French battleship Voltaire (1909)
Encyclopedia
The Voltaire was a Danton-class
pre-dreadnought
battleship
of the French Navy
.
During the First World War, she was hit by two torpedoes launched by the UB-48
, but survived thanks to the compartments of her hull. At the end of the war, on November 13, 1918, Voltaire and other French ships anchored off Constantinople.
well before they were completed. This, combined with other poor traits, including the great weight in coal they had to carry, made them rather unsuccessful ships, though their rapid-firing guns were of some use in the Mediterranean. They had a main armament of four 305mm/45 Modèle 1906 gun
s in two twin turrets and a secondary armament of twelve 240mm/50 Modèle 1902 gun
s in six twin turrets. Most of the design of the Voltaire was gleemed from facts that surfaced during the Russo-Japanese War
.
. There she was damaged by two torpedoes from UB-48
, the same sub that sunk Gaulois a year earlier while sailing to Mudros with the remainder of the Danton class and Liberte class to defend convoys and persuade Greece to enter on the allied side. Near the end of the war, on November 13, 1918, Voltaire and other French ships anchored off Constantinople. She was scrapped in 1948.
Danton class battleship
The Danton class was a class of French battleships built between 1907–1911, which served in World War I. The six ships in the class were all pre-dreadnought battleships, the last of their kind produced in the French Navy.-Design and production:...
pre-dreadnought
Pre-dreadnought
Pre-dreadnought battleship is the general term for all of the types of sea-going battleships built between the mid-1890s and 1905. Pre-dreadnoughts replaced the ironclad warships of the 1870s and 1880s...
battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
of the French Navy
French Navy
The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
.
During the First World War, she was hit by two torpedoes launched by the UB-48
SM UB-48
SM UB-48 was one of the 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I.UB-48 was engaged in the naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic.- Career :...
, but survived thanks to the compartments of her hull. At the end of the war, on November 13, 1918, Voltaire and other French ships anchored off Constantinople.
Design
Although the s were "a major step forward" from the preceding , especially with the 3,000-ton displacement increase, they were outclassed by the advent of the dreadnoughtDreadnought
The dreadnought was the predominant type of 20th-century battleship. The first of the kind, the Royal Navy's had such an impact when launched in 1906 that similar battleships built after her were referred to as "dreadnoughts", and earlier battleships became known as pre-dreadnoughts...
well before they were completed. This, combined with other poor traits, including the great weight in coal they had to carry, made them rather unsuccessful ships, though their rapid-firing guns were of some use in the Mediterranean. They had a main armament of four 305mm/45 Modèle 1906 gun
305mm/45 Modèle 1906 gun
The 305mm/45 Modèle 1906 gun was a heavy naval gun of the French Navy.The type was used on the s, mounted in two twin turrets. An improved variant, the 305mm/45 Modèle 1910 gun, was installed on the Courbet class.-See also:...
s in two twin turrets and a secondary armament of twelve 240mm/50 Modèle 1902 gun
240mm/50 Modèle 1902 gun
The 240mm/50 Modèle 1902 gun was a heavy naval gun of the French Navy.The type was used on the Danton class battleships as secondary battery, mounted in six twin turrets....
s in six twin turrets. Most of the design of the Voltaire was gleemed from facts that surfaced during the Russo-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
.
Service history
After commissioning, Voltaire left to participate in the Dardanelles CampaignNaval operations in the Dardanelles Campaign
The naval operations in the Dardanelles Campaign of the First World War were mainly carried out by the Royal Navy with substantial support from the French and minor contributions from Russia and Australia. The Dardanelles Campaign began as a purely naval operation...
. There she was damaged by two torpedoes from UB-48
SM UB-48
SM UB-48 was one of the 329 submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I.UB-48 was engaged in the naval warfare and took part in the First Battle of the Atlantic.- Career :...
, the same sub that sunk Gaulois a year earlier while sailing to Mudros with the remainder of the Danton class and Liberte class to defend convoys and persuade Greece to enter on the allied side. Near the end of the war, on November 13, 1918, Voltaire and other French ships anchored off Constantinople. She was scrapped in 1948.