french cruiser armored cruiser built french_navy 1890s ship class spent career mediterranean sent china boxer rebellion ship 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 blockade ottoman controlled coast time helped rescue thousand syria armenian genocide sunk early german submarine single survivor rescued design description class ships designed smaller cheaper preceding armored cruiser design like older ship intended fill commerce raiding strategy ship measured meters perpendiculars 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 rated total metric horsepower forced draught designed speed knots mph sea trials july engines produced metric horsepower gave maximum speed knots mph ship 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 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 admiral laid arsenal june launched march renamed march commissioned august ship initially assigned 2nd light division briefly detached service january flagship marine commanding sister ship protected cruiser mission school prepare officers command sea service months later reassigned active fleet october ship sent crete february french contingent deployed turkish war protect western interests citizens remained squadron november reassigned college january protected cruisers detached based brest half year returning toulon late june months later ship returned brest temporarily placed reserve january ordered repairs steam preparation upcoming deployment far_east departed brest june arrived french august supported allied forces later stages boxer rebellion returning toulon november brief refit ship assigned january annual naval maneuvers july august simulated defending force breaking mediterranean atlantic attacked fortifications french north_africa blockaded hostile ports placed reserve toulon january later assigned gunnery school middle bay crete relieved sister july refitted placed reserve tunisia world war began august recommissioned assigned escort convoys morocco france november assigned 3rd squadron based egypt bombarded ottoman positions syrian coast times ran aground enemy fire bulgaria march pulled small italian cargo liner battleship protected cruiser assigned blockade coast tripoli lebanon egypt late august september ship participated rescue north pursuing ottoman troops ship supported occupation island december armored cruiser arc sailing syria egypt torpedoed german submarine morning february sank minutes loss nearly entire crew men lost single survivor rescued days later
French cruiser Amiral Charner