ClassCharlemagne class
NavyMarine nationale
CountryFrance
Builder / shipyardArsenal de Brest
Laid down1894
Launched1896
Completed1899
Recorded statusSunk
What is known about this ship
Gaulois was a pre-dreadnought battleship of the Charlemagne class.
Service history
Served primarily with French Mediterranean forces; all three remained in service into World War I.
Class context: Charlemagne class
The Charlemagne class introduced a more conventional French pre-dreadnought arrangement with four 305 mm guns in twin turrets fore and aft.
Later service and disposition
Torpedoed and sunk by German submarine UB-47.
Class relationship
This ship is recorded as a member of Charlemagne class. Shared design history belongs on the class page; this page concentrates on the individual hull where evidence is available.
Sources and further reading
- CHARLEMAGNE - Cuirassé d'escadre ↗Service historique de la Défense · accessed 2026-09-18
- French Battleships of World War OneSeaforth Publishing
- The Development of a Modern Navy: French Naval Policy, 1871-1904Naval Institute Press
- Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860-1905Conway Maritime Press
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