French battleship Jauréguiberry
Encyclopedia
Jauréguiberry was a pre-dreadnought battleship of the French Navy
, launched in 1893. She was one of the class of five roughly similar battleships built in the 1890s, including Masséna, Bouvet
, Carnot
, and Charles Martel; Jauréguiberry and the latter two are sometimes erroneously referenced as a single class. She was named after Admiral Bernard Jauréguiberry
.
Jauréguiberry was in the Mediterranean when World War I
began and she spent most of 1914 escorting troop convoys from North Africa and India to France. She supported French troops during the Gallipolli Campaign
in 1915 before she became guardship at Port Said from 1916 for the rest of the war. Upon her return to France in 1919 she became an accommodation hulk until 1932. She was sold for scrapping in 1934.
The Charles Martel group of battleships all shared the same layout for their main and secondary armament—a design that minimised the cramped upper decks produced by the pronounced tumblehome
favoured by French designers, and capitalised on the bulging sides of the vessels. The bow and stern turrets had only a single gun and were placed uncomfortably close to the extremities of the ship in Jauréguiberry because she was some 7 metres (23 ft) shorter than the other ships in the group. The single turrets of the secondary armament were mounted on the ship's beam, while the 138 millimetres (5.4 in) guns were mounted in four twin turrets sited symmetrically behind and outboard of the main gun turrets.
of 23 metre and a draught
of 8.45 metre. She displaced 11818 tonnes (11,631 LT) at normal load and 12229 tonnes (12,035.8 LT) at full load. In 1905 her captain described her as an excellent sea-boat and a good fighting ship, although her secondary armament was too light. He also said that she was stable and well laid-out with good living conditions.
s provided steam for the engines at a pressure of 15 kg/cm2. She normally carried 750 tonnes (738 LT) of coal, but could carry a maximum of 1080 tonnes (1,063 LT). This gave her a radius of action of 3920 nautical mile at 10 knots (5.4 m/s).
Canon de 305 mm Modèle 1887 guns in two single-gun turrets, one each fore and aft. Each turret had an arc of fire of 250°. The guns could probably be depressed to −5° and elevated to 15°. They fired 340 kilograms (749.6 lb) projectiles at the rate of 1 round per minute at a muzzle velocity
of 780 metres per second (2,559.1 ft/s) which gave a range of 12000 m (13,123.4 yd) at maximum elevation.
Her secondary armament consisted of two 274 millimetres (10.8 in) Canon de 274 mm Modèle 1887 guns in two single-gun turrets, one amidships on each side, sponson
ed out over the tumblehome of the ship's sides. Eight 45-calibre 138 mm Canon de 138.6 mm Modèle 1891 guns were mounted in manually operated twin turrets at the corners of the superstructure with 160° arcs of fire. The guns could depress to -10° and elevate to +25°. They fired 36.5 kilograms (80.5 lb) armour-piercing
shells at a muzzle velocity of 725 metres per second (2,378.6 ft/s) which gave a range of 15000 m (16,404.2 yd) at maximum elevation. Their rate of fire was about 4 rounds per minute.
Defense against torpedo boat
s was provided by a variety of light-caliber weapons. Sources disagree on the number and types, possibly indicating changes over the ship's lifetime. All sources agree on four 50-calibre 65 millimetres (2.6 in) (9-pounder) guns. These fired a 4.1 kilograms (9 lb) shell at a muzzle velocity of 715 metres per second (2,345.8 ft/s). Gibbons and Gardiner agree on twelve, later eighteen, although d'Ausson lists fourteen, 47 mm (1.9 in) 40-calibre Canon de 47 mm Modèle 1885 Hotchkiss guns
that were mounted in the fighting top
s and on the superstructure. They fired a 1.49 kilograms (3.3 lb) projectile at 610 metres per second (2,001.3 ft/s) to a maximum range of 4000 metres (4,374.5 yd). Their theoretical maximum rate of fire was fifteen rounds per minute, but only seven rounds per minute sustained. Gibbons and Gardiner agree that eight 37 mm (1.5 in) Hotchkiss 5-barrel revolving guns
were mounted on the fore and aft superstructures, although none are listed by d'Ausson. They fired a shell weighing about 1.1 lb (0.498951607 kg) at a muzzle velocity of about 2000 ft/s (609.6 m/s) at a rate of 30 rounds per minute to a range about 3500 yards (3,200.4 m).
Six 450 millimetres (17.7 in) torpedo tube
s were initially fitted. Two each were above water in the bow and stern and one was on each broadside
underwater. The above-water tubes were removed during a refit in 1906.
ranged from 160–400 mm (6.3–15.7 in) in thickness. Above it was the upper belt that was 120–170 mm (4.7–6.7 in) thick; the thicker portions protecting the above-water torpedo tubes. The 90 millimetres (3.5 in) armoured deck
rested on the top of the waterline belt. Her main gun turret
s were protected by 280–370 mm (11–14.6 in) of armour while her secondary turrets had 100 millimetres (3.9 in) of armour. Her conning tower
walls were 250 mm (9.8 in) thick.
. She was launched on 27 October 1893 and was complete enough to begin her trials on 30 January 1896. A tube in one of her boilers burst on 10 June during a 24-hour engine trial, killing six and wounding three. Two months later she suffered an accident during firing trials of her main armament. She was finally commissioned on 16 February 1897, although the explosion of a torpedo
's air chamber on 30 March delayed her assignment to the Mediterranean Fleet until 17 May.
On 20 January 1902 the air chamber of another torpedo exploded, killing one sailor and wounding three. In September she transported the Minister of the Navy to Bizerte
. Jauréguiberry was transferred to the Northern Squadron in 1904 and arrived at Brest
on 25 March. She was lightly damaged when she touched a rock while entering Brest in fog on 18 July and in another incident her steering compartment was flooded when a torpedo air flask burst between her screws during a torpedo-launching exercise on 18 May 1905. While visiting Portsmouth
on 14 August Jauréguiberry ran aground for a short time in the outer harbour. She returned to the Mediterranean Fleet in February 1907 where she was assigned to the Reserve Division, and the following year was reassigned to the Third Division. In 1909 the 3rd and 4th Divisions were reformed into the 2nd Independent Squadron and transferred to the Atlantic in 1910. Beginning on 29 September 1910 her boiler tubes were renewed at Cherbourg. In October 1912 the Squadron was reassigned to the Mediterranean Fleet and a year later, in October 1913, Jauréguiberry was transferred to the Training Division of which she became the flagship
in April 1914.
After the start of World War I Jauréguiberry was assigned to escort troop convoys between North Africa and France. She also escorted a convoy of Indian troops in September 1914. She was stationed at Bizerte from December 1914 to February 1915 when she sailed to Port Said to become flagship of the Syrian Division. Jauréguiberry departed Port Said on 25 March for the Dardanelles
to replace the pre-dreadnoughts and and upon her arrival became the flagship of Admiral Guépratte
during the subsequent operations. She provided gunfire support to the troops during the initial landings on 25 April and subsequently until 26 May. She was lightly damaged by Turkish artillery on 30 April and 5 May, but continued to fire her guns as needed.
Jauréguiberry was recalled to Port Said on 19 July and bombarded Turkish-owned Haifa
on 13 August. She resumed her role as flagship of the Syrian Division on 19 August. She participated in the occupation of Ile Rouad on 1 September and other missions off the Syrian coast until she was transferred to Ismailia
in January 1916 to assist in the defense of the Suez Canal
, although she returned to Port Said shortly afterward. Jauréguiberry was refitted at Malta
between 25 November and 26 December 1916, returning to Port Said. She landed some of her guns to help defend the Canal in 1917 and was reduced to reserve in 1918.
She arrived at Toulon on 6 March 1919 where she was decommissioned and transferred to the Engineer's Training School on 30 March for use as an accommodation hulk. She was stricken from the Navy List on 20 June 1920, but remained assigned to the Engineer's School until 1932. Jauréguiberry was sold for scrapping on 23 June 1934 for the price of 1,147,000 F.
French Navy
The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
, launched in 1893. She was one of the class of five roughly similar battleships built in the 1890s, including Masséna, Bouvet
French battleship Bouvet
The Bouvet was a French pre-dreadnought battleship, launched in 1896 and sunk by a mine in 1915 during World War I.Bouvet, named for the maritime family of Bouvet de Lozier, the most famous being French Admiral François Joseph Bouvet, belonged to the Jauréguiberry quasi-class which comprised...
, Carnot
French battleship Carnot (1894)
The Carnot was an ironclad battleship of the French Navy. She was laid down in 1891, launched in 1894 and completed in 1897. She was refitted once in the early 1900s.-Design:...
, and Charles Martel; Jauréguiberry and the latter two are sometimes erroneously referenced as a single class. She was named after Admiral Bernard Jauréguiberry
Bernard Jauréguiberry
Jean Bernard Jauréguiberry was a French admiral and statesman.A native of Bayonne, Jauréguiberry entered the French Navy in 1831. He rose steadily through the ranks, becoming a lieutenant in 1845, a commander in 1856, and a captain in 1860...
.
Jauréguiberry was in the Mediterranean when World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
began and she spent most of 1914 escorting troop convoys from North Africa and India to France. She supported French troops during the Gallipolli Campaign
Naval operations in the Dardanelles Campaign
The naval operations in the Dardanelles Campaign of the First World War were mainly carried out by the Royal Navy with substantial support from the French and minor contributions from Russia and Australia. The Dardanelles Campaign began as a purely naval operation...
in 1915 before she became guardship at Port Said from 1916 for the rest of the war. Upon her return to France in 1919 she became an accommodation hulk until 1932. She was sold for scrapping in 1934.
Design and description
Tumblehome
In ship designing, the tumblehome is the narrowing of a ship's hull with greater distance above the water-line. Expressed more technically, it is present when the beam at the uppermost deck is less than the maximum beam of the vessel....
favoured by French designers, and capitalised on the bulging sides of the vessels. The bow and stern turrets had only a single gun and were placed uncomfortably close to the extremities of the ship in Jauréguiberry because she was some 7 metres (23 ft) shorter than the other ships in the group. The single turrets of the secondary armament were mounted on the ship's beam, while the 138 millimetres (5.4 in) guns were mounted in four twin turrets sited symmetrically behind and outboard of the main gun turrets.
General characteristics
Jauréguiberry was 111.9 metre long overall. She had a maximum beamBeam (nautical)
The beam of a ship is its width at the widest point. Generally speaking, the wider the beam of a ship , the more initial stability it has, at expense of reserve stability in the event of a capsize, where more energy is required to right the vessel from its inverted position...
of 23 metre and a draught
Draft (hull)
The draft of a ship's hull is the vertical distance between the waterline and the bottom of the hull , with the thickness of the hull included; in the case of not being included the draft outline would be obtained...
of 8.45 metre. She displaced 11818 tonnes (11,631 LT) at normal load and 12229 tonnes (12,035.8 LT) at full load. In 1905 her captain described her as an excellent sea-boat and a good fighting ship, although her secondary armament was too light. He also said that she was stable and well laid-out with good living conditions.
Propulsion
Jauréguiberry had two vertical triple expansion steam engines, also built by Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée. On trials they developed 14441 ihp and drove the ship to a maximum speed of 17.71 knots (9.6 m/s). Each engine drove a 5.7 metre propeller. Twenty-four Lagraffel d'Allest water-tube boilerWater-tube boiler
A water tube boiler is a type of boiler in which water circulates in tubes heated externally by the fire. Fuel is burned inside the furnace, creating hot gas which heats water in the steam-generating tubes...
s provided steam for the engines at a pressure of 15 kg/cm2. She normally carried 750 tonnes (738 LT) of coal, but could carry a maximum of 1080 tonnes (1,063 LT). This gave her a radius of action of 3920 nautical mile at 10 knots (5.4 m/s).
Armament
Jauréguiberrys main armament consisted of two 305 millimetres (12 in) 45-calibreCaliber (artillery)
In artillery, caliber or calibredifference in British English and American English spelling is the internal diameter of a gun barrel, or by extension a relative measure of the length....
Canon de 305 mm Modèle 1887 guns in two single-gun turrets, one each fore and aft. Each turret had an arc of fire of 250°. The guns could probably be depressed to −5° and elevated to 15°. They fired 340 kilograms (749.6 lb) projectiles at the rate of 1 round per minute at a muzzle velocity
Muzzle velocity
Muzzle velocity is the speed a projectile has at the moment it leaves the muzzle of the gun. Muzzle velocities range from approximately to in black powder muskets , to more than in modern rifles with high-performance cartridges such as the .220 Swift and .204 Ruger, all the way to for tank guns...
of 780 metres per second (2,559.1 ft/s) which gave a range of 12000 m (13,123.4 yd) at maximum elevation.
Her secondary armament consisted of two 274 millimetres (10.8 in) Canon de 274 mm Modèle 1887 guns in two single-gun turrets, one amidships on each side, sponson
Sponson
Sponsons are projections from the sides of a watercraft, for protection, stability, or the mounting of equipment such as armaments or lifeboats, etc...
ed out over the tumblehome of the ship's sides. Eight 45-calibre 138 mm Canon de 138.6 mm Modèle 1891 guns were mounted in manually operated twin turrets at the corners of the superstructure with 160° arcs of fire. The guns could depress to -10° and elevate to +25°. They fired 36.5 kilograms (80.5 lb) armour-piercing
Armor-piercing shot and shell
An armor-piercing shell is a type of ammunition designed to penetrate armor. From the 1860s to 1950s, a major application of armor-piercing projectiles was to defeat the thick armor carried on many warships. From the 1920s onwards, armor-piercing weapons were required for anti-tank missions...
shells at a muzzle velocity of 725 metres per second (2,378.6 ft/s) which gave a range of 15000 m (16,404.2 yd) at maximum elevation. Their rate of fire was about 4 rounds per minute.
Defense against torpedo boat
Torpedo boat
A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval vessel designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs rammed enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes, and later designs launched self-propelled Whitehead torpedoes. They were created to counter battleships and other large, slow and...
s was provided by a variety of light-caliber weapons. Sources disagree on the number and types, possibly indicating changes over the ship's lifetime. All sources agree on four 50-calibre 65 millimetres (2.6 in) (9-pounder) guns. These fired a 4.1 kilograms (9 lb) shell at a muzzle velocity of 715 metres per second (2,345.8 ft/s). Gibbons and Gardiner agree on twelve, later eighteen, although d'Ausson lists fourteen, 47 mm (1.9 in) 40-calibre Canon de 47 mm Modèle 1885 Hotchkiss guns
QF 3 pounder Hotchkiss
The QF 3 pounder Hotchkiss was a light 47-mm naval gun introduced in 1886 to defend against new small fast vessels such as torpedo boats, and later submarines...
that were mounted in the fighting top
Top (sailing ship)
On a traditional square rigged ship, the top is the platform at the upper end of each mast. This is not the masthead "crow's nest" of the popular imagination – above the mainmast is the main-topmast, main-topgallant-mast and main-royal-mast, so that the top is actually about 1/4 to 1/3 of the way...
s and on the superstructure. They fired a 1.49 kilograms (3.3 lb) projectile at 610 metres per second (2,001.3 ft/s) to a maximum range of 4000 metres (4,374.5 yd). Their theoretical maximum rate of fire was fifteen rounds per minute, but only seven rounds per minute sustained. Gibbons and Gardiner agree that eight 37 mm (1.5 in) Hotchkiss 5-barrel revolving guns
Hotchkiss gun
The Hotchkiss gun can refer to different products of the Hotchkiss arms company starting in the late 19th century. It usually refers to the 1.65-inch light mountain gun; there was also a 3-inch Hotchkiss gun...
were mounted on the fore and aft superstructures, although none are listed by d'Ausson. They fired a shell weighing about 1.1 lb (0.498951607 kg) at a muzzle velocity of about 2000 ft/s (609.6 m/s) at a rate of 30 rounds per minute to a range about 3500 yards (3,200.4 m).
Six 450 millimetres (17.7 in) torpedo tube
Torpedo tube
A torpedo tube is a device for launching torpedoes. There are two main types of torpedo tube: underwater tubes fitted to submarines and some surface ships, and deck-mounted units installed aboard surface vessels...
s were initially fitted. Two each were above water in the bow and stern and one was on each broadside
Broadside
A broadside is the side of a ship; the battery of cannon on one side of a warship; or their simultaneous fire in naval warfare.-Age of Sail:...
underwater. The above-water tubes were removed during a refit in 1906.
Armour
Jauréguiberry had a total of 3960 tonnes (3,897 LT) of nickel steel armour; equal to 33.5% of her normal displacement. Her waterline beltBelt armor
Belt armor is a layer of heavy metal armor plated on to or within outer hulls of warships, typically on battleships, battlecruisers and cruisers, and on aircraft carriers converted from those types of ships....
ranged from 160–400 mm (6.3–15.7 in) in thickness. Above it was the upper belt that was 120–170 mm (4.7–6.7 in) thick; the thicker portions protecting the above-water torpedo tubes. The 90 millimetres (3.5 in) armoured deck
Deck (ship)
A deck is a permanent covering over a compartment or a hull of a ship. On a boat or ship, the primary deck is the horizontal structure which forms the 'roof' for the hull, which both strengthens the hull and serves as the primary working surface...
rested on the top of the waterline belt. Her main gun turret
Turret
In architecture, a turret is a small tower that projects vertically from the wall of a building such as a medieval castle. Turrets were used to provide a projecting defensive position allowing covering fire to the adjacent wall in the days of military fortification...
s were protected by 280–370 mm (11–14.6 in) of armour while her secondary turrets had 100 millimetres (3.9 in) of armour. Her conning tower
Conning tower
A conning tower is a raised platform on a ship or submarine, often armored, from which an officer can con the vessel; i.e., give directions to the helmsman. It is usually located as high on the ship as practical, to give the conning team good visibility....
walls were 250 mm (9.8 in) thick.
Service
Jauréguiberry was ordered on 8 April 1891 and laid down that November at Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée in La Seyne-sur-MerLa Seyne-sur-Mer
La Seyne-sur-Mer, or La Seyne is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. It is part of the agglomeration of Toulon, and is situated adjacent to the west of this city.-Economy:...
. She was launched on 27 October 1893 and was complete enough to begin her trials on 30 January 1896. A tube in one of her boilers burst on 10 June during a 24-hour engine trial, killing six and wounding three. Two months later she suffered an accident during firing trials of her main armament. She was finally commissioned on 16 February 1897, although the explosion of a torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
's air chamber on 30 March delayed her assignment to the Mediterranean Fleet until 17 May.
On 20 January 1902 the air chamber of another torpedo exploded, killing one sailor and wounding three. In September she transported the Minister of the Navy to Bizerte
Bizerte
Bizerte or Benzert , is the capital city of Bizerte Governorate in Tunisia and the northernmost city in Africa. It has a population of 230,879 .-History:...
. Jauréguiberry was transferred to the Northern Squadron in 1904 and arrived at Brest
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
on 25 March. She was lightly damaged when she touched a rock while entering Brest in fog on 18 July and in another incident her steering compartment was flooded when a torpedo air flask burst between her screws during a torpedo-launching exercise on 18 May 1905. While visiting Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
on 14 August Jauréguiberry ran aground for a short time in the outer harbour. She returned to the Mediterranean Fleet in February 1907 where she was assigned to the Reserve Division, and the following year was reassigned to the Third Division. In 1909 the 3rd and 4th Divisions were reformed into the 2nd Independent Squadron and transferred to the Atlantic in 1910. Beginning on 29 September 1910 her boiler tubes were renewed at Cherbourg. In October 1912 the Squadron was reassigned to the Mediterranean Fleet and a year later, in October 1913, Jauréguiberry was transferred to the Training Division of which she became the flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
in April 1914.
After the start of World War I Jauréguiberry was assigned to escort troop convoys between North Africa and France. She also escorted a convoy of Indian troops in September 1914. She was stationed at Bizerte from December 1914 to February 1915 when she sailed to Port Said to become flagship of the Syrian Division. Jauréguiberry departed Port Said on 25 March for the Dardanelles
Dardanelles
The Dardanelles , formerly known as the Hellespont, is a narrow strait in northwestern Turkey connecting the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara. It is one of the Turkish Straits, along with its counterpart the Bosphorus. It is located at approximately...
to replace the pre-dreadnoughts and and upon her arrival became the flagship of Admiral Guépratte
Émile Paul Amable Guépratte
Émile Paul Aimable Guépratte was a French admiral.Guépratte was born in Granville to a family of naval officers. He studied at the Lycée impérial in Brest from 1868, and joined the École Navale on 1 October 1871....
during the subsequent operations. She provided gunfire support to the troops during the initial landings on 25 April and subsequently until 26 May. She was lightly damaged by Turkish artillery on 30 April and 5 May, but continued to fire her guns as needed.
Jauréguiberry was recalled to Port Said on 19 July and bombarded Turkish-owned Haifa
Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
on 13 August. She resumed her role as flagship of the Syrian Division on 19 August. She participated in the occupation of Ile Rouad on 1 September and other missions off the Syrian coast until she was transferred to Ismailia
Ismaïlia
-Notable natives:*Osman Ahmed Osman, a famous and influential Egyptian engineer, contractor, entrepreneur, and politician, was born in this town on 6 April 1917....
in January 1916 to assist in the defense of the Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
, although she returned to Port Said shortly afterward. Jauréguiberry was refitted at Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
between 25 November and 26 December 1916, returning to Port Said. She landed some of her guns to help defend the Canal in 1917 and was reduced to reserve in 1918.
She arrived at Toulon on 6 March 1919 where she was decommissioned and transferred to the Engineer's Training School on 30 March for use as an accommodation hulk. She was stricken from the Navy List on 20 June 1920, but remained assigned to the Engineer's School until 1932. Jauréguiberry was sold for scrapping on 23 June 1934 for the price of 1,147,000 F.