Alternatives for changing French naval shipbuilding program according to the magazine Mitteilungen aus dem Gebiete des Seewesens dated 1900 no. 3

Jeanne d'Arc; drawing is not similar to her actual appereance

Jeanne d'Arc

Dupetit-Thouars

An item reported that the French minister of navy (1) sent two shipbuilding programs to the budget commission. In both programs was the original proposed large armoured cruiser stricken. As compensation were the Henri IV (2), Jeanne d’Arc (3) and Dupetit-Thouars (4) to be considerable earlier built. In the second program was the immediately laying down at Cherbourg of two submarines, the Henri IV to be earlier built and to be started with an armoured cruiser.

Note
1. Jean-Marie Antoine de Lanessan (13 July 1843 Saint André de Cubzac, France-7 November 1919 Ecouen, France), minister of marine between 22 June 1899-7 June 1902.
2. Pre-dreadnought battleship laid down at Cherbourg, France on 15 July 1897, launched on 23 August 1899, commissioned in September 1903, stricken in 1920 and broken up in 1921.
3. Armoured cruiser, laid down at Toulon, France October 1896, launched June 1899 and finally completed 1902. Fitted out with a ram and six funnels. According to one source a poorly armed cruiser, while another source indicated her in 1903 being the largest and mightiest French cruiser. Since 1912/1913 the school ship of the École Navale. Decommissioned 1928 or February 1933 (sources differs) and broken up in 1934.
4. Belonged to the Gueydon-class armoured cruisers with as sister ships the Gueydon and Montcalm. She was laid down at Toulon in April 1899, launched in July 1901, completed in 1905 and torpedoed by the German submarine U 62 off Brest on 7 August 1918.