 Wattignies
| |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Wattignies class |
| Operators |  French Navy |
| Preceded by | Condor class |
| Succeeded by | D'Iberville class |
| Built | 1891–1892 |
| In service | 1892–1928 |
| Completed | 2 |
| Retired | 2 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Torpedo cruiser |
| Displacement | 1,297 t (1,277 long tons; 1,430 short tons) |
| Length | 70.985 m (232 ft 10.7 in) loa |
| Beam | 8.908 m (29 ft 2.7 in) |
| Draft | 4.211 m (13 ft 9.8 in) (mean) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion | |
| Speed | 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph) |
| Range | 1,800 nmi (3,300 km; 2,100 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) |
| Complement | 185 |
| Armament |
|
| Armor | Deck: 40 mm (1.6 in) |
The Wattignies class was a group of two torpedo cruisers built for the French Navy in the early 1890s. The class comprised Wattignies and Fleurus. They were ordered as part of a fleet program that, in accordance with the theories of the Jeune École, proposed a fleet based on cruisers and torpedo boats to defend France. The two ships were an improved version of the preceding Condor class, built around an armament of four 356 mm (14 in) torpedo tubes. Both ships saw short commissions. The lead ship of the class, Wattignies, was launched in 1891 and served with the Mediterranean Squadron until 1898. The cruiser was struck ten years later. Having suffered from boiler problems, Fleurus was commissioned for only 30 months in 1901 but compensated by remaining in service as a training school and hulk until 1927.