View source for Vauban-class ironclad

{{Use shortened footnotes|date=December 2022}}
{{Short description|Ironclad warship class of the French Navy}}
{{good article}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin <!-- warship classes -->
|infobox caption= <!-- keywords: yes, nodab; or caption text -->
|display title= <!-- keywords: none, ital; or article title with markup -->
|sclass= <!-- keyword: 2 -->
}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=French ironclad Duguesclin NH 66072.jpg
|Ship image size=
|Ship caption=''Duguesclin'' in port, date unknown
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
|Builders=
|Operators={{navy|FRA}}
|Class before={{sclass|Bayard|ironclad|4}}
|Class after={{sclass|Terrible|ironclad|4}}
|Built range=1878–1886
|In commission range=1885–1904
|Total ships completed=2
|Total ships scrapped=2
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship type=[[Ironclad warship]]
|Ship displacement={{cvt|6207.6|t|lk=on}}
|Ship length={{cvt|84.7|m|ftin}} [[length overall|loa]]
|Ship beam={{cvt|17.45|m|0}}
|Ship draft={{cvt|7.39|m|ftin}}
|Ship propulsion=
*2 × [[compound steam engine]]s
*2 × [[screw propeller]]s
|Ship power=
*8 × [[fire-tube boiler]]s
*{{convert|4000|ihp|lk=on}}
|Ship speed={{cvt|14|kn|lk=in}}
|Ship range={{cvt|2380.5|nmi|lk=in}} at {{convert|12.8|kn}}
|Ship crew=
*24 officers
*450 enlisted men
|Ship armament=
*4 × {{cvt|240|mm}} guns
*1 × {{cvt|194|mm}} gun
*6 × {{cvt|138.6|mm}} guns
*12 × {{cvt|37|mm}} Hotchkiss revolver cannon
*2 × {{cvt|356|mm|0}} [[torpedo tube]]s
|Ship armor=
*[[Belt armor|Belt]]: {{cvt|150|to|250|mm}}
*[[Barbette]]s: {{cvt|200|mm}}
*[[Deck (ship)|Deck]]: {{cvt|50|mm|0}}
*[[Conning tower]]: {{cvt|30|mm}}
|Ship notes=
}}
|}

The '''''Vauban'' class''', sometimes referred to as the '''''Duguesclin'' class''', was a pair of two [[ironclad warship|ironclad]] [[barbette ship]]s built for the [[French Navy]] in the late 1870s and 1880s. The class consisted of {{ship|French ironclad|Vauban||2}}, the [[lead ship]], and {{ship|French ironclad|Duguesclin||2}}. They were based on the ironclad {{ship|French ironclad|Amiral Duperré||2}}, adopting the same general arrangement, but were scaled down in size. They were intended for use overseas in the [[French colonial empire]], and as such, they retained a sailing rig for long-range cruising and [[copper sheathing]] for their [[hull (watercraft)|hulls]] to protect them when they would be unable to be dry-docked regularly. They carried a [[main battery]] of four {{cvt|240|mm|1}} guns that were mounted in individual [[barbette]]s; two were in [[sponson]]s forward, abreast of the [[conning tower]], and the other two were on the [[centerline (nautical)|centerline]] aft.

Despite the Navy's intention to use them overseas, both members of the class served with the [[Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean (France)|Mediterranean Squadron]] for the majority of their careers, from the 1880s to the mid-1890s. They were occupied with peacetime training exercises, and in 1893, they were reduced to the Reserve Division of the squadron. They were [[laid up]] after 1895, and ''Duguesclin'' saw no further active service, being struck from the [[naval register]] in 1904 and sold to [[ship breaker]]s the following year. ''Vauban'' was [[ship commissioning|recommissioned]] in 1898 for a tour in [[French Indochina]], briefly serving as a divisional [[flagship]], before being stationed in [[Saigon]] from 1899 to 1905. After being struck from the register that year, she served as a [[depot ship]], first for [[torpedo boat]]s and then for [[submarine]]s from 1905 to 1914, before ultimately being sold in 1919.

==Design==
The ''Vauban'' class of [[barbette ship]]s, sometimes known as the ''Duguesclin'' class, was designed in the late 1870s as part of a naval construction program that began under the post-[[Franco-Prussian War]] fleet plan of 1872. At the time, the [[French Navy]] categorized its [[capital ship]]s as high-seas ships for the main fleet, station ironclads for use in the [[French colonial empire]], and smaller [[coastal defense ship]]s. The ''Vauban'' class was intended to serve in the second role, and they were in most respects similar to the preceding {{sclass|Bayard|ironclad|4}} of station ironclads. Both designs were based on the high-seas ironclad {{ship|French ironclad|Amiral Duperré||2}}, albeit a scaled-down version.{{sfn|Ropp|p=97}} 

The ''Vauban'' design, which had been prepared by [[Victorin Sabattier]] and [[Alfred Lebelin de Dionne]], differed from the ''Bayard''s in several significant respects. First, the designers abandoned the traditional wooden [[hull (watercraft)|hull]] in favor of composite iron-and-steel construction, which had been under evaluation for several years. Second, they replaced the three-masted [[full-ship rig]] with a two-masted [[brig]] rig; this permitted the stern-most [[main battery]] gun to fire directly astern, which allowed them to remove the stern [[chase gun]] mounted in the earlier vessels. Lebelin de Dionne submitted the plans on 30 November 1876, and they were approved by [[Léon Martin Fourichon]], the [[French Naval Minister]], on 26 December.{{sfn|Roberts|p=72}}

===Characteristics===
[[File:Vauban class top and profile drawing.png|thumb|left|Profile, upper deck, and battery deck drawing of the ''Vauban'' class]]

The ships of the ''Vauban'' class were {{cvt|81.55|m|ftin}} [[long at the waterline]], {{cvt|81.9|m|ftin}} [[long between perpendiculars]], and {{cvt|84.7|m|ftin}} [[long overall]]. They had a [[beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{cvt|17.45|m|0}} and a [[draft (hull)|draft]] of {{cvt|7.39|m|ftin}}. They [[displacement (ship)|displaced]] {{cvt|6207.6|t|lk=on}}. The ships had a minimal [[superstructure]], with a small [[conning tower]] placed between the forward guns. Their [[hull (watercraft)|hulls]] were constructed with iron and steel, sheathed in wood and were [[Copper sheathing|coppered]] to protect them from [[biofouling]] during extended periods abroad where [[dry dock]] facilities were less available. As was typical for French [[capital ship]]s of the period, their hulls featured a pronounced [[tumblehome]] shape and a [[naval ram|ram bow]]. The crew numbered between 440 and 500&nbsp;officers and enlisted men.{{sfn|Campbell|p=303}}{{sfn|Roberts|pp=72–73}}

Their propulsion machinery consisted of two 3-cylinder [[compound steam engine]]s with steam provided by eight coal-burning [[fire-tube boiler]]s that each had two [[Firebox (steam engine)|fireboxes]]. The boilers were ducted into a single [[funnel (ship)|funnel]] directly astern of the conning tower. The engines were rated to produce {{convert|4000|ihp|lk=on}} for a top speed of {{convert|14|kn|lk=in}}. Coal storage amounted to {{cvt|459|t}}, which gave the ships a cruising radius of {{convert|2380.5|nmi|lk=in}} at a speed of {{convert|12.8|kn}}. To supplement the steam engines, they were fitted with a [[brig]] sail rig with a total area of {{cvt|23200|sqft|order=flip}}. Later in their careers, their sailing rigs were removed and their masts carried only [[fighting top]]s.{{sfn|Campbell|p=303}}{{sfn|Roberts|p=73}}{{sfn|Brassey 1888b|p=331}}

The ships' main battery consisted of four {{cvt|240|mm}}, 19-[[caliber (artillery)|caliber]] M1870M guns mounted in individual [[barbette]] mounts, two forward placed abreast in [[sponsons]] and two aft, both on the [[centerline (nautical)|centerline]]. They carried a {{cvt|194|mm}} 19.8-cal. M1870 gun in the [[bow (ship)|bow]] as a [[chase gun]]. These guns were supported by a [[secondary armament|secondary battery]] of six {{cvt|138.6|mm}} 21.3-cal. M1870 guns carried in an unarmored, central battery located [[amidships]] in the hull, three guns per [[Broadside (naval)|broadside]]. For defense against [[torpedo boat]]s, the ships carried twelve {{cvt|37|mm}} 1-pounder Hotchkiss revolvers, all in individual mounts. Their armament was rounded out with two {{cvt|356|mm|0}} [[torpedo tube]]s in above-water launchers, which were supplied with M1880 [[torpedo]]es.{{sfn|Campbell|p=303}}{{sfn|Roberts|p=73}}

The ships were protected with [[wrought iron]] armor; their [[belt armor|belt]] was {{cvt|250|mm|0}} thick amidships, where it protected the ships' ammunition [[magazine (artillery)|magazines]] and propulsion machinery spaces, and it tapered to {{cvt|152|mm|0}} at the bottom edge. The belt extended for the entire length of the hull, but at the bow it was reduced to {{cvt|180|mm}} at the waterline, and at the stern, it was reduced to {{cvt|150|mm}}. The belt covered the side of the ships from {{cvt|1.25|m}} above the [[waterline]] to {{cvt|1.6|m}} below. An armor [[deck (ship)|deck]] that was {{cvt|50|mm|0}} connected to the top edge of the belt. [[Compound armor]] that was {{cvt|200|mm}} thick was used for the main battery barbettes. The conning tower had {{cvt|30|mm}} of iron plate on the sides.{{sfn|Campbell|p=303}}{{sfn|Roberts|p=73}}{{sfn|Brassey 1888b|p=331}}

===Modifications===
The ships underwent a series of modifications over the course of their careers. ''Duguesclin'' received a pair of {{cvt|47|mm}} guns in place of two of her 37&nbsp;mm guns. In 1890, ''Vauban'' had a secondary conning position for an admiral and his staff installed, which received {{cvt|25|mm|0}} of iron plating on the sides. ''Duguesclin'' received another four 47&nbsp;mm guns in 1893. In 1896–1897, ''Vauban'' was re-boilered, and by 1898, her armament had been revised along the lines of her [[sister ship]]. At that time, her armament consisted of the existing 240&nbsp;mm and 194&nbsp;mm guns, but an additional pair of 138.6&nbsp;mm guns were added to the central battery. No additional ammunition magazines were installed for these guns, so they had to be supplied from the existing magazines. Six [[QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss|{{cvt|47|mm}} M1885]] [[quick-firing gun]]s were added to the anti-torpedo boat battery.{{sfn|Roberts|pp=72–73}}

==Ships==
[[File:French ironclad Vauban NH 66028.jpg|thumb|''Vauban'' in port, date unknown]]

{| class="wikitable"
!Name!!Builder{{sfn|Roberts|pp=73–74}}!!Laid down{{sfn|Roberts|pp=73–74}}!!Launched{{sfn|Roberts|pp=73–74}}!!Completed{{sfn|Roberts|pp=73–74}}
|-
|{{ship|French ironclad|Vauban||2}}
| [[Cherbourg Naval Base|Arsenal of Cherbourg]]
| 1 August 1877
| 3 July 1882
| 9 March 1886 (full)
|-
|{{ship|French ironclad|Duguesclin||2}}
| Rochefort
| March 1877
| 7 April 1883
| 1 January 1886 (trials)
|-
|}

==Service histories==

The two ships of the ''Vauban'' class served with the [[Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean (France)|Mediterranean Squadron]] after entering service, though ''Duguesclin'' was initially placed in [[reserve fleet|reserve]] between 1886 and 1888. Through the late 1880s and early 1890s, they took part in the peacetime routine of training exercises with the rest of the fleet. ''Vauban'' served as the [[flagship]] of the 3rd Division of the squadron in the early 1890s.{{sfn|Brassey 1888a|pp=208–213}}{{sfn|Brassey 1889|pp=450–451}}{{sfn|Brassey 1890|pp=33–36, 64}}{{sfn|Brassey 1891|pp=33–40}} In 1893, both vessels were transferred to the Reserve Division, where they spent half the year in [[ship commissioning|commission]] for training maneuvers.{{sfn|Brassey 1893|p=70}} Rated as [[armored cruiser]]s by that time, they spent two years in the unit before newer, purpose-built cruisers took their places. They were then placed out of commission in 2nd category reserve, kept only to be mobilized in the event of war.{{sfn|Brassey 1895|p=51}}{{sfn|Weyl|p=96}} ''Duguesclin'' saw no further active service, was struck from the [[naval register]] in 1904, and was sold to [[ship breaker]]s the following year.{{sfn|Roberts|p=74}}

In 1899, ''Vauban'' was recommissioned for another tour in [[French Indochina]], where she briefly served as the [[flagship]] of one of the divisions in the Far East Squadron. She was relieved as flagship by the [[protected cruiser]] {{ship|French cruiser|D'Entrecasteaux||2}}, though she remained in the unit. She was then stationed in [[Saigon]], French Indochina, where she largely remained for the next six years. In 1905, she was struck from the [[naval register]]; she thereafter served as a [[depot ship]] for a [[flotilla]] of torpedo boats based at [[Hongay]], French Indochina, from 1905 to 1910, then as a depot ship for [[submarine]]s based at Saigon from 1910 to 1914. She was eventually sold for scrap in 1919.{{sfn|Roberts|p=74}}

==Footnotes==
{{reflist|20em}}

==References==
* {{cite journal
  |editor-last=Brassey
  |editor-first=Thomas
  |editor-link=Thomas Brassey, 1st Earl Brassey
  |title=French Naval Manoeuvres, 1886
  |journal=The Naval Annual
  |year=1888
  |location=Portsmouth
  |publisher=J. Griffin & Co.
  |pages=207–224
  |oclc=496786828
  |ref={{sfnRef|Brassey 1888a}}
  }}
* {{cite journal
  |editor-last=Brassey
  |editor-first=Thomas
  |title=Duguesclin
  |journal=The Naval Annual
  |year=1888
  |location=Portsmouth
  |publisher=J. Griffin & Co.
  |page=331
  |oclc=496786828
  |ref={{sfnRef|Brassey 1888b}}
  }}
* {{cite journal
  |last=Brassey
  |first=Thomas
  |title=French Naval Manoeuvres, 1888
  |journal=The Naval Annual
  |year=1889
  |location=Portsmouth
  |publisher=J. Griffin & Co.
  |page=230
  |oclc=496786828
  |ref={{sfnRef|Brassey 1889}}
  }}
* {{cite journal
  |editor-last=Brassey
  |editor-first=Thomas
  |title=Chapter II: Foreign Manoeuvres
  |journal=The Naval Annual
  |year=1890
  |location=Portsmouth
  |publisher=J. Griffin & Co.
  |pages=
  |oclc=496786828
  |ref={{sfnRef|Brassey 1890}}
  }}
* {{cite journal
  |editor-last=Brassey
  |editor-first=Thomas
  |title=Foreign Maneouvres: I—France
  |journal=The Naval Annual
  |year=1891
  |location=Portsmouth
  |publisher=J. Griffin & Co.
  |pages=33–40
  |oclc=496786828
  |ref={{sfnRef|Brassey 1891}}
  }}
* {{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=1895
  |location=Portsmouth
  |publisher=J. Griffin & Co.
  |pages=49–59
  |oclc=496786828
  |ref={{sfnRef|Brassey 1895}}
  }}
* {{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=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}}
  }}

{{Vauban-class ironclads}}
{{French ironclads}}

[[Category:Vauban-class ironclads| ]]
[[Category:Ship classes of the French Navy]]