Branlebas-class destroyer

Last updated
Sape french destroyer.jpg
Sape underway
Class overview
NameBranlebas class
OperatorsCivil and Naval Ensign of France.svg  French Navy
Preceded by Claymore class
Succeeded by Spahi class
Built1905–09
In service1908–32
Completed10
Lost2
Scrapped8
General characteristics
Type Destroyer
Displacement350  t (344 long tons)
Length58 m (190 ft 3 in) (p/p)
Beam6.28 m (20 ft 7 in)
Draught2.96 m (9 ft 9 in)
Installed power
Propulsion2 shafts; 2 triple-expansion steam engines
Speed27.5 knots (50.9 km/h; 31.6 mph)
Range2,100  nmi (3,900 km; 2,400 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Complement60
Armament
Armour Waterline belt: 20 mm (0.8 in)

The Branlebas class [a] was a class of ten destroyers built for the French Navy in the first decade of the 20th century. Eight of the ships survived the First World War and were scrapped afterwards.

Contents

Construction and design

The Branlebas-class was a development of the previous Claymore-class destroyer, and was the final evolution of the 300-tonne type which the French had built since 1899 with their first destroyer class, the Durandal class. Like all the 300-tonne destroyers, the Branlebas-class ships had a turtledeck forecastle with a flying deck, raised above the hull, aft. [2]

They were 58 metres (190 ft 3 in) long between perpendiculars, with a beam of 6.28 metres (20 ft 7 in) and a maximum draught of 2.96 metres (9 ft 9 in). [3] Displacement was 350 tonnes (344 long tons ). [4] Two coal-fired Normand or Du Temple boilers fed steam at 1,830 kilopascals (265 psi) to two 3-cylinder triple-expansion steam engines, rated at 6,800 indicated horsepower (5,100 kW), and driving two propeller shafts, giving a design speed of 27.5 knots (50.9 km/h; 31.6 mph). [3] [4] Speeds reached during sea trials ranged from 27.09 knots (50.17 km/h; 31.17 mph) for Glaive to 29.82 knots (55.23 km/h; 34.32 mph) for Sape. The ships had a range of 2,100 nautical miles (3,900 km; 2,400 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). [5]

A 20-millimetre (0.8 in) belt of armour was fitted to protect the ship's boilers and machinery. [6] The class was built with the standard gun armament for the 300-tonne destroyers, with a single 65 mm (2.6 in) forward, backed up by six 47 mm (1.9 in) guns, while two 450 mm (17.7 in) torpedo tubes were carried, with one amidships and one right aft. [2] [3] The ships had a complement of 4 officers and 56 men. [4]

The Branlebas class were considered good sea-boats, with reliable machinery. [7] [8] By the time the class was built, however, they were outclassed by contemporary British and German destroyers, such as the River-class and the German S138-class torpedo boat being larger (and more heavily armed. [1] [7] (French destroyer size had been kept small owing to the influence of the Jeune École, which favoured the construction of large numbers of small ships.) [7]

Losses

Ships

A postcard of Oriflamme Oriflamme F destroyer.jpg
A postcard of Oriflamme
ShipBuilder [5] Laid down [5] Launched [5] Fate [9]
Branlebas [b] Normand November 19058 October 1907Sunk by mine 30 September 1915
Étendard Dyle et Bacalan, Bordeaux December 190520 March 1908Sank 25 April 1917
Fanfare NormandNovember 190512 December 1907Stricken 29 September 1925
Fanion Dyle et Bacalan, BordeauxDecember 19054 May 1908Stricken 27 May 1925
Gabion Chantiers de Penhoët, Rouen November 190521 December 1907Stricken 14 May 1921
Glaive Rochefort DockyardMay 190510 September 1908Stricken 13 February 1932
Oriflamme De La Brosse et Fouché, Nantes June 19064 April 1908Stricken 27 May 1921
Poignard Rochefort DockyardMay 19053 July 1909Stricken 3 May 1926
Sabretache [c] De La Brosse et Fouché, NantesJune 19065 February 1908Stricken 10 May 1920
Sape Chantiers de Penhoët, RouenNovember 190523 September 1908Stricken 3 May 1926

Notes

  1. Also known as the Sabretache-class [1]
  2. Roche gives the name as Branle-bas
  3. Couhat gives the name as Sabretagne. [6]

Citations

  1. 1 2 The Engineer 21 August 1908, p. 191.
  2. 1 2 Campbell 1979, pp. 326–327.
  3. 1 2 3 The Engineer 21 August 1908, p. 192.
  4. 1 2 3 Couhat 1974, p. 92.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Couhat 1974, pp. 92, 94.
  6. 1 2 Couhat 1974, p. 94.
  7. 1 2 3 Campbell 1979, p. 323.
  8. Couhat 1974, pp. 80–81, 92.
  9. Roberts 2021, pp. 382–383.

Bibliography