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d'Entrecasteaux, which is named after Antoine de Bruni, Chevalier d'Entrecasteaux - an intrepid explorer of the South Seas, was one of the finest French heavily protected cruisers, being laid down on 28.VI.1894 at La Seyne and launched nearly two years later. Built of steel, sheathed and coppered, her displacement was 8,114 t, and with engines of 13,500 shp her estimated speed was 19.5 knots, at her trials the highest speed obtained was 19.2 knots. She was well but lightly protected, her turret armour being 24,9 cm thick of Harveyed steel, and there is a turtle-back deck, 10 cm thick at the sides. Her armament consisted of two 24 cm breech-loaders, electrically maneuvered in fore and aft turrets, twelve 13,8 cm quick firers, six 3,7 cm Maxims and four torpedo tubes.
The cruiser was built for far East service where she stood from 1898 to 1910. During WWI she saw service in the Mediteranean theater and became and instruction ship after WWI. Lent to Belgium in 1922 as a hulk, returned to France in 1926 when the Belgium navy was reduced in size. She was sold to Poland on 7.III.1927 and was towed to Gdynia under the name of Krol Wladyslaw IV being again renamed as Baltyk. Ship was serving as a hulk. She was broken up by the German during world war two around 1942. |
