Rigault de Genouilly-class cruiser
Rigault de Genouilly | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Rigault de Genouilly class |
| Operators | Marine Nationale |
| Preceded by | Hirondelle |
| Succeeded by | Duquesne class |
| Built | 1873–1878 |
| In service | 1879–1902 |
| Completed | 2 |
| Retired | 2 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Unprotected cruiser |
| Displacement | 1,769 t (1,741 long tons; 1,950 short tons) |
| Length | 71.9 m (235 ft 11 in) lwl |
| Beam | 10.8 m (35 ft 5 in) |
| Draft | 4.7 m (15 ft 5 in) |
| Installed power |
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| Propulsion |
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| Sail plan | Full ship rig |
| Speed | 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) |
| Range | 3,130 nmi (5,800 km; 3,600 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) |
| Complement | 195 |
| Armament |
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The Rigault de Genouilly class was a pair of unprotected cruisers—Rigault de Genouilly and Éclaireur—that were built for the French Navy in the 1870s. The ships were rated as third-class cruisers and were intended to fill multiple roles, including as scouts for the French fleet, and to patrol the French colonial empire; as such, they were given a high top speed of 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) and were optimized to use their sailing rig for long voyages abroad. They were armed with a main battery of eight 138.6 mm (5.46 in) guns. The two ships were laid down in 1873 and 1874, and both were completed by 1878. A third ship, provisionally designated "N", was planned but not built.