French submarine Brumaire

A postcard of Brumaire
History
France
Name	Brumaire
Namesake	The month of Brumaire
Builder	Arsenal de Cherbourg
Launched	29 April 1911
Commissioned	20 March 1912
Fate	Scrapped 1930
General characteristics (as built)
Class & type	Brumaire-class submarine
Displacement	397  t (391 long tons) (surfaced) 551 t (542 long tons) (submerged)
Length	52.15 m (171 ft 1 in) (o/a)
Beam	5.42 m (17 ft 9 in)
Draft	3.19 m (10 ft 6 in)
Installed power	840  PS (620  kW; 830  bhp) (diesels) 660 PS (490 kW; 650 bhp) (electric motors)
Propulsion	2 × shafts; 2 × diesel engines 2 × electric motors
Speed	13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph) (surfaced) 8.8 knots (16.3 km/h; 10.1 mph) (submerged)
Range	1,700  nmi (3,100 km; 2,000 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) (surfaced) 84 nmi (156 km; 97 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) (submerged)
Test depth	40 m (130 ft)
Complement	2 officers and 27 crewmen
Armament	1 × 450 mm (17.7 in) bow torpedo tube 1 × twin 450 mm Drzewiecki drop collar 2 × single 450 mm Drzewiecki drop collars 2 × single external 450 mm torpedo launchers

Brumaire was the name ship of her class of submarines built for the French Navy during the 1910s. Completed in 1912, she played a minor role in the First World War.

Design and description

The Brumaire class were built as part of the French Navy's 1906 building program ^[1] to a double-hull design by Maxime Laubeuf that were diesel-engined versions of the preceding Pluviôse class. The boats displaced 397 metric tons (391 long tons ) surfaced and 551 metric tons (542 long tons) submerged. She had an overall length of 52.15 meters (171 ft 1 in), a beam of 5.42 meters (17 ft 9 in), and a draft of 3.19 meters (10 ft 6 in). ^[2] Her crew numbered 29 officers and crewmen. ^[1]

For surface running, the Brumaires were powered by two diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. The engines were designed to produce a total of 840 metric horsepower (829  bhp ; 618  kW ), but normally only produced 725 PS (715 bhp; 533 kW), which was enough to give the boats a speed of 13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph). When submerged each shaft was driven by a 330-metric-horsepower (325 bhp; 243 kW) electric motor. The maximum speed underwater was 8.8 knots (16.3 km/h; 10.1 mph). They had a surface endurance of 2,000 nautical miles (3,700 km; 2,300 mi) at 9.6 knots (17.8 km/h; 11.0 mph) and a submerged endurance of 84 nmi (156 km; 97 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph). ^[2]

The Brumaire class was armed with one 450-millimeter (17.7 in) torpedo tube in the bow and 6 external 450 mm torpedo launchers; all of which were positioned on the top of the hull. The two forward ones were fixed outwards at an angle of six degrees. The other launchers were single rotating Drzewiecki drop collars amidships. They could traverse 135 degrees to each side of the boat. One reload was provided for the bow tube. ^{[2] [3]}

Construction and career

Brumaire was ordered on 26 August 1905 and was laid down on 20 July 1909 at the Arsenal de Cherbourg. The boat was launched on 29 April 1911 and commissioned on 20 March 1913. ^[2]

Notes

1. Smigielski, p. 210
2. Roberts, p. 440
3. Garier 1998, p. 121

Bibliography

• Campbell, N. J. M. (1979). "France". In Chesneau, Roger & Kolesnik, Eugene M. (eds.). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905 . Conway Maritime Press. pp. 283–333. ISBN   0-8317-0302-4.
• Couhat, Jean Labayle (1974). French Warships of World War I. London: Ian Allan. ISBN   0-7110-0445-5.
• Garier, Gérard (n.d.). Du Plongeur (1863) aux Guêpe (1904)[From Plongeur (1863) to Guêpe (1904)]. L'odyssée technique et humaine du sous-marin en France (in French). Vol. 1. Marines édition. ISBN   2-909675-19-X.
• Garier, Gérard (2002). A l'épreuve de la Grande Guerre. L'odyssée technique et humaine du sous-marin en France (in French). Vol. 3–2. Marines édition. ISBN   2-909675-81-5.
• Roberts, Stephen S. (2021). French Warships in the Age of Steam 1859–1914: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth Publishing. ISBN   978-1-5267-4533-0.
• Roche, Jean-Michel (2005). Dictionnaire des bâtiments de la flotte de guerre française de Colbert à nos jours 2, 1870 - 2006. Roche. ISBN   978-2-9525917-0-6. OCLC   165892922.
• Smigielski, Adam (1985). "France". In Gray, Randal (ed.). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. Naval Institute Press. pp. 190–220. ISBN   0-87021-907-3.

External links

• Brumaire at Sous-marins Français 1863 - (French)