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FIGHTING SHIPS OF THE WORLD
FRANCE
CRUISERS
DUPLEIX armoured cruisers (1903 - 1904)
Ships
| Name | No | Yard No | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Comp | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Desaix | F C de la Loire, St-Nazaire | 11/1897 | 21.3.1901 | 1904 | stricken 6.1921 | ||
| Dupleix | Arsenal de Rochefort | 2/1898 | 28.4.1900 | 1903 | stricken 1919 | ||
| Kléber | F C de la Gironde, Bordeaux | 4/1898 | 20.9.1902 | 1904 | sunk 27.6.1917 |
Technical data
| Displacement normal, t | Desaix: 7547 Dupleix: 7432 Kléber: 7602 |
|---|---|
| Displacement full, t | |
| Length, m | 130.0 wl |
| Breadth, m | 17.8 |
| Draught, m | 7.42 max |
| No of shafts | 3 |
| Machinery | Desaix, Dupleix: 3 VTE, 24 Belleville boilers Kléber: 3 VTE, 20 Niclausse boilers |
| Power, h. p. | 17500 |
| Max speed, kts | 20.7 - 21 |
| Fuel, t | coal 1180 |
| Endurance, nm(kts) | 6400(10) |
| Armour, mm | Harvey nickel steel; belt: 100 - 40, turrets: 160 - 120, turret bases: 120 - 40, deck: 70 - 50, CT: 80 |
| Armament | 4 x 2 - 165/45 M1893-96, 4 x 1 - 100/45 M1893, 10 x 1 - 47/40 M1885, 4 x 1 - 37/20 M1885, 2 - 450 TT (sub, beam) |
| Complement | 531 |
Project history
A class of smaller, weakly armed ships with the forecastle deck taken beyond the after turret, four funnels in groups of two and pole masts. There was a small ram at the waterline.
Ship protection
The belt ran from the bows to 19m from the stern and from 1.2m below to 2.1m above water rising to 2.4m at the bows; it was 100mm reduced to 80mm forward and to 40mm at the lower edge with a 90mm after bulkhead. The armour deck had high slopes with a total thickness of 70mm amidships and the crown at the level of the belt upper edge was 40mm. Forward and aft the deck totalled 50mm. The cellular layer was mostly unprotected by the side armour. The 165mm turrets were fore and aft on the forecastle deck with one on each beam at upper deck level. The 160mm armour was at the rear of the turrets, presumably for balancing purposes, and the 100mm guns were in unprotected ports on the upper deck.
Modernizations
1917, Desaix: - 4 x 1 - 100/45; + 2 x 1 - 47/50 M1902 AA
Naval service
Kléber was stranded and refloated under Turkish gunfire off Gallipoli 29-31.5.1915, later she collided with British cargo vessel 7.7.1915 off Mudros and was under repair till October. She was sunk by a mine, laid by German submarine UC61, at the entrance to Brest 27.6.1917.
