Terrible-class ironclad

File:S.M. Linienschiff Baden - restoration, borderless.jpg

The Terrible class of ironclad barbette ships,{{sfn|Campbell|p=291}} sometimes called the Indomptable class,{{sfn|Roberts|p=83}} was designed in the late 1870s as part of a naval construction program that had begun under the post-Franco-Prussian War fleet plan of 1872. Initially, the French built two types of armored capital ships, the first a series of high-freeboard barbette ships, and the second being smaller coast defense ships descended from the monitors that had been built in the 1860s. By 1877, the Italian fleet under Benedetto Brin had begun building powerful new ironclads of the {{sclass|Duilio|ironclad|5}} and {{sclass|Italia|ironclad|4}}es, which demanded a French response. Under the direction of Admiral Louis Pierre Alexis Pothuau, the French embarked on a construction program beginning with the high-freeboard {{ship|French ironclad|Amiral Duperré||2}} of 1877, followed by the {{sclass|Amiral Baudin|ironclad|1}}s. In addition, the oldest generation of French ironclads, wooden-hulled vessels built in the early-to-mid 1860s, were in poor condition and necessitated replacement. Gun size during this period increased dramatically, driven principally by the desire to keep up with Italy, which had begun to use massive {{cvt|450|mm|1}} guns it its latest ironclads.{{sfn|Ropp|pp=92–97}}

Further developments abroad complicated French capital ship design work; the development of the German {{sclass|Sachsen|ironclad|1}}s gave another potential adversary to consider. These were coastal defense vessels that were significantly more powerful than the French coastal defense ships that had already been built under the 1872 plans, the {{sclass|Tonnerre|ironclad|5}} and {{sclass|Tempête|ironclad|4}}es. Amiral Duperré and the Amiral Baudins, powerful enough to defeat the Sachsens but significantly larger than previous generations of French ironclads, had too deep a draft to allow them to comfortably operate in the Baltic Sea.{{sfn|Ropp|pp=97–98}}

Design work on the new ships began with a proposal from the naval architect Victorin Sabattier, then the Director of Materiel, which the French Naval Minister, Albert Gicquel des Touches, forwarded to the {{lang|fr|Conseil des travaux}} (Board of Construction) on 26 June 1877. Sabattier designed a ship with either one {{cvt|100|t|lk=on|adj=on}} gun or two {{cvt|50|t|adj=on}} guns in a barbette forward, with {{cvt|600|mm|1}} armor plate for its belt armor to counter the new Italian ironclads. Gicquel des Touches was primarily concerned with producing a vessel superior to the Tonnerre class. The {{lang|fr|Conseil}} could not come to an agreement initially, but during a meeting on 7 August, the members noted the very strong armor protection, which was the thickest of any vessel then afloat. They disliked the use of a single gun mount forward, as it would have a large blind arc astern, and they requested solutions to the problem.{{sfn|Roberts|pp=83–84}}

By October, a new {{cvt|75|t|adj=on}}, {{cvt|420|mm|1}} gun had been developed by the Navy's Artillery Directorate, which Sabattier adopted as there was no 100-ton gun available. To address the {{lang|fr|Conseil}}'s concerns, he added a second barbette aft so the ships could engage targets ahead or astern. Gicquel des Touches approved the plans on 31 October and authorized construction of the first two vessels, Terrible and Indomptable; Sabattier submitted an alternate design the following year with slightly different hull lines at the stern, which Pothuau, who was by then once again the naval minister, approved on 5 July 1878. This vessel became Caïman. A fourth vessel, Requin, was authorized in September.{{sfn|Roberts|p=84}}

The class suffered from significant design faults, most significantly the arrangement of the guns; because they were placed on the centerline, they were arranged for fighting on the broadside. But their short belt, which was almost completely submerged under service conditions, did not sufficiently protect them from damage that would be inflicted in a prolonged engagement between two lines of battle.{{sfn|Ropp|pp=100–101}}

File:Indomptable-Poyet-2.jpg

The ships of the Terrible class, with the exception of Caïman, were {{cvt|82.8|m|ftin}} long between perpendiculars, {{cvt|84.8|m|ftin}} long at the waterline, and {{cvt|88.25|m|ftin}} long overall. They had a beam of {{cvt|17.52|m|0}} at the waterline and an average draft of {{cvt|7.74|m|ftin}}. They displaced {{cvt|7767.2|t}}. Caïman had a slightly different hull shape at her stern; she was 82,8 m between perpendiculars, {{cvt|84.7|m|ftin}} at the waterline, and {{cvt|87.7|m|ftin}} overall. She had a beam of {{cvt|17.54|m|ftin}}, and her draft decreased to {{cvt|7.36|m|ftin}}; her displacement was {{cvt|7638.8|t}}. The ships were significantly overweight when they entered service, being some {{cvt|500|t}} too heavy, which hampered stability.{{sfn|Roberts|pp=84–85}}

Their hulls were divided into eleven or twelve watertight compartments by transverse bulkheads. The ships had a fairly low freeboard and a pronounced ram bow. Their superstructure was fairly minimal, consisting of a small conning tower with a bridge atop. They were fitted with a pair of tripod masts equipped with spotting tops for their main battery guns. Terrible and Requin were fitted with four searchlights, while the other pair received six. The crew consisted of 373 officers and enlisted men. Steering was controlled with a single rudder.{{sfn|Campbell|p=291}}{{sfn|Roberts|p=84}} The ships suffered from very poor seakeeping owing to their shallow draft, severely handicapping their usefulness in service.{{sfn|Ropp|p=180}}

Their propulsion machinery consisted of two compound steam engines, each driving a single screw propeller, with steam provided by twelve coal-burning fire-tube boilers in the first three ships. Requin only received ten of the boilers. The ships' boilers were ducted into four small funnels placed in two pairs, side by side, directly astern of the conning tower. Indomptable and Caïman had their pairs of funnels fully encased, which gave them the appearance of having two large funnels side by side. All four ships' engines were rated to produce {{convert|6000|ihp|lk=on}} for a top speed of {{convert|14.5|to|15|kn}}. Coal storage amounted to {{cvt|394|t}}, which allowed them to steam for {{convert|1678|nmi|lk=in}} at a speed of about {{convert|11|kn}}.{{sfn|Campbell|p=291}}{{sfn|Roberts|pp=84–85}}

File:French ironclad Caiman.jpg

Their main armament consisted of two Canon de 42 cm modèle 1875 (16.5 in) guns, one forward and one aft, mounted on the centerline in barbettes. These were 22-caliber guns, though Terrible{{'}}s guns had to be shortened to 19.35 calibers after initial testing revealed cracks at the muzzle. The rate of fire of these guns was very slow, even for large-caliber guns of the period; it was estimated in 1891 that the average time to reload one of the guns was eight minutes.{{sfn|Roberts|pp=84–85}} They were the largest guns ever carried by a French capital ship.{{sfn|Ropp|p=99}} These guns were supported by a secondary battery of four {{cvt|100|mm}} M1881 26.2-caliber guns carried in individual pivot mounts with gun shields. For defense against torpedo boats, they carried a variety of light guns. Indomptable and Caïman two QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss quick-firing guns and sixteen {{cvt|37|mm}} Hotchkiss revolver cannon, all in individual mounts. Terrible and Requin had two {{cvt|65|mm}} guns, two M1885 gun, a 47 mm Hotchkiss revolver cannon, along with ten of the 37 mm revolvers. All four members of the class had four {{cvt|356|mm|0}} torpedo tubes, which were mounted in the hull above the waterline, two per broadside.{{sfn|Campbell|p=291}}{{sfn|Roberts|p=84}}

Terrible was protected with mild steel armor, while the other ships received newer compound armor. Their belt extended for the entire length of the hull and was {{cvt|500|mm|1}} thick in the central portion, where it protected the propulsion machinery and the ammunition magazines. The belt tapered to {{cvt|400|mm}} on the bottom edge. The bow section was reduced to {{cvt|300|mm|1}} at the waterline and {{cvt|250|mm|1}} on the bottom edge, while the stern section was 300 mm at the waterline and {{cvt|200|mm|0}} at the bottom edge, though Caïman{{'}}s different stern lines precluded the inclusion of the lower strake of 200 mm armor. The height of the belt was {{cvt|2.2|m}}, but at even normal loading, the belt was nearly submerged entirely, reducing its effectiveness significantly.{{sfn|Campbell|p=291}}{{sfn|Roberts|p=84}}

The barbettes for the main battery were {{cvt|450|mm|1}} thick and the supporting tubes that connected them to the ammunition magazines were 200 mm; these extended down to where they met the armor deck, which was connected to the top of the belt. The barbette guns were covered with {{cvt|17|mm}} hoods to protect the gun crews from shell fragments. The deck consisted of {{cvt|80|mm}} of either iron or mild steel over another layer of {{cvt|16|mm}} of hull plating, which sloped downward at the sides to provide additional protection against incoming fire; the thickness of the sloped deck remained the same except for Indomptable, which was reduced to {{cvt|60|mm}}. The sides of their conning towers were also 25 mm, as were the shields for the 100 mm guns.{{sfn|Campbell|p=291}}{{sfn|Roberts|p=84}}

File:Terrible class line drawing post-refit.jpg

Over the course of the 1880s and early 1890s, all four ships received updated M1885 and later M1887 torpedoes for their torpedo tubes. In 1892, all four ships had their 100 mm guns replaced with quick-firing conversions of the same pattern of gun. Caïman{{'}}s light battery was revised in 1896 to one 65 mm gun, six 47 mm QF guns, six 37 mm QF guns in her upper fighting tops, and sixteen 37 mm revolver cannon.{{sfn|Roberts|p=84}}

All four ships were extensively modernized between 1897 and 1903, with the work generally carried out in two stages. The primary changes being the replacement of their main battery guns and the installation of new boilers. Terrible received a pair of Canon de 340 mm Modèle 1893 gun; these were 35-caliber guns, and were installed in her existing barbettes, though {{cvt|504|mm}} frontal gun shields were installed. The other three members of the class received two Canon de 274 modèle 1893/1896 that were mounted in fully enclosed, balanced turrets. The turrets were protected with {{cvt|274.4|mm}} of Harvey armor on the sides, and were mounted on fixed based with {{cvt|210|mm}} of armor plate. Indomptable, Caïman, and Requin all received another pair of 100 mm quick-firing guns. The ships' light batteries were also revised. All four ships had ten 47 mm guns; Terrible and Requin received three 37 mm QF guns, along with a single {{cvt|37|mm}} Maxim gun for Terrible, while Indomptable and Caïman each had four of the 37 mm QF guns. Terrible and Requin lost all four of their torpedo tubes, while the other two vessels only had two removed.{{sfn|Roberts|pp=85–86}}{{sfn|Brassey & Leyland|p=24}}

All four ships received new boilers, though only Requin received more modern water-tube boilers of the Niclausse type. Requin also had her compound engines replaced with more powerful triple-expansion steam engines. On trials carried out after their refits, Caïman reached {{cvt|4887|ihp}} for {{convert|13.38|kn}}, while Terrible made {{cvt|4238|ihp}} for {{convert|13.5|kn}}. Requin{{'}}s new engines were rated to produce {{cvt|6130|ihp}}, but trial figures are not recorded. Attempts to lighten the vessels to improve their stability included the replacement of their tripod masts with lighter pole masts, and in the case of Indomptable and Caïman, the simple removal of their mainmast. Those two vessels also had their funnel casing lowered. Indomptable had the aft-most bottom strake of her belt armor replaced with wood to lighten her stern. New conning towers were installed with {{cvt|60|mm}} of armor plate on {{cvt|20|mm}} of hull plating, with the exception of Requin, which received {{cvt|136|mm}} of armor on her new tower.{{sfn|Roberts|pp=85–86}} As a result of these changes, the standard crew for all four ships was reduced to 332 officers and men.{{sfn|Campbell|p=291}}

Requin—the only member of the class still in active service—had had most of her light guns removed during World War I. By 1919, her armament consisted of the two 274 mm guns, six 100 mm guns, and four 47 mm guns.{{sfn|Roberts|p=86}}

File:French ironclad Indomptable NH 74940.jpeg

The insufficient freeboard of the Terrible class significantly reduced their seaworthiness and frequently caused problems for the ships while at sea.{{sfn|Ropp|p=180}} Indomptable had repeated problems in the late 1880s during fleet operations in the Mediterranean Sea,{{sfn|Reed & Simpson|pp=94, 103}}{{sfn|Brassey 1890|p=182}} and Requin experienced problems with flooding while steaming in the English Channel since her low forecastle proved incapable of keeping water out.{{sfn|Brassey 1893|p=69}} Owing to their poor seakeeping, they proved to be difficult to employ for the French fleet, since they could only be used in sheltered coastal waters. As a result, their careers were limited, though they did see brief periods of active service in the Mediterranean Fleet and the Northern Squadron, the latter confined to the English Channel.{{sfn|Ropp|p=180}} From 1891 to 1897, Terrible, Indomptable, and Caïman had been assigned to the Reserve Squadron of the Mediterranean Fleet, though not always at the same time.{{sfn|Roberts|pp=86–87}} The ships remained in service only for the annual fleet maneuvers; the rest of the year they were kept in reserve with reduced crews.{{sfn|Weyl|p=95}}

Requin spent her early career in the Northern Squadron, and during this period, made one voyage abroad to visit Russia and Great Britain in 1891.{{sfn|Feron|pp=71–72}} All four members of the class were refitted in the late 1890s, the primary alterations being a new battery of main and secondary guns, though Requin received a more extensive reconstruction that included a new propulsion system and some armor improvements.{{sfn|Campbell|p=291}} Terrible was the only member of the class to be reactivated by 1900,{{sfn|Jordan & Caresse|p=218}} and Indomptable was employed as a guard ship in Toulon in 1902. Terrible was laid up that year,{{sfn|Brassey 1902|p=48}} and by 1903, all members of the class were out of service, as a series of pre-dreadnought battleships had been built, taking their places in the squadrons of the fleet.{{sfn|Jordan & Caresse|p=223}} Indomptable, Caïman, and Requin returned to active service in 1906 for that year's fleet maneuvers.{{sfn|Leyland|p=103}} Terrible was stricken from the naval register in 1909 and sunk as a target ship in August that year. Indomptable and Caïman were struck from the register in 1910 and 1911, respectively, and thereafter hulked.{{sfn|Roberts|pp=86–87}}

Requin was the only member of the class to see action during World War I, being stationed in the Suez Canal to defend it against attacks from the Ottoman Empire; she helped repulse an attack in February 1915 and dueled with Ottoman field artillery.{{sfn|Corbett|pp=112–117}} She was also used to support Allied offensives along the coast of Ottoman Palestine. She was briefly used as a training ship in 1919 before ultimately being sold for scrap in 1921. Indomptable and Caïman lingered on in the French Navy's inventory until 1927 and 1928, respectively, when they too were broken up.{{sfn|Roberts|pp=86–87}}

{{reflist|20em}}

{{commons category}}

• {{cite journal

|editor-last=Brassey

|editor-first=Thomas

|editor-link=Thomas Brassey, 1st Earl Brassey

|title=Chapter XII: Ships Lately Completed and in Progress

|journal=The Naval Annual

|year=1890

|location=Portsmouth

|publisher=J. Griffin & Co.

|pages=142–185

|oclc=496786828

|ref={{sfnRef|Brassey 1890}}

}}

• {{cite journal

|last=Brassey

|first=Thomas A.

|author-link=Thomas Brassey, 2nd Earl Brassey

|title=Chapter IV: Relative Strength

|journal=The Naval Annual

|year=1893

|location=Portsmouth

|publisher=J. Griffin & Co.

|pages=66–73

|oclc=496786828

|ref={{sfnRef|Brassey 1893}}

}}

• {{cite journal

|last=Brassey

|first=Thomas A.

|title=Chapter III: Relative Strength

|journal=The Naval Annual

|year=1902

|location=Portsmouth

|publisher=J. Griffin & Co.

|pages=47–55

|oclc=496786828

|ref={{sfnRef|Brassey 1902}}

}}

• {{cite journal

|last1=Brassey

|first1=Thomas A.

|last2=Leyland

|first2=John

|title=Chapter II: Progress of Foreign Navies

|journal=The Naval Annual

|year=1903

|location=Portsmouth

|publisher=J. Griffin & Co.

|pages=21–56

|oclc=496786828

|name-list-style=amp

|ref={{sfnRef|Brassey & Leyland}}

}}

• {{cite book

| last = Campbell

| first = N. J. M.

| chapter = France

| pages = 283–333

| editor1-last = Gardiner

| editor1-first = Robert

| year = 1979

| title = Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905

| publisher = Conway Maritime Press

| location = London

| isbn = 978-0-85177-133-5

| ref = {{sfnRef|Campbell}}

| url-access = registration

| url = https://archive.org/details/conwaysallworlds0000unse_l2e2

}}

• {{cite book

|last=Corbett

|first=Julian Stafford

|title=Naval Operations: From The Battle of the Falklands to the Entry of Italy Into the War in May 1915

|volume=II

|year=1921

|publisher=Longmans, Green & Co.

|location=London

|oclc=924170059

|ref={{sfnRef|Corbett}}

}}

• {{cite journal

|last=Feron

|first=Luc

|year=1985

|title=French Battleship Marceau

|journal=Warship International

|publisher=International Naval Research Organization

|location=Toledo

|volume=XXII

|issue=1

|pages=68–78

|issn=0043-0374

|ref={{sfnRef|Feron}}

}}

• {{cite book

|last1=Jordan

|first1=John

|last2=Caresse

|first2=Philippe

|title=French Battleships of World War One

|date=2017

|publisher=Naval Institute Press

|location=Annapolis

|isbn=978-1-59114-639-1

|name-list-style=amp

|ref={{sfnRef|Jordan & Caresse}}

}}

• {{cite journal

|last=Leyland

|first=John

|editor-last=Brassey

|editor-first=Thomas A.

|title=Chapter IV: The French and Italian Manoeuvres

|journal=The Naval Annual

|year=1907

|location=Portsmouth

|publisher=J. Griffin & Co.

|pages=102–111

|oclc=496786828

|ref={{sfnRef|Leyland}}

}}

• {{cite book

|last1=Reed

|first1=Edward

|last2=Simpson

|first2=Edward

|title=Modern Ships of War

|year=1888

|location=New York

|publisher=Harper & Brothers

|oclc=

|name-list-style=amp

|ref={{sfnRef|Reed & Simpson}}

}}

• {{cite book

|last=Roberts

|first=Stephen

|title=French Warships in the Age of Steam 1859–1914

|year=2021

|location=Barnsley

|publisher=Seaforth

|isbn=978-1-5267-4533-0

|ref={{sfnref|Roberts}}

}}

• {{cite book

| last = Ropp|authorlink=Theodore Ropp

| first = Theodore

| title = The Development of a Modern Navy: French Naval Policy, 1871–1904

| editor-last = Roberts

| editor-first = Stephen S.

| year = 1987

| location = Annapolis

| publisher = Naval Institute Press

| isbn = 978-0-87021-141-6

|ref={{sfnRef|Ropp}}

}}

• {{cite journal

|last=Weyl

|first=E.

|editor-last=Brassey

|editor-first=Thomas A.

|title=Chapter IV: The French Navy

|journal=The Naval Annual

|year=1896

|location=Portsmouth

|publisher=J. Griffin & Co.

|pages=61–72

|oclc=496786828

|ref={{sfnRef|Weyl}}

}}

• {{cite journal

|title=The French Iron Clads L'Indomptable and Le Marceau

|journal=Scientific American Supplement

|date=21 June 1884

|location=New York

|publisher=Munn & Co.

|pages=7051–7052

|volume=XVII

|number=442

}}

{{Terrible-class ironclads}}

{{French ironclads}}

Category:Ship classes of the French Navy