 Jules Ferry at sea, 1905–1911
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 France | |
| Name | Jules Ferry |
| Namesake | Jules Ferry, French statesman |
| Ordered | 28 June 1900 |
| Builder | Arsenal de Cherbourg |
| Cost | 29,897,875FF |
| Laid down | 19 August 1901 |
| Launched | 23 August 1903 |
| Commissioned | 1 June 1907 |
| Stricken | 19 January 1927 |
| Fate | Sold for scrap, 1928 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Léon Gambetta-class armored cruiser |
| Displacement | 12,550 t (12,352 long tons) |
| Length | 148.35 m (486 ft 9 in) (o/a) |
| Beam | 21.4 m (70 ft 3 in) |
| Draft | 8.18 m (26 ft 10 in) |
| Installed power |
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| Propulsion | 3 shafts; 3 triple-expansion steam engines |
| Speed | 22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph) |
| Range | 7,500 nmi (13,900 km; 8,600 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) |
| Complement | 734; 779 as a flagship |
| Armament |
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| Armor |
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Jules Ferry was the second of three Léon Gambetta-class armored cruisers built for the French Navy (Marine Nationale) during the first decade of the 20th century. Armed with four 194-millimetre (7.6 in) guns, the ships were much larger and more powerfully armed than their predecessors. Completed in 1907, she was assigned to the Mediterranean Squadron (Escadre de la Méditerranée) where she served as a flagship.
During World War I, Jules Ferry escorted convoys as well as the capital ships of the French fleet. The ship participated in the blockade of the Austro-Hungarian Navy in the Adriatic Sea until 1917 when she began serving as a transport. She was reduced to reserve shortly before the end of the war in late 1918. Three years later, the cruiser was reactivated; she served in the Far East in 1923–1925 and returned to reserve upon her return. Jules Ferry was sold for scrap in 1928.