french cruiser class armored cruisers built french_navy 1890s ship spent bulk career mediterranean assigned island crete protect french interests citizens spent decade 20th century training ship reserve ship recommissioned world war began escorted convoys months assigned eastern mediterranean support allied operations bombard ottoman controlled coast lightly damaged ottoman shell providing naval gunfire support training ship late decommissioned stricken navy list following year sold scrap design description class ships designed smaller cheaper preceding armored cruiser design like older ship intended fill commerce raiding strategy ship measured meters long overall beam meters forward draft meters drew meters aft displaced metric tons long tons normal load metric tons long tons deep load class triple expansion steam engines driving single propeller shaft steam engines provided belleville boilers engines rated total metric horsepower forced draught designed speed knots mph sea trials december engines produced metric horsepower ship reached maximum speed knots mph carried metric tons long tons short tons coal steam nautical miles speed knots mph ships class main armament consisted canon modèle guns mounted single gun turrets fore aft superstructure secondary armament comprised canon modèle guns single gun turrets broadside anti torpedo boat defense carried millimeter guns millimeter millimeter revolving hotchkiss guns armed millimeter torpedo tubes mounted broadside water unlike sister ships gun turrets electrically powered rated kilowatts performed trials electrical installation proved unreliable service operated friction clutch tended burn normal operating direct current components caused mechanical components wore quickly anticipated addition system water resistant water entered turrets uncommon occurrence replaced reliable system class generally protected millimeters steel armor meters waterline meters centimeters tapered thickness armor ends ships millimeters curved protective deck mild steel thickness millimeters centerline increased millimeters outer edges protecting boiler rooms engine rooms magazines thin splinter deck watertight internal filled ran length ship protective deck height meters waterline protective deck ship divided watertight transverse bulkheads ship conning tower turrets protected millimeters armor construction career named honor vice admiral laid april shipyard launched november commissioned sea trials october initial trials successful testing revealed multiple problems required year half work commissioned service initially assigned participated fleet review president august transferred 2nd light division january ship briefly assigned marine sister protected cruiser transferred october sent bay crete march outbreak turkish war stayed june october ship rejoined light division remained mediterranean_fleet july time participated fleet review king italy april combined fleet maneuvers june july presidential fleet review july gunnery training january forward turret damaged repair february installed october ships ordered proceed port landing companies marines occupied major ports island november agreed enforce contracts french companies repay loans french banks gale december toulon small cargo liner blown ram run aground sink cruiser barely damaged incident ship based duty eastern mediterranean december visited naples april entire participated spring cruise eastern mediterranean shortly placed reserve july new armored cruiser replaced light division time guns removed number guns increased addition electrical system turrets upgraded minor modifications recommissioned february assigned gunnery school following month torpedo tubes removed september aft turret badly damaged loaded guns breech opened blew turret door threw sighting hood ship deck ship saved lost closed door magazine ammunition fourteen crewmen killed wounded incident repairs took end year complete resumed duties placed reserve january recommissioned november service levant departed toulon december arrived egypt december ship refitted tunisia november december time military masts replaced light pole masts arrived egypt december resumed duties recalled july surplus equipment tensions rose shortly outbreak world war ship assigned escort convoys morocco france sisters blockaded february transferred dardanelles transferred syrian squadron march later bombarded ottoman installations railroad bridge acre palestine rejoined dardanelles squadron april providing fire support june aft turret struck millimeter shell killed men wounded transferred conduct anti submarine patrols june august repairs toulon august september ship returned support allied forces near greece ordered home january refitted completion february spent year half central eastern mediterranean performing variety missions ship placed reserve december served gunnery training ship returned toulon december decommissioned condemned june hulk company wreck battleship accommodations workshop september sold scrap france
French cruiser Latouche-Tréville