An item referred to the magazine Engineering that the French cruiser 2nd class D’Assas was launched at the shipyard of Société de la Loire. She had as sister ships Cassard and Du Chayla and her building contract was signed in November 1893. Designed by M. Luomme. With a displacement of 3.952 were her dimensions 325’8”x 44’10’x 20’5” (maximum). Protected by an armoured deck thick 2.3”and the guns by hardened steel made shields. The armament consisted of 6-16cm guns, 4-10cm guns, 10-5cm guns, 11-3.7cm quick firing guns and 2 surfaced torpedo tubes. The two sets triple expansion engines and d’Allest tube boilers supplied 9.500 ihp allowing a speed of 19,25 miles and with a coal bunker capacity and a speed of 10 miles a range of 6.000 nautical miles or 1.000 nautical miles while full speed. Her crew numbered 393 men including 22 officers.
