Abstract
Just for what purpose were the Marine nationale’s armoured cruisers built? Was it to fight a guerre de course against the Royal Navy? Or was it to form an advanced scouting force for a fleet of battleships? In French Armoured Cruisers 1887-1932, Jordan and Caresse provide an answer with a detailed analysis of the Marine nationale’s pre-dreadnought armoured cruisers. They have successfully followed the now standard format developed by their publisher for warship design studies. This volume is replete with magnificent photographs and detailed drawings of turrets and machinery. More emphasis is placed on the development of machinery and particularly boilers than in most warship design analysis.
The authors begin with an all too brief introduction. In it they outline the convoluted design process followed by the Marine nationale, which led to extended construction times and a lack of standardization. Indeed, because of the idiosyncrasies of each vessel within a specific ‘class’ most French warships should be considered as has having been built in groups of half-sisters rather than to one standard design. Following the introduction the book is divided into two unequal sections. The first section, details in ten chapters, the design, construction, and the pre-Great War service of each group of cruisers. The second ‘Historical’ section consists of only two chapters, which discuss the vessels’ Great War service and their post-war fate.
The first chapter analyses the Dupuy-de-Lôme and the Amiral Charner class. The design of the Dupuy-de-Lôme was a bold conception followed by imperfect execution. With her hull covered by a 100mm nickel steel bel she is generally considered the first modern armoured cruiser. Included in the package was a powerful armament and a designed speed of 20 knots. On paper the ship was a formidable opponent. However, her potential was let down by a combination of faulty hull design and unreliable machinery. Slow building times were also a problem, with the cruiser being laid down in 1890 but not accepted by the Marine nationale until 1895.The four cruisers of the Amiral Charner class were diminutives of the Dupuy-de-Lôme with improved boilers, yet they still had trouble reaching designed speed.
Most subsequent armoured cruisers were built in small groups with incremental improvements in armament, protection and machinery. The largest single class was the Gloire class, the first of which was laid down in 1899. These five cruisers of roughly 10,000 tons were contemporaries of the Royal Navy’s Cressy class (six ships) and the Drake class (four ships.) Both of the RN classes were larger than their French counterparts, with the Drake’s also being faster. In terms of firepower the British vessels carried more guns but some could not be worked in a seaway. The costs were virtually the same. While the designs were different the total effectiveness for each nation’s individual ships were similar. By 1904 the Marine nationale had five new cruisers but the RN had 10. From an industrial standpoint the French could just not keep pace with their perceived rival.
A well-built cruiser with an effective armament and appropriate armour protection that had unreliable boilers was a waste of money. The Marine nationale was a leader in the introduction of water tube boilers but they paid the price for being a first mover. Through the use of multiple drawings the authors do a good job of analysing the halting nature of these significant technological advancements. Similarly, their discussion of the evolution of the cruisers’ guns and ammunition supply is examined in detail. Numerous plans are used to explain the changes, group by group. While the evolution of the protective schemes used to safeguard the ammunition and the guns appears reasonable, the amount of ready use shells and powder held within the turrets (or the casemates) does seem an invitation to disaster.
However, the book’s description of the types of armour plate used by the Marine nationale is not as straightforward as the authors’ coverage of the cruisers’ propulsion systems or their armament. It appears that the first cruiser to use Krupp cemented armour was the Edgar Quinet (1905), well after it had been adopted by other navies. It would have been useful to include a section on French armour plate producers, as well as a table comparing the quality of their merchandise to that of foreign manufacturers.
Chapter 10, ‘Organization’, discusses the administrative status of a typical cruiser throughout its career and the physical organization of the Marine nationale’s cruiser escadres. Significantly, the authors include a table giving the cost of each vessel. Armoured cruisers did not come cheap. With the increase in size and complexity between the Dupuy-de-Lôme and Waldeck-Rousseau the cost doubled. Indeed, the final tally for the latter was 32,688, 688FF (c. £1,300,000), to that of 16,308,850FF, (c. £652,000) for the earlier ship. Would the Marine nationale been better off to have built smaller, less expensive cruisers?
As with any successful historical study, French Armoured Cruisers not only properly analyses its subject but also prompts additional questions. What was the nature of the technological competition between the RN and the Marine nationale? Sir William White (the RN’s Director of Naval Construction, 1885–1902), and Louis de Bussy, designer of the Dupuy-de-Lôme, were good friends and White had both official and private discussions with other French naval architects starting in the 1890s. While all concerned were professionals what type of ideas did the did the naval constructors discuss? White and his successor Sir Philip Watts had spent time in private shipyards. Did any of the French naval constructors have experience working outside of naval dockyards? The authors do not mention the small number of armoured cruisers built (or designed) in France for export. Did these vessels have any influence on the designs produced for the Marine nationale?
As a whole the authors do a commendable job of explaining the technical development of the Marine nationale’s armoured cruisers. The diagrams and their accompanying captions of turret layouts and the boilers are worth the price of the book. The superb photographs are a bonus.