofferdam to control flooding (Bertin’s idea).
-Waterline 7 mm (0.28 in) anti-splinter deck, protecting the machinery from shell fragments.
-Gun shields initially on all guns
-Initially no conning tower, but it was added later in construction on Troude and Cosmao (40 mm sides).

Armament

On paper they only had two 138 mm (5.4 in) 30-caliber M1881 guns three 47 mm (1.9 in) M1885 3-pounder Hotchkiss guns plus torpedo tubes. However this was changed early in their career, starting with a completion with four guns.

Main battery: 4x 138 mm (5.4 in) 30-caliber M1881

These four 138 mm (5.4 in) 30-caliber M1881 guns were posted on individual pivot mounts in sponsons on the upper deck, two per broadside. The sponsons proved to be weakly constructed and suffered in heavy seas, so they were reinforced following the example of Coëtlogon, which had them better built.
Specs M1881:
Weight unknown.
Projectiles: Solid cast iron, explosive armor-piercing shells 30 kg (66 lb).
Muzzle velocity 590 m/s (1,900 ft/s).

Light battery:

For close-range defense against torpedo boats, the Troude class had four (Forbin three) 47 mm (1.9 in) M1885 3-pounder Hotchkiss guns, and four 37 mm (1.5 in) 1-pounder Hotchkiss revolver cannon.

47 mm (1.9 in) M1885 3-pdr

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°.

37 mm (1.9 in) M1882 1-pdr

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).

Torpedo Tubes:
The Troude like the Forbins had four 356 mm (14 in) torpedo tubes in the hull, all below (Forbins above) the waterline. Two tubes in the bow, the other two were on the broadside. They were of the same model developed at that calibre by Whitehead. However, these tubes were gradually removed in several refits.
In addition, they could receive rails in order to carry and lay 150 naval mines.

Modernizations

1893–1894: Troude and Lalande had the following:
-Cofferdams replaced by highly subdivided watertight compartments
-Reinforcing the sponsons for the main battery guns
-Altering the sailing rig
-Converting the main battery to quick-firing guns (QF).
Cosmao was also modified that way in 1894–1895 and had converted M1881/84 pattern guns like Troude, but Lalande had the new M1884 pattern guns installed.
November 1895: The forward torpedo tubes were removed.
1902: The sailing rig is reduced
1903-04: The armament is revised with nine 47 mm guns, two 37 mm QF guns that could be fitted on steam cutters for landing parties and remaining torpedo tubes removed.
December 1916: Cosmao, single in service, is disarmed.
March 1917: Re-armed with two 100 mm (3.9 in) from Descartes, four 90 mm (3.5 in) M1877 guns.
1918: She lost one 100 mm gun and two 90 mm guns.

No profile yet.

⚙ Troude class specifications
Displacement	1,923 to 1,994 long tons (1,954 to 2,026 t)
Dimensions	95 x 9 x 5.2 m (311 ft 8 in x 29 ft 6 in x 17 ft)
Propulsion	2 shafts compound steam engines, 5× fire-tube boilers: 5,800 ihp (4,300 kW)
Speed	20.5 knots (38 km/h; 23.6 mph)
Range	2,110 nmi (3,910 km; 2,430 mi) at 10 kts
Armament	4× 138.6 mm (5.46 in), 4× 47 mm (1.9 in), 4× 37 mm (1.5 in) Hotchkiss, 4× 356 mm (14 in) TTs
Protection	Deck 40 mm (1.6 in), CT 40 mm (Troude, Lalande)
Crew	201

Career of the Troude class Cruisers

Troude

Troude like her sister ships was ordered on 16 August 1886 and built at Forges et Chantiers de la Gironde, Lormont, now a suburb of Bordeaux. This shipyard was not an extension of FCM (Mediterranean Yard near Toulon) but the previous Construction Yard Chaigneau et Bichon, then Chantiers et Ateliers de la Gironde S.A. Ets. Schneider. The Gironde Estuary offered plenty of room to launch large ships, the yard delivered ironclads, cruisers, submarines and everything in between. Troude was laid down on 27 August 1886, launched on 22 October 1888. However, she was moved to Rochefort on 24–25 November for fitting-out, then commissioned for sea trials on 6 December 1888. Trials revealed a troublesome machinery, vibrating unusually and fixed alternated with trials for over two years before she was accepted after she completed trials on 18 December 1890, the Navy signed the acceptance contract at last on January 1891, but full commission still had to wai for 5 January. Like her sisters she was assigned to the Mediterranean Squadron, departing Rochefort on 15 February.

By 1893, she operated alongside the armored cruiser Dupuy de Lome, and four other protected cruisers inc. her sisters and Amiral Cécille, Jean Bart. She was refitted extensively from OCtober 1893 to May 1894 and in 1895, she joined Tage and Suchet in the fleet manoeuvres from 1-27 July, assigned to “Fleet B”, defender, tasked to defeat the hostile “Fleet C” (Italian fleet). In 1896 she took part in the yearly manoeuvres in the 3rd Division (6-30 July), same for 1897 but this time, acting as flagship of Rear Admiral Édouard Pottier, Levant Division as the Cretan Revolt reupted and laster from 1897 to 1898. By 1898, she was relieved by Amiral Charner. In 1900 she was reassigned to the North Atlantic Division with Amiral Cécille and Suchet plus recommissioned at Rochefort to be re-boilered until 1902.
In 1903 she returned to the Atlantic Squadron, amalgamated with the Northern Squadron with Tage, Troude, and D’Estrées. She made a sortie at Newfoundland and operated with the Iceland Naval Division in 1904 with Lavoisier, protecting disputed fishing areas off the coast of North America (fishermen from nearby islands). In 1905 she was in the Atlantic Squadron with Dupleix and Jurien de la Gravière. On 1 July 1906, she entered the “special reserve” until struck from the naval register on 3 July 1907, placed for sale at Rochefort in 1907, sold and BU, completed on 5 February 1891.

Lalande

Ordered on 21 March 1887, Lalande was laid down at the FC de la Gironde on 6 May, launched on 22 March 1889 then fitted out in Rochefort from 13 April until commissioned for sea trials on 1 November. However like Troude, she had engines issue and trials, fixes, for a year, fully commissioned on 25 April 1891, and formally approved on 6 May. Assigned to the Mediterranean Squadron she was part of the reconnaissance force, main battle fleet. In 1892, she operated with Sfax, Amiral Cécille, and Tage and was in the 23 June to 11 July fleet manoeuvres.
In 1893, she operated with the armoured cruiser Dupuy de Lome, as well as Amiral Cécille and Jean Bart. She had a refit from October 1893 to May 1894 but took part in the yearly fleet manoeuvres from 9 to 16 July. She took on supplies in Toulon on the 16th for shooting drills and a blockade simulation, scouting operations (western Med.) until 3 August.
Furthermore, she entered the Reserve Squadron in 1896, then was moved to the 2nd category reserve, along with older ironclads and cruiser with a skeleton care crew, but still she could be mobilized in case of war. She was reactivated to join the Reserve Squadron’s cruiser division for the 1896 manoeuvres with Sfax, Amiral Cécille, Milan and Léger from 6 to 30 July, acting as the simulated enemy.

She was again reactivated in 1898, assigned to the Mediterranean Squadron with four pre-dreadnought battleships, four ironclads, two armoured cruisers, three protected cruisers and took part in manoeuvres from 5 to 25 July. She later returned to the 2nd category reserve in Toulon, then she was deactivated, reserve fleet, from January 1901. She was refitted in 1902-1905, with new boilers at Rochefort, reactivated in 1906, reassigned to the Mediterranean Squadron for that year’s fleet manoeuvres from 6 July (Combined Northern and Mediterranean Squadrons in Algiers). She took part in drills across the western Mediterranean, North Africa, Toulon, Marseille until 4 August and the naval review in Marseille on 16 September. She was in special reserve on 18 February 1909 in Bizerte (French Tunisia) to be re-boilered and on 3 November, work was postponed, then cancelled on 17 June 1910. Instead, she was to be discarded, decommissioned on 15 April 1911, struck then placed for sale on 14 August 1912, purchased by M. Boccarra on 13 October, BU.

Cosmao

Cosmao was approved on 25 April 1887 and her keel laid down at Lormont in 1887, launched on 29 August 1889, commissioned on 13 September when moved to Rochefort to complete fitting out. Sea trials lasted until 8 August 1891, then she entered in full commission, assigned to the Mediterranean Squadron. She left Rochefort for Toulon on 14 August. See the unit detail above. She served alongside her two sisters.
From June 1894, she had her main guns replaced in Toulon (quick-firing versions) until February 1895. She took part in the annual fleet manoeuvres that year from 1 July in three phases with squadron exercises and shooting practice, ports visits and a simulated battle of three divisions until 26 July. She also took part in the same from 6 to 30 July 1896 and 1897, same exercises in July, but Cosmao during these failed to detect the “enemy” Reserve Squadron. Same routine for 1898 but her placed in April was taken by the new Lavoisier. On 3 May, there was a crew swap to the latter. Cosmao was deactivated, placed in reserve from January 1901. She was re-boilered in Rochefort in 1904-1905. In 1911 she was reactivated, assigned to the ‘Division du Maroc’ (Morocco Division).

When World War I started she was based in Casablanca, French Morocco, Morocco Division with Cassard, soon joined by the armoured cruisers Amiral Charner, Bruix, and Latouche-Tréville, and ordered to patrol sea lanes off northwestern Africa, protect merchant shipping from German commerce raiders (notably in the early days, Goeben and Breslau). They then started to escort convoys and patrol anchorages in the Canary Islands to deter any entry of U-boats to refuel there. Next she was moved to Oran and by late September, the cruisers were transferred elsewhere whereas Cosmao and Cassard, then Friant remained at Oran and went on patrolling for German arms shipments to Spain or Spanish Morocco.

Between 13 and 20 December 1916, Cosmao was disarmed at Gibraltar and rearmed in Bordeaux on 29 March 1917, then altered again in 1918, and by October, patrol the Syrian coast (Levant Station) until V-Day in November. She remained there until March 1919, was ordered to Rochefort, an inspection revealing her boilers in poor condition. Placed in reserve on 25 April 1919, she was struck on 30 October but not sold, instead converted as a storage hulk in Rochefort from 1920 to 1927, sold in 1928 to Goldenberg and BU in Rochefort.