French submarine Louis Dupetit-Thouars

Last updated
Louis Dupetit-Thouars
Louis Dupetit-Thouars (1920).jpg
Louis Dupetit-Thouars, date unknown
History
Naval ensign of Romania (1922-1947).svg Romania
Builder Forges et Chantiers de la Gironde, France
Laid downApril 1917
FateRequisitioned by the French Navy, December 1917
Civil and Naval Ensign of France.svg France
NameLouis Dupetit-Thouars
Namesake Louis-Marie Aubert du Petit-Thouars
Launched1920
Completed1921
Commissioned1921
FateStricken and sold for scrap in 1928
General characteristics
Displacement342 tons (surfaced)
Length52.4 m (171 ft 11 in)
Beam4.7 m (15 ft 5 in)
Draft2.7 m (8 ft 10 in)
Propulsion2 Schneider diesel engines, 2 electric motors, 2 shafts
Speed14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) (surfaced)
Range1,850  nmi (3,430  km; 2,130  mi) (10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph))
Complement25
Armament

The French submarine Louis Dupetit-Thouars was the last of three submarines built for the French Navy from 1917 to 1920. It were originally ordered by the Romanian Navy, but was confiscated by the French government during World War I while still under construction. It was built at the Schneider shipyard in Chalon-sur-Saône. Louis Dupetit-Thouars was commissioned in the French Navy, serving in the Mediterranean Sea. The ship was stricken from the Navy list and sold for scrap in 1928.

Contents

Construction and specifications

Louis Dupetit-Thouars was ordered by the Romanian Government from the Schneider Shipyard in Gironde, being laid down in April 1917. However, Romania was forced out of the war in December 1917, when the construction of the warship was at an early stage. The submarine was subsequently completed for the French Navy, with larger bridges and conning towers. Louis Dupetit-Thouars was completed and commissioned in 1921. It had a surfaced displacement of 342 tons, measuring 52.4 meters in length, with a beam of 4.7 meters and a draught of 2.7 meters. Power plant consisted of two Schneider diesel engines and two electric motors powering two shafts, resulting in a surfaced top speed of 14 knots. It had a range of 1,850 nautical miles at 10 knots and a crew of 25. Armament consisted of four 450 mm torpedo tubes and one 47 mm deck gun. [1] [2]

Service

The three boats incorporated lessons from the French war experience, and thus proved to be reasonably successful. [3] They served in the Mediterranean after World War I, but their careers were uneventful, and they were taken out of service before the start of World War II. Louis Dupetit-Thouars was stricken in November 1928 and her two sisters in August 1935. [4]

Had Louis Dupetit-Thouars been delivered to Romania upon completion, she would have become the third Romanian submarine (after her sister ships O'Byrne and Henri Fournier ). This role would be fulfilled by the Italian-built Delfinul in 1936. [5]

See also

Related Research Articles

The Orzeł class was a short series of submarines built in Dutch shipyards for the Polish Navy in the 1930s. Four submarines were planned but only two were completed. They saw service during World War II.

NMS <i>Marsuinul</i>

NMS Marsuinul was a submarine of the Romanian Navy, one of the few warships built in Romania during the Second World War. She was the largest Romanian-built submarine and the most powerful and modern Axis submarine in the Black Sea.

<i>Bellone</i>-class submarine

The Bellone class was a group of three submarines built for the French Navy during World War I.

During the Second World War, the Royal Romanian Navy operated a total of 9 submarines: three fleet submarines and six midget submarines. These vessels fought on the Axis side during the war. Only two of them survived the war and continued to serve in the Romanian Navy until the 1960s.

O'Byrne was a submarine of the French Navy, the lead ship of her class. She was ordered by Romania during World War I and laid down in April 1917 at the Schneider Shipyard in Gironde. However, she was requisitioned by French authorities at the end of the year and completed for the French Naval Forces. Upon commissioning in 1921, she became the first French submarine to be completed between 1919 and 1944.

<i>Saphir</i>-class submarine (1928)

The Saphir-class submarines were a class of six submarines built in France between 1926 and 1935 for the French Navy. Most saw action during World War II for the Vichy French Navy or the Free French Naval Forces. Three were captured by Italian forces but not used.

<i>Requin</i>-class submarine

The Requin-class submarines were a class of nine diesel-electric attack submarines built for the French Navy in the mid-1920s. Most saw action during World War II for the Vichy French Navy or the Free French Naval Forces. Nine ships of this type were built in the shipyards of Brest, Cherbourg and Toulon between 1923 and 1928. The class was part of the French Marine Nationale, serving in the Mediterranean Sea. All member ships took part in World War II, fighting on both sides of the conflict; Four were captured by Italian forces and sunk by the Allies. Only one ship survived the war - Marsouin, decommissioned shortly after the war's end.

<i>OByrne</i>-class submarine

The O'Byrne-class submarines were a class of three submarines built for the French Navy from 1917 to 1921. They were originally ordered by the Romanian Navy, but were confiscated by the French government while still under construction. Three ships of the type were built between 1917 and 1921 at the Schneider shipyard in Chalon-sur-Saône. They were commissioned in the French Navy, serving in the Mediterranean Sea. The ships were removed from the Navy list between 1928 and 1935. The first ship of its class was named in honour of French submariner Gabriel O'Byrne.

The French submarine Henri Fournier was the second of three submarines built for the French Navy from 1917 to 1920. It were originally ordered by the Romanian Navy, but was confiscated by the French government during World War I while still under construction. It was built at the Schneider shipyard in Chalon-sur-Saône. Henri Fournier was commissioned in the French Navy, serving in the Mediterranean Sea. The ship was stricken from the Navy list and sold for scrap in 1935.

<i>Lagrange</i>-class submarine

The Lagrange-class submarines were a class of four submarines built for the French Navy during World War I and the interwar period. Three ships of this type were built in the Arsenal de Toulon from 1913 to 1924, and one was built at the Arsenal de Rochefort shipyard. Entering the French Marine Nationale from 1918 to 1924, the submarines served until the mid-1930s.

French submarine <i>Laplace</i>

The French submarine Laplace (Q111) was a Lagrange-class submarine built for the French Navy built between 1913 and 1919. It was laid down in the Arsenal de Rochefort shipyards and launched on 12 August 1919. Laplace was completed in 1921 and served in the French Marine Nationale until 1935.

French submarine <i>Lagrange</i>

The French submarine Lagrange (Q112) was a Lagrange-class submarine built for the French Navy built between 1913 and 1918. It was laid down in the Arsenal de Toulon shipyards and launched on August 12, 1919. Lagrange was completed in 1918 but saw no action during World War I and served in the French Marine Nationale until 1935.

French submarine <i>Regnault</i>

The French submarine Regnault (Q113) was a Lagrange-class submarine built for the French Navy built between 1913 and 1924. It was laid down in the Arsenal de Toulon shipyards and launched on June 25, 1924. Regnault was completed in 1924 and served in the French Marine Nationale until 1937.

French submarine <i>Romazotti</i>

The French submarine Romazotti (Q114) was a Lagrange-class submarine built for the French Navy built between 1914 and 1918, during World War I. It was laid down in the Arsenal de Toulon shipyards and launched on March 31, 1918. Romazotti was completed in 1918 and served in the French Marine Nationale until 1937.

<i>Joessel</i>-class submarine

The Joessel-class submarines were a class of two diesel-electric submarines built for the French Navy laid down before the start of World War I and completed after. They were built in the Arsenal de Cherbourg from 1913 to 1920, before entering the French Marine Nationale in 1920 and serving until 1936.

French submarine <i>Joessel</i>

The French submarine Joessel was a Joessel-class diesel-electric attack submarine built for the French Navy between 1913 and 1919. Joessel was built in the Arsenal de Cherbourg from 1913 to 1917, entered the French Marine Nationale in February 1920 and served until 1936.

<i>Armide</i>-class submarine

The Armide-class submarines were a class of three diesel-electric submarines built for the Greek and Japanese Navies before and during World War I. They were built in the Schneider-Creusot shipyards 1913 to 1918, but were seized during the war by the French government before they could be sold. The Armide class ships operated in the Mediterranean during the course of World War I and were stricken from the Navy list between 1928 and 1935.

French submarine <i>Armide</i>

Armide was a submarine ordered by the Japanese Navy from the Schneider-Creusot shipyard before World War I but was requisitioned by the French government before it was launched. Armide operated in the Mediterranean during the course of World War I and was stricken from the Navy list in July 1932.

The French submarine Amazone was an Armide-class diesel-electric attack submarine built for the Greek Navy before and during World War I. It was built in the Schneider-Creusot shipyards between 1913 and 1916, but was seized during the war by the French Government before it could be sold, on 3 June 1915. Amazone operated in the Adriatic Sea during the course of World War I and was stricken from the Navy list in July 1932.

French submarine <i>Antigone</i>

The French submarine Antigone was an Armide-class diesel-electric attack submarine originally ordered by Greece. It was built in the Schneider-Creusot shipyards between 1912 and 1917, but was requisitioned on 30 May 1917 by the French Government before it was delivered. Antigone operated in the Mediterranean during the course of World War I and was stricken from the Navy list in August 1935.

References

  1. Paul E. Fontenoy, Submarines: An Illustrated History of Their Impact, ABC-CLIO Publishing, 2007 p. 89
  2. Bernard Fitzsimons, The Illustrated encyclopedia of 20th century weapons and warfare, Volume 19, Columbia House, 1978, p. 2037
  3. Bernard Fitzsimons, The Illustrated encyclopedia of 20th century weapons and warfare, Volume 19, Columbia House, 1978, p. 2037
  4. Paul E. Fontenoy, Submarines: An Illustrated History of Their Impact, ABC-CLIO Publishing, 2007 p. 89
  5. Robert Gardiner, Warship 1992, p. 151