Some French Indochina questions

I want to ask some questions about French Indochina:

1. What are the ships assigned in French Indochina during 1897-1899?

2. Who were the commanders of those ships at that time?

3. And who were highest ranked commanders of the French fleet in Indochina during those years?

4. Are there any diplomats stationed in Indochina during the same years?

5. Who were the governors of Indochina during that time?
 
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The info you're looking for isn't available on the web, either in English or French. The best I could find was the ship-type composition of the Escadre d'Extrème-Orient before the Franco-Chinese war:

4 battleships (1870s types, of course)
4 cruisers
3 corvettes
7 gunboats
8 gun sloops (which the article says were decommissioned after the end of the war.)

The specificity of the info you're seeking is gonna require access to a university library, most likely.
 
1,2: http://guy.joly1.free.fr/repertoire-navires-1905-1907.html If you can read French: this is a ship list is from 1905, but I doubt the list changes much compared with 1899, the Russo-Japanese war notwithstanding (in which the French reaction was to have the Acheron and the Styx patrolling their waters). The list fits with fragments of a 1900 ship list that I also managed to trawl up.

Name of ship, Type of ship [Launch date] (Captain name)

Far Eastern Squadron (Haiphong)
D'Assas, Cruiser 2nd class [launched 1893] (Allaire)
Descartes, Cruiser 2nd class [launched 1894] (Amet)
Pascal, Cruiser 2nd class [launched 1895] (Chevalier)
Acheron, Cruiser 1st class [launched 1885] (Ferret)
Gueydon, Armored Cruiser with two turrets [launched 1899] (Ridoux)
Sully, Armored Cruiser with two turrets [launched 1901] (Guiberteau)
Guichen, Raider-Cruiser [launched 1898] (Peat)
Decidee, High Seas Gunboat [launched 1900] (l'Eost)
Styx, Armor-turreted Gunboat [launched 1885] (Dupriez) - in Cochinchina
Francisque, Destroyer (Cotoni)
Fronde, Destroyer (Jehenne)
Javeline, Destroyer [launched 1902] (Blondeau)
Mousquet, Destroyer [launched 1902] (Duchemin)
Sabre, Destroyer [launched 1904] (Lebail)
Olry, River Gunboat (Grellier)
Pei-Ho, River Gunboat [launched 1901] (Marchard)
Vigilante, River Gunboat [launched 1884] (Brugnon)
Surprise, Gunboat[launched 1895] (Roque)

Tonkin and Annam Station (Haiphong?)
Kersaint, Cruiser 1st Class [launched 1897] (Simon)
Henri-Riviere, River Gunboat [launched 1884] (Portier Meha)
Jacquin, River Gunboat [launched 1884] (Corolier)
Adour, Stationary Hulk (Joulia)

Cochinchina Station (Cam Ranh?)
Caronade, River Gunboat [launched 1884] (Millet)
Bouclier, Screw-propellered Gunboat (?) - disarmed
Lion, Gunboat [launched 1880] (Baude)
Baionette, Gunboat Sloop [launched 1883] (?)
Alouette, Wheeled Sloop [launched 1884] (Varney)

In a 'special reserve' in Cochinchina (Cam Ranh?)
Vipere, High Seas Screw-propellered Gunboat (?)

Haiphong Reserve (Haiphong?)
Flamme, Armored Gunboat 2nd class [launched 1885] (?)
Alerte, River Gunboat [launched 1884] (?)
Casse-tete, River Gunboat [launched 1884] (?)
Avalanche, Screw-propellered Gunboat [launched 1883] (?)
Railleur, Cutter
Estoc, Screw-propellered Gunboat (?)

In a reserve at Tonkin (Haiphong?)
Berthe de Villers, River Gunboat (?)

3. Again, it's not clear - but Admiral Rieunier took command from Lespes in 1888, and an Admiral Rieunier was directing the French military effort in China in 1900. So for the 1890s it's likely that the same Admiral Rieunier was in command of the French fleet.

4. Auguste Pavie was an adventurer/diplomat in Indochina who was instrumental in expanding French colonial interests in Laos. If you poke around the Franco-Siamese treaties long enough I'm sure you'll find other names.
 
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Semi-OT: Are there any diplomats assigned in China/Hong Kong during those times?

Yes there were: remember that this was the time of the Boxer Rebellion and the 'lease' of Guangzhouwan (Fort-Bayard/Zhanjiang) so there will be a lot of French diplomats around.

Auguste Gerard, Minister in China 1894-1897, followed by Stephen Pichon, 1897-1900

Georges Dubail was Charge d'Affaires to the Tsungli Yamen and negotiated the lease of Guangzhouwan.
 
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