home

fighting ships of the world

FRENCH NAVY (FRANCE)

CRUISERS

ERNEST RENAN armoured cruiser (1909)

Ernest Renan 1912

Name No Yard No Builder Laid down Launched Comp Fate
Ernest Renan     A C de la Loire et Penhoët, St-Nazaire 7/1904 3.6.1906 2.1909 gunnery TS 1927, stricken 1931

 

Displacement normal, t

13504

Displacement full, t

 

Length, m

159.0

Breadth, m

21.3

Draught, m

8.36 max

No of shafts

3

Machinery

3 VTE, 42 Niclausse boilers

Power, h. p.

36000

Max speed, kts

23

Fuel, t

coal 2260

Endurance, nm(kts) 10000(10)
Armour, mm belt: 150 - 60, turrets: 200, turret bases: 180 - 100, secondary turrets: 165 - 130, bases of secondary turrets: 130 - 65, casemates: 140, lower deck: 65 - 45, main deck: 35, CT: 200

Armament

2 x 2 - 194/50 M1902, 12 x 1 - 165/45 M1893-96M, 16 x 1 - 65/50 M1902, 8 x 1 - 47/50 M1902, 2 x 1 - 37/20 M1885, 2 - 450 TT (sub, beam)

Complement 824

Project history: Originally intended to be on Léon Gambetta class, but later altered and hull was lengthened to obtain higher speed. Fastest French armoured cruiser: on trials she made 24.4kts at 37685hp. In days of WWI a coal stowage was decreased to 1870t, mainmast was removed.

Ship protection: Main belt extended from 1.3m below water to 2.3m above and to upper deck in fwd part between stem and the aft end of fwd 164/45mm casemate, ending by 90mm bulkhead just near the stern. Its thickness was 150mm (between just fwd of the foremast and just abaft the mainmast) reducing to 100mm forward, 85mm aft and 60mm to the upper deck forward. Thickness of main belt near ship ends was 100mm decreasing to 70mm at raising fore part. Lower deck had 45mm flat part (increasing to 70mm over the rudder) connecting with lower edge of main belt by 65mm slopes. 35mm flat medium deck connected with top of main belt. A space between these decks was divided into many small compartments, filled with coal or stores. Casemates had 65mm rears, closed by 120mm fwd transverse bulkhead. Main turrets had 50mm crowns, secondary had 30mm.

Modernizations: 1916 - 1917: - 4 x 1 - 47/50; + 4 x 1 - 47/50 M1902 AA.

1919 - 1922: + 2 x 1 - 65/50 M1902 AA, kite balloon

1927: - balloon; + 1 seaplane

Naval service: Since 1927 Ernest Renan was used as gunnery TS, in 1931 converted to target vessel and sunk on manoeuvres.

Ernest Renan 1912

© Ivan Gogin, 2008-14