French submarine Clorinde

For other ships with the same name, see French ship Clorinde.

History
France
Name	Clorinde
Ordered	17 November 1910
Builder	Arsenal de Rochefort
Laid down	6 November 1911
Launched	2 October 1913
Commissioned	17 September 1917
Stricken	15 January 1926
Identification	Budget number: Q90
Fate	Sold for scrap, 15 April 1927
General characteristics (as built)
Class & type	Clorinde-class submarine
Displacement	422  t (415 long tons) (surfaced) 574 t (565 long tons) (submerged)
Length	53.95 m (177 ft 0 in) (o/a)
Beam	5.1 m (16 ft 9 in) (deep)
Draft	3.5 m (11 ft 6 in)
Installed power	400  PS (290  kW; 390  hp) diesel engines 350  PS (260  kW; 350  hp) electric motors
Propulsion	2 shafts; 2 diesels; 2 electric motors
Speed	13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph) (surfaced) 9 knots (17 km/h; 10 mph) (submerged)
Range	1,240  nmi (2,300 km; 1,430 mi) at 10.8 knots (20.0 km/h; 12.4 mph) (surfaced) 104 nmi (193 km; 120 mi) at 5.2 knots (9.6 km/h; 6.0 mph) (submerged)
Complement	27 crew
Armament	2 × 450 mm (17.7 in) external torpedo launchers 6 × single 450 mm Drzewiecki drop collars 1 × single 47 mm (1.9 in) deck gun

Clorinde was the lead boat of her class of submarines built for the French Navy during the 1910s. Completed in 1917, she played a minor role in World War I.

Design and description

The Clorinde class was built as part of the French Navy's 1909 building program ^[1] as improved versions of the Brumaire class. The boats displaced 422 metric tons (415 long tons ) surfaced and 574 t (565 long tons) submerged. They had an overall length of 53.95 meters (177 ft 0 in), a beam of 5.1 meters (16 ft 9 in), and a draft of 3.5 meters (11 ft 6 in). Their crew numbered 27 officers and crewmen. ^[2]

For surface running, the Clorinde-class boats were powered by a pair of two-cycle diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. The engines were intended to produce a total of 1,300 metric horsepower (1,282  bhp ; 956  kW ), but were generally only capable of 800 PS (789 bhp; 588 kW). During her sister Cornélie's sea trials, her eight-cylinder MAN-Loire engines only produced 750 PS (740 bhp; 552 kW), enough for a speed of 13.4 knots (24.8 km/h; 15.4 mph) rather than the designed 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph). The boats were generally capable of 13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph) on the surface in service. ^[2] When submerged each shaft was driven by a 350-metric-horsepower (345 bhp; 257 kW) electric motor. ^[1] The designed speed underwater was 9.5 knots (17.6 km/h; 10.9 mph), but they only reached a speed of 9 knots (17 km/h; 10 mph) from 608 shp (616 PS; 453 kW) during trials. The Clorindes had enough fuel oil to give them a surface endurance of 1,240 nautical miles (2,300 km; 1,430 mi) at 10.8 knots (20.0 km/h; 12.4 mph). Their submerged endurance was 104 nmi (193 km; 120 mi) at 5.2 knots (9.6 km/h; 6.0 mph). ^[2]

The boats were armed with a total of eight 450-millimeter (17.7 in) torpedoes. Two of these were positioned in the bow in torpedo launchers angled outwards 4° 30'. The other six were located in external rotating Drzewiecki drop collars, three on each broadside that could traverse 100 degrees to the side of the boats. The boats were also equipped with a 47 mm (1.9 in) Mle 1885-1915 deck gun aft of the conning tower. ^{[2] [3]}

Construction and career

Clorinde was ordered on 17 November 1910 and was laid down at the Arsenal de Rochefort on 6 November 1911. She was launched on 2 October 1913 and commissioned on 17 September 1917. ^[4]

Citations

1. Smigielski, p. 210
2. Roberts, p. 446
3. Garier 2000, p. 17
4. Roberts, p. 450

Bibliography

• Couhat, Jean Labayle (1974). French Warships of World War I. London: Ian Allan. ISBN   0-7110-0445-5.
• 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. Bourg-en-Bresse, France: Marines édition. ISBN   2-909675-81-5.
• Garier, Gérard (2000). Des Clorinde (1912-1916) aux Diane (1912–1917). L'odyssée technique et humaine du sous-marin en France (in French). Vol. 3–1. Bourg-en-Bresse, France: Marines édition. ISBN   2-909675-54-8.
• Roberts, Stephen S. (2021). French Warships in the Age of Steam 1859–1914: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Barnsley, UK: 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. Toulon: 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. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. pp. 190–220. ISBN   0-87021-907-3.