Le Normand-class frigate

	Le Gascon
Class overview
Name	Le Normand class
Builders	F C de la Méditerranèe, A C de la Loire, Penhoët, Arsenal de Lorient
Operators	French Navy
Preceded by	Le Corseclass
Succeeded by	Commandant Rivièreclass
Built	1956–1960
In commission	1956–1985
Completed	14
Retired	14
General characteristics
Type	Frigate
Displacement	1295 ton standard, 1795 ton full load
Length	99.3 m (326 ft) overall
Beam	10.3 m (34 ft)
Draught	4.1 m (13 ft)
Propulsion	2 shaft Parsons or Le Rateau geared turbines, 2 boilers, 14,914 kW (20,000 hp)
Speed	28 knots (32 mph; 52 km/h)
Range	4,500 nmi (5,200 mi; 8,300 km)
Complement	175 peace, 200 war
Sensors and ; processing systems	DRBV 22, DRBC 31 radar, DUBV 1, DUBA 1 sonar
Armament	6 × 57mm/60 modèle 1951 guns (3 × 2); 2 × 20 mm (2 × 1); 12 × 550 mm (22 in) torpedo-tubes (4 × 3); 6 × 375 mm ASW rocket launchers (1 × 6); 2 × depth charge launcher, 1 × depth charge rack;

Last updated December 20, 2022

The Le Normand class (or E52 Type) was a class of 14 fast frigates (Escorteurs Rapide) built for the French Navy in the late 1950s. They were an immediate follow-on from the earlier Le Corse-class (or E50 Type) frigates, and like them, were long-range convoy escorts capable of high speed.^[2] The first seven ships, paid for by the United States under the Mutual Defense Assistance Act were ordered in 1952. The remaining seven ships were paid for by France and ordered between 1953 and 1955.^[3]

The E52 type shared a flush-decked layout with the E50 class, and had a similar armament of three twin 57mm turrets) (one forward and two aft) and an anti-submarine armament consisting of a battery of heavyweight guided torpedoes and a 375mm Bofors six-barrel rocket launcher. The major difference was the layout of the armament, with the torpedo tubes moving from forwards to amidships, and the Bofors launcher moving from amidships to forward of the bow gun, thus reducing topweight and improving the arc of fire for the Bofors launcher.^[3]

The last three ships were completed as a modified version, the Type E52B. This replaced the amidships turret and the Bofors rocket launcher with a new 305mm anti-submarine mortar mounted amidships.^[3] Two more of this type were ordered in 1957, but were cancelled owing to financial problems.^[4]

Ships

Pennant^[3]	Name	Builder^[3]	Laid down	Launched^[3]	Commissioned^[3]	Fate^[3]
F 765	Le Normand	F C de la Méditerranée	July 1953	13 February 1954	3 November 1956	Stricken 1980
F 766	Le Picard	A C de la Loire	November 1953	31 May 1954	20 September 1956	Stricken 1979
F 767	Le Gascon	A C de la Loire	February 1954	23 October 1954	29 March 1957	Stricken 1977
F 768	Le Lorrain	F C de la Méditerranée	February 1954	19 June 1954	1 January 1957	Broken Up 1981
F 769	Le Bourguignon	Penhöet	January 1954	28 January 1956	11 July 1957	Stricken 1976
F 770	Le Champenois	A C de la Loire	May 1954	12 March 1955	1 June 1957	Stricken 1975
F 771	Le Savoyard	F C de la Méditerranée	November 1953	7 May 1955	14 June 1956	Stricken 1980
F 772	Le Breton	Arsenal de Lorient	June 1954	2 April 1955	20 August 1957	Stricken 1977
F 773	Le Basque	Arsenal de Lorient	December 1954	25 February 1956	18 October 1957	Stricken 1980
F 774	Le Agenais	Arsenal de Lorient	August 1955	23 June 1956	14 May 1958	Stricken 1985
F 775	Le Bearnais	Arsenal de Lorient	December 1955	23 June 1956	14 October 1958	Stricken 1980
F 776	L'Alsacien	Arsenal de Lorient	July 1956	26 January 1957	27 August 1960	Stricken 1981
F 777	Le Provençal	Arsenal de Lorient	February 1957	5 October 1957	6 November 1960	Stricken 1980
F 778	Le Vendeen	F C de la Méditerranée	March 1957	27 July 1957	1 October 1960	Stricken 1981

Notes

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Blackman 1971, p.116.
1 2 Gardiner and Chumbley 1995, pp. 116–117.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Gardiner and Chumbley 1995, p.117.
↑ Blackman 1962, p.88.

Related Research Articles

HMS <i>Battleaxe</i> (D118) Weapon-class destroyer

HMS Battleaxe was a Weapon-class destroyer of the Royal Navy, completed just after the Second World War.

HMS Rothesay was the lead ship of the Rothesay or Type 12M class of anti-submarine frigates of the British Royal Navy. She was commissioned in 1960 and scrapped in 1988.

HMS Londonderry was a Rothesay- or Type 12-class anti-submarine frigate of the British Royal Navy in service from 1960 to 1984.

HMS Brighton was a Rothesay or Type 12I class anti-submarine frigate of the Royal Navy.

HMS Rhyl was a Rothesay-class or Type 12I anti-submarine frigate of the Royal Navy, launched by Lady Macmillan on 23 February 1959 and commissioned in October 1960. Following Royal Navy service she was scuttled whilst being prepared as a target in 1985.

HMS Lowestoft was a Rothesay-class or Type 12 class anti-submarine frigate of the British Royal Navy. Lowestoft was reconstructed in the late 1960s to largely the same pattern as the third group of Leander-class frigates, with new radar and fire control and a hangar and pad for a Westland Wasp helicopter for longer range, anti-submarine, engagement. In the late 1970s it was converted as the prototype towed array frigate for the Royal Navy, but retained its full armament. Lowestoft was sunk as a target on 8 June 1986 by HMS Conqueror using a Tigerfish torpedo. She was the last Royal Naval target to be sunk still displaying her pennant number.

HMS Berwick was a Rothesay- or Type 12I-class anti-submarine frigate of the British Royal Navy. She was built by Harland & Wolff and launched on 15 December 1959.

The Impavido class were the second group of destroyers built for the Italian Navy after World War II and the first Italian guided missile destroyers. Similar in performance to the US Navy's Charles F. Adams class, these ships were essentially improved Impetuoso-class vessels, with the after gun-turret being replaced by a Tartar surface-to-air-missile launcher and associated radar.

The Brave-class fast patrol boats were a class of two gas turbine motor torpedo boats (MTBs) that were the last of their type for the Royal Navy (RN) Coastal Forces division. They formed the basis for a series of simpler boats which were widely built for export.

The Commandant Rivière class was a class of frigates built for the French Navy in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Labeled "aviso-escorteur", they were designed to perform the role of overseas patrol in peacetime and anti-submarine escort in wartime. This vessel class is named after the French Navy officer Henri Rivière (1827–1883).

The T 47 class or Surcouf class were the first destroyers built for the French Navy after the Second World War. Twelve ships were built between 1955 and 1957. The ships were modernised in the 1960s and decommissioned in the 1980s, when they were replaced by the Cassard and Georges Leygues-class frigates. The class was authorised in 1949 and were designed as aircraft carrier escort vessels. Three were modified to become flagships, four became anti-air guided missile destroyers and five became anti-submarine destroyers. One member of the class survives, Maillé-Brézé as a museum ship at Nantes.

The Bergamini class was a class of four frigates operated by the Italian Navy. They entered service in 1961, with the last one being stricken in 1988.

The Albatros class was a class of eight corvettes designed and built in Italy in the 1950s. Paid for by US funds, they were operated by Italy, Denmark, Indonesia and the Netherlands. The last ships of the class were retired from service in Italy in 1991.

The Le Corse class was a class of 4 fast frigates built for the French Navy in the early 1950s. They were first surface combatant class of ships to be built after World War II and symbolized "the revival of the French fleet." They were followed by the Le Normand-class frigates, and like them, were long-range convoy escorts capable of high speed.

INS Brahmaputra was a Leopard-class frigate of the Indian Navy. She was built by the Scottish shipbuilder John Brown & Company and completed in March 1958. Brahmaputra served during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 and the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. She was scrapped in 1986.

The Audaz class was a class of nine destroyers built for the Spanish Navy after the Second World War. Construction was slow, with only four completed to the original design from 1953–1956. The remaining five ships completed as anti-submarine escorts with a new armament and sensor fit from 1960 to 1965, while the original four ships were also modified to this standard. Built at Ferrol, they completed in 1946–1950 and were rated as gunboats, and were redesignated as frigates in 1959. The last of the class, Intrepido, was stricken in 1982.

The Pizzaro class was a class of eight escort vessels built for the Spanish Navy in the 1940s. Built at Ferrol, they were completed in 1946–1950 rated as gunboats, and were redesignated as frigates in 1959. They started to be withdrawn from use in 1968, with the last of the class, Vincente Yañez Pinzon, stricken in 1982.

HNLMS Overijssel (D815) was a destroyer of the Friesland class. The ship was in service with the Royal Netherlands Navy from 1957 to 1982. The destroyer was named after the Dutch province of Overijssel and was the twelfth ship with this name. In 1982 the ship was taken out of service and sold to Peru where it was renamed Coronel Bolognesi.

Commandant Rivière was a Commandant Rivière-class frigate of French Navy.

Ariete was a Spanish Audaz-class destroyer. Ariete was launched in 1955 and completed in 1961. The ship was lost when she ran aground on 25 February 1966.

References

Blackman, Raymond V.B., ed. (1962). Jane's Fighting Ships 1962–63. London: Sampson Low, Marston.
Blackman, Raymond V.B., ed. (1971). Jane's Fighting Ships 1971–72. London: Sampson Low. ISBN 0-354-00096-9.
Gardiner, Robert; Chumbley, Stephen (1995). Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1947-1995. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1-55750-132-5.

External links

Description générale des escorteurs Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[Janes_71_p116-1] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Blackman 1971, p.116.

[Conway_p116-7-2] 1 2 Gardiner and Chumbley 1995, pp. 116–117.

[Conway_p117-3] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Gardiner and Chumbley 1995, p.117.

[Janes_62_p88-4] Blackman 1962, p.88.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

v t e Le Normand-classfrigates
Le Normand Le Picard Le Gascon Le Lorrain Le Bourguignon Le Champenois Le Savoyard Le Breton Le Basque Le Agenais Le Bearnais L'Alsacien Le Provençal Le Vendeen
Preceded by: Le Corseclass Followed by: Commandant Rivièreclass
List of frigates of the French Navy