FRENCH WAR CRAFT

Evening Star, Issue 18137, 29 November 1922, Page 2

FRENCH WAR CRAFT

TWO TO VISIT AUCKLAND. According to information) received by the French Consul-General in Sydney, the French warships shortly to visit Auckland are to be the Victor Hugo and the Jules Michelet (not the Jules 'Ferry). Both warships are of over 12,000 tons burthen, and they shared in the duty of holding the Austrian fleet in the Adriatic during the war. i'ho squadron will proceed from Madagascar so as to reach Fremantle, about tire middle of next month, and will then call at Melbourne and Sydney. It is probable that a visit will later be made to New Zealand, and the squadron will then proceed via Now Caledonia to the French, possessions in Indo-Chm-a and to China and India, M. fkmpana, the French Consnl-Gen-tmal, informed a pressman that the officers and men of the ; quadron were looking forward to their visit to the Commonwealth, and that he was confident that the visit would be mutually profitable. “It will be a good tiling,” added M. Campaiu, "to renew the bonds of friendship between Franco and Australia It is many years since one of our fleets or squadrons visited the Pacific, and such a visit to our possessions and to these parts of tho British Empire is now really due. I believe tho squadron vyill stay in Sydney for a week, when arrangements will bo made on board to extend a hearty welcome to those who wish to inspect the vessels. No doubt there will bo dances on hoard 1 , and visitors will also bo interested in a unique collection of ingenious mirrors on the Jules Michelet, in which can bo seen in realistic fashion scenes from the commercial life of Paris, its delightful boulevards, monuments, and public buildings. It is, I believe, something quite novel, and its educational value should be considerable.” Tho cruiser Victor Hugo, wliich was completed in 1907, the keel having been laid four years earlier, has an average displacement of 12,518 tons, and carries 731 hands. Her length is beam 704 ft, and mean draught 264 ft. Her armament consists of four 7.6 guns. 1 She is propelled; by three screws, and can carry 1,900 tons' of coal. On her trial trips sho succeeded in maintaining a speed of twenty-three knots. The Jules Michelet was launched in 1908, her keel having been laid down at Larient in 19C4. This vessel has a displacement of 13,570 tons, and carries a complement of 720 bands all told 1 . Her length is 489 ft, beam 704 ft, and maximum draught 27ft. Her armament consists of four 7.6 guns and twelve 6.5 guns, and the machinery comprises throe sets of triple-oxKvnsion engines, with a designed' horse-power of 25,000, giving a speed of twenty-two knots. On her trial cruise sho developed 30,438 horse-power, hor actual speed boing 22.9 knots. Her normal coal capacity is 1,330 tons, but sho con carry 2,100 tons. According to Jano, the Jnks Michelet still steams well.