Operators French Navy Succeeded by None In commission 1903-1921 Construction started 15 November 1897 Length 137 m Draft 6.4 m | Preceded by Destrées class Built 1897-1903 Completed 1 Launched 26 June 1899 Weight 5,600 tons Builder Lorient | |
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Jurien de la Gravière was the last protected cruiser built for the French Navy, named in honour of Edmond Jurien de la Gravière and his father, Pierre Roch Jurien de La Gravière.
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Design
Jurien de la Gravière had a main armament of 8 Modèle 1893 164.7 mm guns. 2 guns were in shielded centerline mounts fore and aft, and the remaining 6 were in casemate mounts on the ship's sides. 10 47 mm 3-pounder and 6 37 mm 1-pounder Hotchkiss guns were mounted for defense against torpedo boats. 2 submerged 450 mm (18 in) torpedo tubes were mounted with 1 each on the port and starboard.
The armored deck was 55 mm (2 in) with 65 mm (3 in) sloped sides amidships over the magazines and machinery spaces, and tapered to 35 mm (1 in) with 55 mm (2 in) slopes fore and aft. Above this was a 25 mm (1 in) upper deck, and between the decks were subdivided compartments containing the ship's coal fuel and food stores.
Service
Jurien de la Gravière was laid down on 15 November 1897 and launched on 26 July 1899. Sea trials lasted over a year due to construction errors, with the ship not being commissioned until 1903. After her commission, Jurien de la Gravière served in the Far East.
She served in the Mediterranean during the First World War, patrolling the Strait of Otranto, repressing insurrections in Crete, and bombarding Turkey. She took part in the blockade of Greece after the Noemvriana events.
In 1920, she occupied the station of Syria, before being replaced by Cassard.
Jurien de la Gravière was decommissioned on 27 July 1921 and was eventually sold for scrap in 1922.<ref name="Navypedia">