Descartes
Class Protected Cruisers of the French Navy. History and photos of
the Descartes Class protected cruisers, launched 1894- 95, including
Descartes and Pascal.
These protected cruisers had plough Bows. they were
made from Wood sheathed in Copper plate. both these cruisers ahs to be
ballasted to improve their stability. and it is also said that the
magazines on Descartes were extremely hot.
Descartes was built at Soc de la Loire and
laid down in August 1892 launched in September 1894 and complete din
July 1896. descart4es was serving in the West Indies at the Outbreak of
world war one and stayed there until 1917. she was involved in two collisions
the first being with a a Spanish cargo ship the Telesfora and the second
collision with the British SS Strathmore. as the war came to a
close she returned to France at Lorient where she went into reserve
Displacement: 3960 tons, Speed: 19.5 knots, Compliment:
383 to 400
crew. Armament: Four 6.4-inch Guns Quick Firing M1891.
Ten 3.9 -inch Guns, Descartes also had Eight 3 pounder
and four 1 pounder and Pascal had Fourteen 3 pounder, and eight 1
pounder. Two 18-inch Torpedo tubes AW.
