French battleship Jauréguiberry

Unveiling the Legacy of Jauréguiberry: A French Battleship in the 1890s

Imagine a time when naval power was the ultimate symbol of national prestige, and every nation vied to outdo its rivals. In this era, France constructed the battleship Jauréguiberry, part of a group of five similar ships built in response to British naval expansion.

But what exactly made Jauréguiberry stand out? Was she a formidable warrior or merely a shadow of her potential? Let’s dive into the details and uncover the story behind this pre-dreadnought battleship.

The Birth of Jauréguiberry

Back in 1890, the French government responded to the British Naval Defence Act with the Statut Naval law. This law called for a fleet of 24 squadron battleships and other vessels. The design requirements included armor, armament, and displacement, but political considerations limited the displacement to around 12,000 metric tons.

Five naval architects submitted proposals, and Jauréguiberry’s design was prepared by Amable Lagane at the Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée shipyard. The ship used a similar hull form to Marceau’s, influenced by the Chilean battleship Capitán Prat.

Design and Specifications

Jauréguiberry was 111.9 meters long with a beam of 23 meters and a draft of 8.45 meters. She displaced 11,818 metric tons at normal load and 12,229 metric tons at full load. The ship was powered by two vertical triple-expansion steam engines, giving her a maximum speed of 17.71 knots.

Her main armament consisted of two 305 mm guns in single-gun turrets and two 274 mm guns in wing turrets. She also had an offensive armament with eight 138.6 mm secondary guns and a defensive armament consisting of four 50-caliber guns and various light-caliber weapons.

The ship was initially fitted with 450-millimeter torpedo tubes, but the exact arrangement is disputed among sources. The above-water tubes were removed during a refit in 1906. M1892 torpedoes carried a 75 kg warhead, set at 27.5 knots or 32.5 knots, reaching targets at 1,000m or 800m.

Jauréguiberry had 3,960 metric tons of nickel-steel armor; her waterline belt ranged from 160–400mm, with a 100 mm thick strake and 170 mm upper strake around the above-water torpedo tubes. The ship’s gun turrets were protected by 370 mm or 280 mm armor.

Service and Accidents

Jauréguiberry was ordered in 1891, launched in 1893, completed its trials in 1896, commissioned in 1897, and fitted with a new electric order-transmission system. Immediately on entering service, she joined the International Squadron in February and participated in the Greek uprising intervention.

Throughout her peacetime career, Jauréguiberry conducted routine training exercises, including gunnery training and combined maneuvers with torpedo boats and submarines. In 1900, she participated in a large exercise involving the Mediterranean and Northern Squadrons. She visited French ports along the Mediterranean coast in April, then steamed to Corsica for a visit that lasted until June.

The ship departed Toulon on August 1 and arrived back on August 14. In January 1902, an air chamber explosion killed one sailor and wounded three. By 1904, she was assigned to the 2nd Battle Division of the Mediterranean Squadron. She steamed to Palma de Mallorca in October 1904 and conducted training exercises on the return.

Jauréguiberry was transferred to the Northern Squadron in 1904 and then arrived at Brest in 1905 after being lightly damaged twice. In February 1907, she returned to the Mediterranean Squadron and was assigned to the Reserve Division. She joined the 3rd Division in 1908 and participated in a cruise in the Mediterranean with other battleships.

The ship underwent a refit from September 1910 to January 1911 and then participated in a naval review off Toulon on September 4. In October 1912, she was reassigned to the Mediterranean Squadron, followed by a transfer to the Training Division in 1913.

During this period, she was fitted with an experimental fire-control system as part of a series of tests. She became the flagship of the Special Division in April 1914 and included other battleships and cruisers. As part of her mission, Jauréguiberry was sent to Oran on August 4, accompanied by Bouvet, Suffren, and Gaulois.

She escorted a convoy in September and remained at Bizerte from December until February 1915, when she sailed to Port Said to become the flagship of the Syrian Division. In March 1915, Jauréguiberry departed for the Dardanelles, where she supported the French and British fleets during their attack on Ottoman defenses.

She provided gunfire support during the Landing at Cape Helles in April 1915 and continued operations until May 1915, when she was lightly damaged by Turkish artillery. Jauréguiberry was recalled to Port Said in July 1915 and bombarded Ottoman-controlled Haifa in August 1915.

She resumed her role as flagship of the Syrian Division on August 19, 1915, and participated in the occupation of Ile Rouad in September 1915. In January 1916, she was transferred to Ismailia to assist in the defense of the Suez Canal, but returned to Port Said shortly after.

Jauréguiberry was refitted at Malta from November 25, 1916, to December 26, 1916, and then returned to Port Said. In 1917, she landed some of her guns to help defend the canal, and was reduced to reserve in 1918.

She arrived at Toulon on March 6, 1919, where she was decommissioned and transferred to the Engineer’s Training School on March 30, 1919. Jauréguiberry was struck from the Navy List on June 20, 1920, but remained assigned to the Engineer’s School until 1932.

She was sold for scrap on June 23, 1934, for the price of 1,147,000 francs. Naval Operations: To The Battle of the Falklands, December 1914. Vol. I. London: Longmans, Green & Co. OCLC 174823980.

Conclusion

Jauréguiberry’s story is a testament to the complexities of naval design and the challenges faced by early 20th-century navies. From her mixed battery of guns and poor stability, to her role in World War I, she embodied both the strengths and weaknesses of pre-dreadnought battleships.