République pre-dreadnought class, Patrie

Mathll · February 25, 2026, 10:49pm

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Hello everyone and welcome to this new suggestion.

Today I’m presenting the second ship of the République class, the Patrie.

Laid down in 1902 in La Seyne-sur-Mer in the Mediterranean, and commissioned in 1907, the Patrie was the last of the French pre-dreadnoughts. Identical in every respect to its sister ship and first ship of the class, the République, the Patrie was also based in Toulon to serve within the Mediterranean squadron.

At the outbreak of war in August 1914, the Patrie was still part of the Mediterranean fleet. It took part in the first Allied naval operations, notably escorting convoys of French troops being transported from North Africa to mainland France, a crucial mission for the deployment of French forces. The battleship then participated with its sister ship, the République, in the Battle of Antivari, an action against the Austro-Hungarian Navy in the Adriatic Sea in 1914, as the Allied forces sought to contain any enemy sortie in the Mediterranean. Following this action, it contributed to the blockade of the Austro-Hungarian fleet in the Adriatic, patrolling this strategic area to prevent blockade breaches and protect Allied communications in this contested sea. In May 1915, the Patrie was committed to the Dardanelles Campaign, where it participated in bombardment operations against Ottoman fortifications in the region, supporting the Allied forces in this major operation. From 1917–1918 onward, the Patrie’s operational activity became more limited, as the superiority of submarines and the evolving role of battleships precipitated a decline in its direct use in combat. Towards the end of the war, it remained in the Mediterranean, notably in the Salonika region, a strategic position for the Allied forces in the Balkans.

At the end of the war, the Patrie, like its sister ship, was converted into a training vessel, used to train torpedo tube operators on French warships. It was decommissioned in 1927 and scrapped in 1928. The Patrie illustrates a pivotal moment in French naval history: built just before the “all-big-gun” battleship revolution initiated by HMS Dreadnought, it combined the firepower and significant range typical of late 19th-century battleships, but quickly became obsolete due to technological advancements.

Characteristics

Length: 135m

Width: 24.3m

Draft: 8.3m

Masse: 14,900 tons

The ship is powered by three steam engines developing 18,500 hp, fed by 24 coal-fired boilers. This allows it to reach a maximum speed of 19 knots and a range of 8,400 nautical miles at a speed of 10 knots. Its crew consists of 850 sailors.

Weapons

The ship’s armament was substantial for its time, including:

Guns :

2 x 2 305mm Mle1893/96
6 x 2 164mm Mle1893/96
6 x 1 164mm Mle1893/96
13 65mm Mle 1902
10 47mm Mle 1902

Torpedoes :

2 Torpedo launchers

Armor

The ship is adequately armored for its role and era, with the following armor values:

Belt: 280mm
Turret:
- Primary: 360mm
- Secondary: 138mm
Conning Tower: 266mm
Deck:
- Upper: 54mm
- Lower: 51mm

In the game, this ship would be a particularly interesting addition to the French tree, providing an armored ship with substantial armament capable of emerging victorious from many situations, thus completing the tree in a unique and interesting way.

Pictures

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