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Saint-Louis

Ships

Name	No	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comp	Fate
Charlemagne			Arsenal de Brest	2.8.1894	17.10.1895	12.9.1897	stricken 6.1920
Saint-Louis			Arsenal de Lorient	25.3.1895	2.9.1896	15.9.1900	TS 2.1919, hulk 6.1920
Gaulois			Arsenal de Brest	6.1.1896	6.10.1896	23.10.1899	sunk 27.12.1916

Technical data

Displacement normal, t	11100
Displacement full, t	11300
Length, m	114.0 pp 117.7 wl
Breadth, m	20.2
Draught, m	8.38 max
No of shafts	3
Machinery	3 VTE, 20 Belleville boilers
Power, h. p.	15000
Max speed, kts	18
Fuel, t	coal 1080
Endurance, nm(kts)	4200(10)
Armour, mm	Harvey Nickel steel; belt: 400 - 250, upper belt: 100, main turrets: 380, turret bases: 200, battery: 80, CT: 330, deck: 90 - 40
Armament	2 x 2 - 305/40 M1893-96, 10 x 1 - 139/45 M1891-93, 8 x 1 - 100/45 M1893, 20 x 1 - 47/40 M1885, 4 x 1 - 37/20 M1885, 4 - 450 TT (beam, 2 aw, 2 sub)
Complement	694

Standard scale images

Graphics

Project history

The first French battleships with two twin mountings for the heavy guns as was usual in most other navies. They were spoilt by the low displacement and in particular the small beam, and like previous French ships were exceedingly vulnerable to damage above the waterline. The 305mm guns were in centre pivot turrets at forecastle and upper deck level, whilst 8 of the 139mm were at upper deck level in the battery, the amidships part of which was sponsoned out over the tumblehome. The two other 139mm were in shields at forecastle deck level with the 100mm on the superstructure, and there were two relatively light military masts.

Ship protection

The bell was complete and extended from 0.5m above to 1.5m below water. Amidships it was 370mm for the upper 0.7m, tapering lo 200mm at the lower edge and to 300-250mm at the ends. The upper bell was taken to the main deck forward but elsewhere only to a height of 1m. There was a cofferdam inboard of this and the usual cellular layer between the armour decks. Of the latter, the deck at the belt upper edge had a max total thickness of 85mm and that at the lower edge 40mm to 20mm.

Modernizations

early 1900s: - 2 - 450 TT (aw).

Naval service

All three ships took part in the First World War and Gaulois was seriously damaged and had to be beached in the Dardanelles attack on 18.3.1915. The damage was caused by a large shell which burst below water close to the port bow and tore the hull plating below the armour shelf for 7.6m. The flood water spread via faulty ventilation trunks and Gaulois was lucky to survive. She was sunk the following year, 27.12.1916, by a torpedo from UB47 about 80 miles from Milo, remaining afloat for 25 minutes.