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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

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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.