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FIGHTING SHIPS OF THE WORLD
FRANCE
SHIPS-OF-THE LINE, CAPITAL SHIPS AND MONITORS
TERRIBLE barbette ships (1887 - 1888)


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Caïman

Ships


Name No Yard No Builder Laid down Launched Comp Fate
Caïman     Arsenal de Toulon 12/1878 21.5.1885 1888 hulk 1913
Indomptable     Arsenal de Lorient 6/1878 18.9.1883 2/1887 hulk 1913
Requin     Ch de la Gironde, Bordeaux 12/1878 12.6.1885 12/1888 stricken 2.1920
Terrible     Arsenal de Brest 12/1877 1881 1/1887 stricken 1911


Technical data


Displacement normal, t

7530

Displacement full, t 
Length, m

82.8 pp 85.3 oa

Breadth, m

18.0

Draught, m

7.98 max

No of shafts

2

Machinery

Caïman, Indomptable, Terrible: 2 VC, 12 cylindrical boilers

Requin: 2 VC, 10 cylindrical boilers

Power, h. p.

6500

Max speed, kts

Caïman, Indomptable, Terrible: 14.5

Requin: 15

Fuel, t

coal 500

Endurance, nm(kts)

2000(10)

Armour, mm

Terrible: steel; belt: 500 - 200, barbettes: 450, tubes: 200, shields: 30, deck: 105, CT: 30

Caïman, Indomptable, Requin: compound; belt: 500 - 200, barbettes: 450, tubes: 200, shields: 30 (steel), deck: 105, CT: 30 (steel)

Armament

Terrible: 2 x 1 - 420/19 M1875, 4 x 1 - 100/26 M1881, 4 x 1 - 47/40 M1885, 16 x 5 - 37/20 M1885, 4 - 350 TT (beam)

Caïman, Indomptable, Requin: 2 x 1 - 420/22 M1875, 4 x 1 - 100/26 M1881, 2 x 1 - 47/40 M1885, 16 x 5 - 37/20 M1885, 4 - 350 TT (beam)

Complement

373



Standard scale images


<i>Requin</i> 1888
Requin 1888
<i>Requin </i>1916
Requin 1916


Graphics


<i>Caïman</i>
Caïman
<i>Requin </i> 
Requin  
<i>Requin </i>after refit
Requin after refit
<i>Indomptable</i>
Indomptable
<i>Indomptable </i>after refit
Indomptable after refit


Project history

This class bore little resemblance to the Admiral Duperré, their ancestor being the coast defence battleship Tonnant, and were of moderately low freeboard. There were 10 or 11 transverse watertight bulkheads. The 420mm guns were slow-firing and far less powerful than the British 413mm. The guns in Terrible had to be cut back because of proving ground failures near the muzzle.

Ship protection

The complete belt was almost entirely submerged at normal load and was 500mm amidships with a 400mm lower edge reduced to 300-250mm forward and 300-200mm aft. The barbette bases were unarmoured except for the tube which was taken to the armour deck. This was at the belt upper edge and of 80mm max iron or steel over 25mm steel.

Modernizations

1898, Terrible: - 2 x 1 - 420/19; + 2 x 1 - 340/35 M1893

1901, Caïman, Indomptable: - 2 x 1 - 42/22, 4 x 1 - 100/26, 16 x 5 - 37/20, 2 - 350 TT; + 2 x 1 - 274/40 M1893-96, 6 x 1 - 100/45 M1891, 12 x 1 - 47/40 M1885

1901, Requin: machinery was replaced by 2 VTE and 12 Niclausse boilers (11200hp, 15kts), original four funnels in close pairs abreast were replaced by two funnels on centreline; - 2 x 1 - 420/22, 4 x 1 - 100/26, 16 x 5 - 37/20, 4 - 350 TT; + 2 x 1 - 274/40 M1893-96, 6 x 1 - 100/45 M1891, 12 x 1 - 47/40 M1885

Naval service

No significant events.