Descartes 1896
| Name | No | Yard No | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Comp | Fate |
| Descartes | A C de la Loire, St-Nazaire | 8/1892 | 27.9.1894 | 7/1896 | disarmed 1917, stricken 5.1920 | ||
| Pascal | Arsenal de Toulon | 12/1893 | 26.9.1895 | 1897 | stricken 1911 |
|
Displacement normal, t |
3960 |
|
Displacement full, t |
|
|
Length, m |
96.3 pp 99.0 oa |
|
Breadth, m |
13.0 |
|
Draught, m |
6.50 max |
|
No of shafts |
2 |
|
Machinery |
2 VTE, 16 Belleville boilers |
|
Power, h. p. |
8500 |
|
Max speed, kts |
19.5 |
|
Fuel, t |
coal 543 |
|
Endurance, nm(kts) |
5500(10) |
|
Armour, mm |
steel; deck: 45 with 60mm slopes, shields: 50, CT: 70 |
|
Armament |
Descartes: 4 x 1 - 165/45 M1891, 10 x 1 - 100/45 M1891, 8 x 1 - 47/40 M1885, 4 x 1 - 37/20 M1885, 2 - 450 TT (aw, beam) Pascal: 4 x 1 - 165/45 M1891, 10 x 1 - 100/45 M1891, 14 x 1 - 47/40 M1885, 8 x 1 - 37/20 M1885, 2 - 450 TT (aw, beam) |
|
Complement |
Descartes: 383 Pascal: 401 |
Project history: Two-funnelled cruisers with plough bows and tumblehome. They were wood-sheathed and coppered. The 165mm guns were in midships sponsons on the upper deck, while of the 100mm two were abreast forward and aft on the forecastle deck and four forward and two aft on the upper deck, the sides being recessed for axial fire. Descartes was reported as attaining 21.8kts on trials, but both had to be ballasted to improve stability and in Descartes, at least, the magazines were excessively hot.
Ship protection: The 100mm guns had 50mm shields with 70mm on the CT, and the armour deck was 45mm total on the flat amidships with 60mm slopes. There was a cellular layer above the armour deck and a light debris deck below over the machinery spaces.
Modernizations: None.
Naval service: Descartes collided with Spanish s/s Telesfora and British s/s Strathmore during WWI. In 1917 she was laid up to reserve and disarmed.
© Ivan Gogin, 2014