french battleship pre dreadnought battleship french_navy built late 19th century laid january launched october completed design unique departed earlier ironclad battleship designs introducing number innovations included main battery heavy guns mounted centerline use belleville boilers formed basis subsequent designs beginning spent majority career served flagship early career accidentally rammed sank destroyer newer battleships commissioned fleet relegated early 1900s outbreak world war august old age poor condition prevented seeing action ultimately stricken naval register sold scrap years later design earlier vessel named laid cancelled tenure admiral vessel sister ship named modified version class ironclad battleships retirement plans ships reworked entirely ships actually completed earlier cancelled vessels confusion result shipyard working ships named use material assembled vessel build second pairs ships distinct vessels second ordered pre dreadnought style battleship built french_navy previous class ships barbette ships type ironclad battleship formed basis subsequent group broadly similar battleships built design specifications begun reverted armament layout earlier saw main guns distributed single turrets pattern general characteristics machinery meters long perpendiculars beam draft displacement tonnes long tons built ship significantly overweight draft greater intended load ammunition armored belt submerged superstructure cut mainmast intended fighting mast replaced lighter pole mast unlike battleships period built ram bow crew officers enlisted men vertical triple expansion engines driving single screw steam supplied thirty belleville water tube boilers decision fit water tube boilers large ship equipped propulsion system rated indicated horsepower allowed ship steam speed knots mph built carry long tons short tons coal additional space allowed long tons short tons total armament armor main armament consisted canon modèle guns twin turret forward single turret aft secondary armament consisted canon modèle guns mounted single turrets amidships located directly underneath casemates ship carried pounder quick firing guns fourteen pounders pounder guns pounder revolver cannons armament suite rounded water torpedo tubes later removed ship armor constructed steel compound armor main belt thick amidships tapered lower edge end central citadel belt reduced waterline lower edge belt extended entire length hull belt thick armor main battery guns protected maximum thickness armor secondary turrets thick sides main armored deck thick conning tower thick sides service career laid dockyard january launched october fitting work completed commissioned french_navy french_navy issued new doctrine gunnery control gunnery training exercises test new system ironclad battleships neptune got hits range success prompted navy method standard fleet february july august french fleet conducted maneuvers english channel time flagship vice admiral august returning maneuvers collided destroyer destroyer quickly sank fourteen men crew rescued transferred battleships armored cruisers flew flag annual summer maneuvers july august continued reserve squadron time flagship vice admiral commander chief annual summer maneuvers began late june concluded august following year mediterranean_fleet reorganized squadrons repeated role flagship squadron command rear admiral age condition outbreak world war august mobilized action ultimately stricken naval register sold scrapping
French battleship Brennus