NAVYPEDIA

Photo

Amiral Baudin as built

Ships

Name	No	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comp	Fate
Amiral Baudin			Arsenal de Brest	10/1879	5.6.1883	12/1888	hulk 1909
Formidable			Arsenal de Lorient	9/1879	16.4.1885	2/1889	stricken 1911

Technical data

Displacement normal, t	11720
Displacement full, t
Length, m	101.0 wl
Breadth, m	21.3
Draught, m	8.46 max
No of shafts	2
Machinery	2 VC, 12 cylindrical boilers
Power, h. p.	Amiral Baudin: 8400 Formidable: 9700
Max speed, kts	Amiral Baudin: 15 Formidable: 16
Fuel, t	coal 790
Endurance, nm(kts)	Amiral Baudin: 3000(10) Formidable: 3200(10)
Armour, mm	steel and compound; belt: 550 - 350, barbettes: 400, tubes: 400, shields: 30, deck: 100 - 75, CT: 120 - 80
Armament	Amiral Baudin: 3 x 1 - 370/28 M1875-79, 4 x 1 - 165/30 M1884, 8 x 1 - 139/28 M1881, 4 x 1 - 47/40 M1885, 1 x 5 - 47/20 M1885, 14 x 5 - 37/20 M1885, 6 - 380 TT (1 bow, 4 beam, 1 stern, aw) Formidable: 3 x 1 - 370/28 M1875-79, 4 x 1 - 165/30 M1884, 10 x 1 - 139/28 M1881, 1 x 1 - 47/40 M1885, 12 x 5 - 47/20 M1885, 18 x 5 - 37/20 M1885, 6 - 380 TT (1 bow, 4 beam, 1 stern, aw)
Complement	Amiral Baudin: 625 Formidable: 650

Standard scale images

Graphics

Project history

With this class there was a return to the high-freeboard barbette ship with pronounced ram bow and considerable tumblehome.The 370mm guns had about the same performance as the early British 343mm weapons. They were 71.4t Creusot in Baudin and 75.1t St Chamond in Formidable and were in 3 single barbettes on the centreline, forward, midships and aft. The 165mm were in fore and aft main deck sponsons and the 139mm on the main deck. Both ships had military foremasts but differed in Formidable having a larger funnel. Their chief fault was the large area of unprotected side from just above the waterline.

Ship protection

The steel belt was complete and 2.2m wide but only about 0.3m above water; amidships it was 550mm tapering to 500mm at the upper edge and 400mm at the lower, while forward it was 390-350mm and aft 350mm. The shallow barbettes were compound with steel ammunition tubes. The armour deck was at the belt upper edge slightly crowned on the centreline and was 100-75mm steel. 

Modernizations

1898, Amiral Baudin: - 1 x 1 - 370/28 (midships), 8 x 1 - 139/28, 12 x 5 - 47/40, 12 x 5 - 37/20, 2 - 380 TT (beam); + 4 x 1 - 165/30 M1884, 8 x 1 - 139/45 M1887, 2 x 1 - 65/50 M1891, 16 x 1 - 47/40 M1885, 6 x 1 - 37/20 M1885

1898, Formidable: - 1 x 1 - 370/28 (midships), 2 - 380 TT (beam); + 4 x 1 - 165/30 M1884

Naval service

No significant events.