Vauban class ironclad (1882)

France. Barbette Ironclads: Vauban, Duguesclin. Built 1877-1886, service until 1914

The Vauban class (in some publications Duguesclin class) were two ironclad barbette ships of the Marine Nationale commissioned in 1886. Largely based on the Amiral Duperré, they had the same general arrangement but scaled down due to their role as colonial ships. They also due to this, retained a sailing rig for long cruises as well as being “tropicalized” and having copper sheathing to alleviate for rare dry-docking maintenance. The main battery was also scaled down compared to Duperré with four 240 mm (9.4 in) guns in individual barbettes, in a “T”, two sponsoned forward, two centerline aft. Instead, the two remained in the Mediterranean Squadron until the mid-1890s seeing only peacetime training. In the reserve from 1893, laid up after 1895, Duguesclin was later struck in 1904. Vauban was recommissioned in 1898 to be stationed in Indochina as divisional flagship, Saigon from 1899 to 1905 and a depot ship for torpedo boats and submarines until 1914, sold in 1919.

Development

The Vauban class were designed in the around 1877 to be part of the naval construction program started with the extension of the post-Franco-Prussian War plan of 1872. Capital ships were divided between high-seas ships for the main fleet split between the Atlantic and Mediterranean and station ironclads for the French colonial empire as well as smaller coastal defence ships. The Vauban class were a mix between the scale and role of the preceding Bayard class and the layout of Duperré, to be used as station ironclads. The design has been prepared by Victorin Sabattier and Alfred Lebelin de Dionne and ended quite different from the Bayard class:
-The traditional wooden hull was replaced by a composite iron-and-steel hull, under evaluation for years.
-The three-masted rig was replaced by a two-masted brig rig, freeing the stern-most main battery gun in order to fire directly astern.
-The stern chase gun was removed.

Lebelin de Dionne submitted these plans on 30 November 1876 to the commission des travaux, and they were approved by Léon Martin Fourichon, French Naval Minister, on 26 December.
Construction then was ordered, first Duguesclin at Rochefort, laid down in March 1877, then Vauban at Arsenal of Cherbourg on 1 August. She was launched first in July 1882 (hence the class lead) versus Duguesclin in April 1883. Both took three more years of fitting out, and started either trials in January 1886 for Duguesclin and full completion of Vauban in March, commissioned later. That was nine years in construction, huge by British standards, but explained, like all large warships of the Marine Nationale built until the early 1900s, but under-invested naval shipyard working in an archaic way, and in the case of the Vaubans, some novelties in construction. Indeed, the Bayards were started almost at the same time in 1876-77 but only completed in 1882.

Design of the class

Hull and general design

They measured 81.55 m (267 ft 7 in) long at the waterline, 81.9 m (268 ft 8 in) long between perpendiculars, 84.7 m (277 ft 11 in) overall, more than the Bayards (81.2 waterline). The beam was 17.45 m (57 ft), same as the Bayards, and draft 7.39 m (24 ft 3 in), a bit less than the Bayards (7.49m). Displacement was calculated at 6,207.6 t (6,109.6 long tons; 6,842.7 short tons), less than the Bayards (6,360t). They kept the same minimal superstructure, small conning tower between the two sponsoned forward guns.

The hulls were made with iron plating, steel framing, and sheathed in wood but coppered in order to avoid biofouling while staying in tropical waters without maintenance and no dry dock facilities available (a great difference with the RN which spread out bases and drydocks across the Empire). These were the same issues faced by other naval powers of the time such as the Dutch and Spanish aboard. Typical for the period, their hulls had a pronounced tumblehome and pronounced, pointy ram bow. The crew ranged from 440 to 500 officers and enlisted men depending on their posting and mission. They generally were designed as command ships for smaller cruisers and gunboats when deployed abroad.
The steel hulls provided better compartmentation, but the remainder of the details were as the Bayard class. Duguesclin however had a peculiar sloping stern rising from the waterline in a convex curve unlike her sister.

Powerplant

Their propulsion was not innovative. They carried two 3-cylinder compound steam engines. Steam came from eight coal-burning fire-tube boilers, each having two fireboxes, so 16 total. These boilers were ducted into a single funnel astern of the conning tower. The expected output, as calculated to be 4,000 indicated horsepower (3,000 kW) and the top speed, 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph). They also carried 459 t (452 long tons; 506 short tons) of coal, for a steaming cruising radius of 2,380.5 nautical miles (4,408.7 km; 2,739.4 mi) at 12.8 knots (23.7 km/h; 14.7 mph). The complement was their brig sail rig presenting an area of 2,160 m2 (23,200 sq ft). It was smaller than for the Bayards, but thought enough for a lumbering pace of a few knots, and were at least easy to manage with a limited crew. Later in their careers it was removed while their thick military masts were adorned with fighting tops.

Protection

The Vauban class still kept wrought iron armour. Still was used for the structure underneath.
Belt: 250 mm (10 in) amidships, 152 mm (6 in) bottom edge, full length but down to 180 mm (7.1 in) bow, 150 mm (5.9 in) stern.
Belt height: 1.25 m (4 ft 1 in) above the waterline, 1.6 m (5 ft 3 in) below.
Armor deck: 50 mm (2 in) connected to the top edge of the belt.
Main battery barbettes: 200 mm (7.9 in) compound armour
Conning tower: 30 mm (1.2 in) iron walls.

Armament

Painting of a battle drill on Vauban class battleship in the 1880s “Le Vauban (cuirassé)” by Paul Jazet (1848-1918). Note the view from the “Q” amidship axial turret after the funnel and bridge. Note the peculiar gun shield sporting a “cross” for traverse and elevation.

Canon de 24 C modèle 1870

240 mm (9.4 in), 19-caliber M1870M guns mounted in individual barbette mounts, two forward placed abreast in sponsons and two aft, both on the centreline. No more data.

194 mm (7.6 in) 19.8-cal. M1870

Mounted at the bow as chase gun.

138.6 mm (5.46 in) 21.3-cal. M1870

Six for the secondary battery, in an unarmoured, central battery located amidships in the hull, three guns per broadside.

37 mm (1.5 in) 1-pounder Hotchkiss revolver

Twelve in all, all in individual mounts on various locations, notably on the upper transverse structure between the barbettes and encompassing the CT, on the main deck, and including in the two fighting tops. Duguesclin was later provided in addition with six 47mm/40 M1885 Hotchkiss guns (3-pdr).

356 mm (14 in) torpedo tubes

These two were above water launchers, fixed broadside, and supplied with M1880 torpedoes. No data on the latter.

Modifications

In 1888, Duguesclin received a pair of 47 mm (1.9 in) guns in place of two of her 37 mm guns.
In 1890, Vauban had a secondary conning position for the admiral and staff installed, protected by 25 mm (1 in) iron walls.
In 1893, Duguesclin received another four 47 mm guns.
In 1896–1897, Vauban was re-boilered
In 1898, Vauban was rearmed like her sister with ten 37mm, six 47mm but also eight 138.6 mm guns, but without additional ammunition magazines.

⚙ Vauban class specs.
Displacement	6,207.6 t (6,109.6 long tons; 6,842.7 short tons)
Dimensions	84.7 x 17.45 x 7.39 m (277 ft 11 in x 57 ft x 24 ft 3 in)
Propulsion	2 shafts compound steam engines, 8× fire-tube boilers 4,000 ihp (3,000 kW)
Speed	14 kn (26 km/h; 16 mph)
Range	2,380.5 nmi (4,408.7 km; 2,739.4 mi) at 12.8 knots (23.7 km/h; 14.7 mph)
Armament	4× 240 mm, 1× 194 mm, 6× 138.6 mm, 12 × 37 mm, 2 × 356 mm TT
Protection	Belt 150-250 mm, Barbettes 200 mm, Deck 50 mm, CT 30 mm
Crew	24 officers+ 450 enlisted men

Career of the Vauban class

Vauban

Vauban was built at Arsenal of Cherbourg, keel laid down on 1 August 1877, launched on 3 July 1882. Fitting-out consisted in the installation of her propulsion machinery between 20 October 1882 and 7 April 1884, and she was commissioned in March 1885, starting sea trials until April, and in full commission and active service only by 9 March 1886. She sailed to Toulon for the annual large-scale fleet manoeuvres with the Mediterranean Squadron off Toulon (10-17 May). Scenarios tested defence by torpedo boats of the coastline from ironclads. They were assisted by cruisers and showed they could break through a blockade. However, the flotilla of torpedo boats could intercept ironclads at sea only i favourable weather. In June, she was in Ajaccio, Corsica then Mers-el Kebir, French Algeria. On 8 June 1887 she was assigned to the Naval Division of the Levant for five years in Piraeus, Greece as station ship. She was back home ever summer for training exercises.

In 1890, Vauban was in the 3rd Division, Mediterranean Squadron as flagship, hosting Rear Admiral O’Neill with Duguesclin and Bayard. She took part in the annual fleet manoeuvres with her sister and six other ironclads, part of a simulated enemy force again from 30 June to 6 July as part of the 4th Division, 2nd Squadron with Duguesclin and Bayard. They were sent from Ora on 22 June to Brest and started on 2 July combined operations with the Northern Squadronn until 25 July and back to Toulon. During manoeuvres, machinery issues plagues most ships, including Vauban, which ball bearings overheated, forcing her to withdraw.

In the fleet manoeuvres of 1891, from 23 June, she was with the 3rd Division (Duguesclin and Bayard) until 11 July, this time in the defender fleet, against a simulated hostile force on the southern French coast. On 26 August 1892, Vauban was withdrawn and in 1893, reduced to the Reserve Division, rated as armored cruiser. In reserve she remained in commission and in reserve for six months of the year, reactivated to take part in training exercises. From 2 August 1894 to 5 February 1895, Vauban was a support vessel for Couronne, used as a gunnery training ship. By 1895 she was removed from the Reserve Division, reduced to the 2nd category reserve, but maintained still to be mobilized in case of major war. From 8 April 1896 she was reboilered, having sea trials on 29 March 1897.

In January 1898, she was fully recommissioned as station ship, sent to French Indochina with the cruisers Duguay-Trouin, Descartes and Pascal. She acted as flagship, remaining there for just a year until replaced by the cruiser D’Entrecasteaux in early 1899. She was then stationed in Saigon from 19 May 1899, for the next six years as a utility guardship. With the Boxer Uprising in 1900, she joined the ironclad Redoutable and the cruiser Guichen for a squadron exercise. While off Nagasaki in September 1900, Vauban suffered an accidental shell explosion in her forward magazine (5 wounded). She took no part in the Boxer war operations but remained available, and afterwards, the naval staff decided she was no longer useful so she was no longer funded in 1902 estimates, but kept in reserve in Saigon in 1903-04, with Redoutable and 9 gunboats. She was officially struck on 12 September 1905, but still in the inventory as depot ship for the 2nd Flotilla (torpedo boats) in Hongay, French Indochina until 1910. Then she returned to Saigon as submarine tender until 1914. From 1910 to 1911, she was briefly stationed at Rach-Dua. She was struck from the auxiliaries list on 21 May 1914, but remained again afloat for 5e years until sold for BU on 5 September 1919, approved on 9 October. Vauban was of course named after Sébastien Le Preste, famous general of Louis XIV and master fortification planner.

Duguesclin

Duguesclin was laid down at Arsenal de Rochefort in March 1877, launched on 7 April 1883, seeing her propulsion machinery installed in May and fitted out until 8 September 1884. She was commissioned on 1 January 1886, starting sea trials over several months, moved to Brest for more from 10 April, until June, but replaced in reserve from 28 July for hull repairs, recommissioned on 27 April 1887 for more trials, in reserve on 7 July, moved to Toulon with a reduced crew from 13 February 1888, and placed there in the 2nd category reserve. She was fully activated on 23 August 1888 for the annual fleet manoeuvres off Hyères from 30 August until 4 September, back to Toulon by the 10th.
On 20 March 1889, at last she was in full commission, assigned to the Eastern Mediterranean and Levant Squadron stationed in Greece (see above) with her sister Vauban, remaining active there until 1892, with annual training exercises back to Toulon. Duguesclin remained in the 3rd Division, Mediterranean Squadron in 1890 with Vauban and Bayard for more complex annual fleet manoeuvres with six other ironclads from 30 June to 6 July. She was versed for these in the 4th Division, 2nd Squadron and sent off Oran on 22 June before heading for Brest, for combined operations until 25 July, and back to Toulon.

With the annual exercises of 1891 from 23 June to 11 July, she operated with the defending “French” fleet. From 1 January 1893, she left the Eastern Mediterranean and Levant Squadron for the 2nd category reserve on 9 February, re-rated like her sister as armoured cruisers. She had full crews for six months yearly for annual training exercises. On 25 October 1894 she went into the 3rd category reserve, no longer in active service, but maintained to be mobilized in case of a major war. In 1899, she was not allocated funds for a modernization, and instead she decommissioned on 1 September 1903, struck on 10 October 1904, sold to M. Cerrutti of Genoa for scrapping on 3 August 1905, towed there. Unlike her sister, she was never deployed overseas.
Duguesclin was a famous Medieval Knight.