Global InformationFrench cruiser Forfait information
 Forfait, date unknown
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| History | |
|---|---|
 France | |
| Name | Villars |
| Builder | Société Nouvelle des Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée |
| Laid down | 2 November 1876 |
| Launched | 6 February 1879 |
| Commissioned | 1 September 1879 |
| In service | 14 August 1880 |
| Out of service | 17 July 1896 |
| Stricken | 26 April 1897 |
| Fate |
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| General characteristics | |
| Displacement | 2,321 t (2,284 long tons) |
| Length | 74.18 m (243 ft 4 in) lwl |
| Beam | 11.62 m (38 ft 1 in) |
| Draft | 5.13 m (16 ft 10 in) |
| Installed power |
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| Propulsion |
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| Sail plan | Full ship rig |
| Speed | 14.7 knots (27.2 km/h; 16.9 mph) |
| Range | 4,810 nmi (8,910 km; 5,540 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) |
| Complement | 264 |
| Armament |
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Forfait was an unprotected cruiser of the Villars class built for the French Navy in the 1870s. The ships were designed for service in the French colonial empire, and they carried a relatively heavy battery of fifteen 138.6 mm (5.46 in) guns, and could steam at a speed of 14.5 knots (26.9 km/h; 16.7 mph). The ship was laid down in 1876 and she was completed in 1880. The following year, Forfait was sent to the Indian Ocean, and in 1883–1885, she took part in the First Madagascar expedition, France's first attempt to conquer Madagascar. During the conflict, she bombarded forces loyal to the Merina Kingdom and helped to institute a blockade of ports controlled by the Merina government. Forfait returned to France in 1886, was modernized in 1888, and was deployed to French Indochina from 1892 to 1896. She was placed in reserve after returning to France in 1896, converted into a hulk, and used for storage 1914. She was eventually sold for scrap in 1920.