Shipbucket

This thread will present various french never-build and preliminary designs of existing ships since 1880. Like with all never-where designs, these are based on various level of sources. Some are from rather detailed plans, some are mere artist impressions based on available data.

Export Coastal battleship projects for Chinese Empire:

A small gunboat style armoured coastal defence ship with 274.4mm/45 gun in the rear and 138.6mm guns secondaries.

A variant of the previous ship with 200(?)mm (probably 194mm) guns in place of the 274.4mm.

A larger design with 305mm/45 single turrets as in contemporary French designs.

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Shipbucket mainsite, aka "The Archive"
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1st, 2nd and 3rd class Cruisers:



Quite self-explanatory, original design for 3rd class cruiser Forbin with full sailing rig.

Quite self-explanatory, original design for 2nd class cruiser Davout with full sailing rig.

Initial design of the 2nd class cruiser Friant with military fore- and mainmasts.

Original design for 1st class cruiser Amiral Cécille with 6 164mm guns.

Original design for 1st class cruiser Alger with full sailing rig instead of military masts

Original design for 2nd class cruiser Jean Bart with full sailing rig instead of military masts

Preliminary design for a fast commerce raiding cruiser that envolved into Châteaurenault and Guichen.

Original Jeanne d'Arc, a station cruiser designed by Tréboul which was to follow D`Entrecasteaux. Canceled in favour of Bertin's armoured cruiser by the same name.

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New AU project "Aravala"

Armoured cruisers


Original design of armoured cruiser Dupuy de Lôme, Barbettes and casemates in place of turrets of the definitive version.

Original design of armoured cruiser Jeanne d'Arc.

Original version of the small armoured cruiser Dupleix with casemate mounts for 164mm guns.

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Shipbucket mainsite, aka "The Archive"
New AU project "Aravala"

Awesome!

But it would be also awesome if You would at least add the dates to all of them (not just select few) - if not some short backgrounds. (but at least the dates, please, for the purpose of upload)

And I tought these all would been so familiar to you all that you knew the them like your own pockets

I'll add some dates and post the rest (mostly battleships) tomorrow.

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Shipbucket mainsite, aka "The Archive"
New AU project "Aravala"

Very nice work!

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MS State Guard - 08 March 2014 - 28 January 2023

The Official IJN Ships & Planes List

#FJB

All of these are great, fantastic work!

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Battleships


Original battleship design from 1880. Envolved into Neptune, Marceau and Magneta.

de Bussy's original battleship design for Brennus. Featured en-enchelon turrets for the main guns and mixed boiler machinery

Simplified version of the de Bussy design with direct fire boilers.

Competitive design for Brennus by Huin with the traditional french lozenge arrangement for main guns.

Initial variant of the Hoche design with sailing rig.

Battleship designed by Huin in 1890. Was considered too large and expensive and thus not accepted. 340mm guns in centerline, 274.4mm in the sides.

Lighter and smaller variant of the previous, 4 274.4mm mainguns.

Further development of the original 1890 design with 305mm guns in centerline and 274.4mm in the sides, preliminary design for Charles Martel

Preliminary design for Charlemagne class

Planned battleship-cruiser advocated by Naval minister Lockroy, was to be 3 knots faster than contemporary battleships and armed with 2 305mm guns and 14 164mm guns. Designed by Bertin. Similar in concept to later Japanese Tsubuka class armoured cruisers and Italian Regina Elena class battleships.

Initial design for Bertin's 15,000t battleship that envolved into Patrie and Démocratie Class.

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Shipbucket mainsite, aka "The Archive"
New AU project "Aravala"

Fantastic drawings!

These next selection ships needs no introduction as they are from the more known catalog of french neverwheres. To those who are more interessed, I suggest the Jordan books about French Battleships and Cruisers from which basicly all of these are covered.

1913-14 scout cruiser designs:

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Shipbucket mainsite, aka "The Archive"
New AU project "Aravala"