French cruiser Linois (1894)

Last updated

French cruiser Linois.jpg
Linois sometime before 1896
History
Civil and Naval Ensign of France.svgFrance
NameLinois
Builder Société Nouvelle des Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée
Laid downAugust 1892
Launched30 January 1894
Completed1895
Stricken1910
Fate Broken up
General characteristics
Class and type Linois-class cruiser
Displacement2,285 to 2,318 long tons (2,322 to 2,355  t)
Length98 m (321 ft 6 in) loa
Beam10.62 m (34 ft 10 in)
Draft5.44 m (17 ft 10 in)
Installed power
Propulsion
Speed20.5 knots (38.0 km/h; 23.6 mph)
Range3,000  nmi (5,600 km; 3,500 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Complement250–269
Armament
Armor

Linois was the lead ship of her class of protected cruisers built for the French Navy in the 1890s. The class was ordered as part of a construction program directed at strengthening the fleet's cruiser force. At the time, France was concerned with the growing naval threat of the Italian and German fleets, and the new cruisers were intended to serve with the main fleet, and overseas in the French colonial empire. Linois was armed with a main battery of four 138.6 mm (5.5 in) guns, was protected by an armored deck 40 mm (1.6 in) thick, and had a top speed of 20.5 knots (38.0 km/h; 23.6 mph).

Contents

Linois was completed in 1895 and joined the Mediterranean Squadron the next year, serving as part of the cruiser force of the main French battle fleet. She took part in training exercises during this period, which sometimes included joint maneuvers with the Northern Squadron. The ship was involved in a show of force meant to intimidate the Ottoman Empire in 1902 during a period of tension with France. Linois remained in service with the squadron until 1905, and was struck from the naval register in 1910 and broken up for scrap.

Design

Plan and profile drawing of the Linois class French cruiser Linois plan and profile.jpg
Plan and profile drawing of the Linois class

In response to a war scare with Italy in the late 1880s, the French Navy embarked on a major construction program in 1890 to counter the threat of the fleets of Italy and its ally Germany. The plan called for a total of seventy cruisers for use in home waters and overseas in the French colonial empire. The Linois class was ordered as part of the program, [1] [2] and the design was based on the earlier Forbin class. [3]

Linois was 98 m (321 ft 6 in) long overall, with a beam of 10.62 m (34 ft 10 in) and a draft of 5.44 m (17 ft 10 in). She displaced 2,285 to 2,318 long tons (2,322 to 2,355  t ). Her crew varied over the course of her career, amounting to 250–269 officers and enlisted men. The ship's propulsion system consisted of a pair of triple-expansion steam engines driving two screw propellers. Steam was provided by six coal-burning fire-tube boilers that were ducted into two funnels. Her machinery was rated to produce 6,800 indicated horsepower (5,100  kW ) for a top speed of 20.5 knots (38.0 km/h; 23.6 mph). [4] She had a cruising radius of 3,000 nautical miles (5,600 km; 3,500 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) and 600 nmi (1,100 km; 690 mi) at 20.5 knots. [5]

The ship was armed with a main battery of four 138.6 mm (5.5 in) 45-caliber guns in individual pivot mounts, all in sponsons located amidships with two guns per broadside. These were supported by a secondary battery that consisted of a pair of 100 mm (3.9 in) guns, one at the bow and the other at the stern. For close-range defense against torpedo boats, she carried eight 47 mm (1.9 in) 3-pounder Hotchkiss guns, two 37 mm (1.5 in) guns, and four 37 mm Hotchkiss revolver cannon. She was also armed with four 450 mm (17.7 in) torpedo tubes in her hull above the waterline, and she could carry up to 120  naval mines. Armor protection consisted of a curved armor deck 40 mm (1.6 in) thick, and 138 mm (5 in) plating on the conning tower. [4]

Service history

Linois early in her career, before 1898 French cruiser Linois at anchor.jpg
Linois early in her career, before 1898

Linois was built at the Société Nouvelle des Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée shipyard in La Seyne-sur-Mer. She was laid down in August 1892, the first member of her class to begin construction. She was launched on 30 January 1894, and completed in 1895. [4] [6] The ship conducted her sea trials later that year, [7] including tests in July and August. [8] Linois was assigned to the Mediterranean Squadron in 1896, serving in the cruiser force for the main French fleet, along with three armored cruisers, three protected cruisers, and four torpedo cruisers. [9] The maneuvers for that year took place from 6 to 30 July. [10] She remained with the unit through 1897. [11] By 1899, the unit had been strengthened with new ships, allowing older, less effective vessels to be sent elsewhere. By that time, the unit consisted of six pre-dreadnought battleships, three armored cruisers, seven other protected cruisers, and several smaller vessels in addition to Linois. [12] The unit remained largely unchanged in 1900, apart from the reduction in the number of protected cruisers to five, including Linois. [13]

She operated with the Mediterranean Squadron in 1901. [14] That year, the annual fleet maneuvers were conducted from 3 to 28 July. During the exercises, the Northern Squadron steamed south for joint maneuvers with the Mediterranean Squadron. The Northern Squadron ships formed part of the hostile force, and as it was entering the Mediterranean from the Atlantic, represented a German squadron attempting to meet its Italian allies. [15] On 30 October, Linois joined elements of the Mediterranean Squadron to conduct what were purported to be tests with wireless telegraphy, but was in fact a show of force in the Aegean Sea to intimidate the Ottoman Empire. Relations between the two were poor at the time. On 6 November, two of the battleships and several cruisers, including Linois, were detached to sail east for the operation. The cruisers proceeded independently from the battleships and met them at Mytilene on the island of Lesbos. The ships then re-formed and arrived back in Toulon on 9 December. [16]

One of the Linois-class cruisers before 1905 Linois-class cruiser.jpg
One of the Linois-class cruisers before 1905

The ship continued to serve in the squadron through 1902. [17] During the 1902 fleet maneuvers, which began on 7 July, the Northern Squadron attempted to force a passage through the Strait of Gibraltar. The cruisers of the Mediterranean Squadron, including Linois, conducted patrols from their base at Mers El Kébir to observe their entrance and signal the rest of the fleet. After successfully detecting the simulated enemy squadron, they shadowed the vessels until the rest of the Mediterranean Squadron assembled, but the Northern Squadron commander was able to shake his pursuers long enough to prevent them from intercepting his force before the end of the exercises on 15 July. Further maneuvers with the combined fleet took place, concluding on 5 August. [18] The ship remained in service with the squadron through 1905. [19] [20] [21] In March 1905, in late March, she and the cruiser Du Chayla were present in Tangier during a visit by the German armored cruiser Friedrich Carl and the passenger steamer SS Hamburg, carrying German Kaiser Wilhelm II. The visit precipitated the First Moroccan Crisis between France and Germany. [22] She was struck from the naval register in 1910 and sold to ship breakers for disposal. [4] [6]

Notes

  1. ↑ Ropp, pp. 195–197.
  2. ↑ Campbell, pp. 310–311.
  3. ↑ Dorn & Drake, p. 49.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Campbell, p. 310.
  5. ↑ France, p. 33.
  6. 1 2 Smigielski, p. 193.
  7. ↑ Brassey 1895, p. 27.
  8. ↑ France, p. 38.
  9. ↑ Brassey 1896, p. 62.
  10. ↑ Thursfield, pp. 164–167.
  11. ↑ Brassey 1897, p. 57.
  12. ↑ Brassey 1899, p. 71.
  13. ↑ Leyland 1900, p. 64.
  14. ↑ Leyland 1901, p. 72.
  15. ↑ Leyland 1902, pp. 119–120.
  16. ↑ Jordan & Caresse, pp. 218–219.
  17. ↑ Brassey 1902, p. 48.
  18. ↑ Leyland 1903, pp. 139–152.
  19. ↑ Brassey 1903, p. 58.
  20. ↑ Brassey 1904, p. 88.
  21. ↑ Brassey 1905, p. 42.
  22. ↑ Hildebrand, Röhr, & Steinmetz, pp. 117–118.

Related Research Articles

French ironclad <i>Dévastation</i>

The Dévastation was an Dévastation-class ironclad battleship of the French Navy of central battery (casemate) design. She was used as a school ship for manoeuvres.

French ironclad <i>Courbet</i> Battleship of the French Navy

Courbet was an Dévastation-class ironclad central battery battleship of the French Navy.

French ironclad <i>Formidable</i> Ironclad warship of the French Navy

Formidable was an ironclad barbette ship built for the French Navy between her keel laying in late 1879 and her completion in early 1889. She was the second and final member of the Amiral Baudin class. The ships of the class was designed in response to Italian naval expansion, and carried a main battery of three 370 mm (14.6 in) guns all mounted in open barbettes on the centerline. The armament was chosen after public pressure to compete with the very large guns mounted on the latest Italian ironclads.

French ironclad <i>Magenta</i> (1890) Ironclad warship of the French Navy

Magenta was an ironclad barbette ship of the French Navy built in the 1880s and early 1890s. She was the third and final member of the Marceau class. The Marceau class was based on the earlier Amiral Baudin class of barbette ships, but with smaller guns: four 340 mm (13.4 in) weapons compared to the three 420 mm (16.5 in) guns of the earlier vessels. The ships introduced the lozenge arrangement for their main battery that became common for many French capital ships built in the 1890s. Magenta and her sister ships suffered from a number of problems, including poor stability, insufficient armor protection, and excessive displacement.

French ironclad <i>Amiral Baudin</i> Ironclad warship of the French Navy

Amiral Baudin was an ironclad barbette ship of the French Navy built in the late 1870s and 1880s. She was the lead ship of the Amiral Baudin class, which included one other vessel, Formidable. The Amiral Baudin class was designed in response to Italian naval expansion, and carried a main battery of three 370 mm (14.6 in) guns all mounted in open barbettes on the centerline. The armament was chosen after public pressure to compete with the very large guns mounted on the latest Italian ironclads. Amiral Baudin was laid down in 1879 and was completed in 1888.

French ironclad <i>Hoche</i> Ironclad warship of the French Navy

Hoche was an ironclad battleship built as a hybrid barbette–turret ship for the French Navy in the 1880s. Originally designed in response to very large Italian ironclads along the lines of the French Amiral Baudin class, by the time work on Hoche began, changes in French design philosophy led to a radical re-design that provided the basis for a generation of French capital ships. Her armament was reduced in size compared to the Amiral Baudins, and was placed in the lozenge arrangement that would be used for most French capital ships into the 1890s. Hoche suffered from serious stability problems that resulted from her large superstructure and low freeboard, which required extensive work later in her career to correct. The ship incorporated new technologies for the French Navy, including gun turrets for some of her main battery guns and compound armor plate.

French ironclad <i>Amiral Duperré</i> Ironclad warship of the French Navy

Amiral Duperré was an ironclad barbette ship built for the French Navy in the 1870s and 1880s; she was the first vessel of that type built by France. She carried her main battery of four 34 cm (13.4 in) guns individually in open barbette mountings, which offered increased fields of fire compared to earlier central battery ships, though they were less well protected. Amiral Duperré was ordered as part of a French naval construction program aimed at countering the growth of the Italian fleet, which had begun work on the very large ironclads of the Duilio and Italia classes in the early 1870s. The Italian vessels, armed with 45 cm (17.7 in) guns, prompted public outcry in France that pressured the navy to develop larger guns for its own ships. Amiral Duperré's design served as the basis for several follow-on classes, including the Bayard and Amiral Baudin classes.

French cruiser <i>Milan</i> Late-19th-century unprotected cruiser in the French Navy

Milan was a late-19th-century unprotected cruiser in the French Navy. At the time of her completion, Milan was considered by several publications to be the fastest warship in the world. The warship was the last unprotected cruiser in French naval service, and Milan's design influenced the construction of later protected cruisers.

<i>Linois</i>-class cruiser Protected cruiser class of the French Navy

The Linois class comprised three protected cruisers of the French Navy built in the early 1890s; the three ships were Linois, Galilée, and Lavoisier. They were ordered as part of a naval construction program directed at France's rivals, Italy and Germany, particularly after Italy made progress in modernizing its own fleet. The plan was also intended to remedy a deficiency in cruisers that had been revealed during training exercises in the 1880s. As such, the Linois-class cruisers were intended to operate as fleet scouts and in the French colonial empire. The ships were armed with a main battery of four 138.6 mm (5.46 in) guns supported by two 100 mm (3.9 in) guns and they had a top speed of 20.5 knots.

French ironclad <i>Vauban</i> Ironclad warship of the French Navy

Vauban was the lead ship of the Vauban class of ironclad barbette ships built for the French Navy in the late 1870s and 1880s. Intended for service in the French colonial empire, she was designed as a "station ironclad", smaller versions of the first-rate vessels built for the main fleet. The Vauban class was a scaled down variant of Amiral Duperré. They carried their main battery of four 240 mm (9.4 in) guns in open barbettes, two forward side-by-side and the other two aft on the nautical. Vauban was laid down in 1879 and was completed in 1885.

French cruiser <i>Tage</i> Protected cruiser of the French Navy

Tage was a protected cruiser built for the French Navy in the 1880s, the second vessel of that type built for the French fleet. The design was based on the previous cruiser, Sfax, and like that vessel, Tage was intended to be used as a commerce raider to attack merchant shipping. As such, she carried a barque sailing rig to supplement her steam engines for long voyages overseas. Tage was armed with a main battery of eight 164 mm (6.5 in) guns and had a curved armor deck that was 51 to 56 mm thick.

French cruiser <i>Forbin</i> Protected cruiser of the French Navy

Forbin was a protected cruiser, the lead ship of the Forbin class, built in the late 1880s for the French Navy. The class was built as part of a construction program intended to provide scouts for the main battle fleet. They were based on the earlier unprotected cruiser Milan, with the addition of an armor deck to improve their usefulness in battle. They had a high top speed for the time, at around 20 knots, and they carried a main battery of four 138 mm (5.4 in) guns.

French cruiser <i>Surcouf</i> Protected cruiser of the French Navy

Surcouf was the second Forbin-class protected cruiser built for the French Navy in the late 1880s and early 1890s. The Forbin-class cruisers were built as part of a construction program intended to provide scouts for the main battle fleet. They were based on the earlier unprotected cruiser Milan, with the addition of an armor deck to improve their usefulness in battle. They had a high top speed for the time, at around 20 knots, and they carried a main battery of four 138 mm (5.4 in) guns.

French cruiser <i>Lalande</i> Protected cruiser of the French Navy

Lalande was a protected cruiser of the Troude class built for the French Navy in the late 1880s and early 1890s. The class was built as part of a construction program intended to provide scouts for the main battle fleet. They were based on the preceding Forbin class, the primary improvement being the addition of armor to the conning tower. Lalande was built in the 1880s and was completed in late 1890. She was armed with a main battery of four 138 mm (5.4 in) guns, protected with an armor deck that was 41 mm (1.6 in) thick, and had a top speed of 20.5 knots.

French cruiser <i>Galilée</i> Protected cruiser of the French Navy

Galilée was a protected cruiser of the French Navy built in the 1890s; she was the second member of the Linois class, which was ordered as part of a construction program directed at strengthening the fleet's cruiser force. At the time, France was concerned with the growing naval threat of the Italian and German fleets, and the new cruisers were intended to serve with the main fleet, and overseas in the French colonial empire. Galilée was armed with a main battery of four 138.6 mm (5.5 in) guns, was protected by an armor deck that was 40 mm (1.6 in) thick and she had a top speed of 20.5 knots.

French cruiser <i>DAssas</i> Protected cruiser of the French Navy

D'Assas was the lead ship of her class of protected cruisers built for the French Navy in the 1890s. The D'Assas-class cruisers were ordered as part of a construction program directed at strengthening the fleet's cruiser force. At the time, France was concerned with the growing naval threat of the Italian and German fleets, and the new cruisers were intended to serve with the main fleet, and overseas in the French colonial empire. D'Assas was armed with a main battery of six 164 mm (6.5 in) guns, was protected by an armor deck that was 70 to 80 mm thick, and was capable of steaming at a top speed of 20 knots.

French cruiser <i>Cassard</i> Protected cruiser of the French Navy

Cassard was a D'Assas-class protected cruiser built for the French Navy in the 1890s. The D'Assas-class cruisers were ordered as part of a construction program directed at strengthening the fleet's cruiser force at a time the country was concerned with the growing naval threat of the Italian and German fleets. The new cruisers were intended to serve with the main fleet and overseas in the French colonial empire. Cassard was armed with a main battery of six 164 mm (6.5 in) guns, was protected by an armor deck that was 70 to 80 mm thick, and was capable of steaming at a top speed of 20 knots.

French cruiser <i>Du Chayla</i> Protected cruiser of the French Navy

Du Chayla was a protected cruiser built for the French Navy in the 1890s; she was a member of the D'Assas class. The D'Assas-class cruisers were ordered as part of a construction program directed at strengthening the fleet's cruiser force at a time the country was concerned with the growing naval threat of the Italian and German fleets. The new cruisers were intended to serve with the main fleet and overseas in the French colonial empire. Du Chayla was armed with a main battery of six 164 mm (6.5 in) guns, was protected by an armor deck that was 70 to 80 mm thick, and was capable of steaming at a top speed of 20 knots.

French cruiser <i>Cassini</i>

Cassini was the second member of the D'Iberville class of torpedo cruisers built for the French Navy in the 1890s. The class is also sometimes classified as torpedo gunboats or torpedo avisos. The D'Iberville-class ships were a development of earlier torpedo cruisers, with the chief improvement being a significantly higher speed. Cassini was armed with three 450 mm (17.7 in) torpedo tubes and a single 100 mm (3.9 in) gun as her primary offensive armament.

French cruiser <i>Casabianca</i>

Casabianca was the third and final member of the D'Iberville class of torpedo cruisers built for the French Navy in the 1890s. The class is also sometimes classified as torpedo gunboats or torpedo avisos. The D'Iberville-class ships were a development of earlier torpedo cruisers, with the chief improvement being a significantly higher speed. Casabianca was armed with three 450 mm (17.7 in) torpedo tubes and a single 100 mm (3.9 in) gun as her primary offensive armament.

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.