The Farfadet class consisted of four submarines built for the French Navy at the beginning of the 20th century designed by Gabriel Maugas. Two boats were lost in diving accidents. All were disposed of prior to the outbreak of the First World War.
The Farfadets were designed by Gabriel Maugas, an early French submarine engineer at the Rochefort Naval Dockyard. Derived from the Morse,[1] the Farfadets were single-hulled, and powered by electric motors only, limiting their range and surface performance compared to the contemporary Sirène class. However they had variable-pitch propellers, developed by Maugas, obviating the need for a reversing engine.[2]
The first three submarines, Farfadet, Gnome, and Korrigan, displaced185 metric tons (182 long tons) surfaced and 202 metric tons (199 long tons) submerged. They had an overall length of 41.35 meters (135ft 8in), a beam of 2.9 meters (9ft 6in), and a draft of 2.7 meters (8ft 10in). The fourth submarine, Lutin, had an overall length of 41.45 meters (136ft). The crew of all of the submarines numbered 2 officers and 12 enlisted men.[2]
All of the boats were powered by a pair of Sautter-Harlé electric motors providing a total of 300 metric horsepower (296bhp; 221kW), both driving the single propeller shaft, except for Lutin which had two shafts. The first three boats were fitted with side-thrusting propellers (French: évoleurs) at the stern to assist in steering. They could reach a maximum speed of 6 knots (11km/h; 6.9mph) on the surface and 4.3 knots (8.0km/h; 4.9mph) underwater. The Farfadet class had a surface endurance of 430 nautical miles (800km; 490mi) at 7.8 knots (14.4km/h; 9.0mph) and a submerged endurance of 28nmi (52km; 32mi) at 4.3 knots (8.0km/h; 4.9mph).[2]
The boats were armed with four external 450-millimeter (17.7in) Tissier torpedo launchers, two aimed forward and two aimed to the rear.[2]
Service history
The Farfadets were ordered as part of the French Navy's 1899 building programme, and were constructed over the next three years at the naval dockyards at Rochefort. However they were not successful in service; Farfadet was lost in a diving accident in July 1905, and Lutin in October 1906. Farfadet was raised and recommissioned as Follet, remaining in service until 1913, while Lutin was refloated and used for trials and as a target. The other two vessels were taken out of service in 1906 and sold for scrap in 1910–1911.[3]
Garier, Gérard (1995). L'odyssée technique et humaine du sous-marin en France[The Technical and Human Odyssey of the Submarine in France: From Plongeur (1863) to Guêpe (1904)] (in French). Vol.1: Du Plongeur (1863) aux Guêpe (1904). Marines édition. ISBN2-909675-19-X.
Roberts, Stephen S. (2021). French Warships in the Age of Steam 1859–1914: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth Publishing. ISBN978-1-5267-4533-0.
Stanglini, Ruggero & Cosentino, Michelle (2022). The French Fleet: Ships, Strategy and Operations, 1870-1918. Seaforth Publishing. ISBN978-1-5267-0131-2.
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