L'Adroit class
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|
|---|---|
| L'Adroit class | |
 Le Fortune around 1930 |
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| Overview | |
| Type | destroyer |
| units | 14th |
| Keel laying | 1925-1926 |
| Commissioning | from 1928 |
| Whereabouts | 9 war losses, 5 scrapped |
| Technical specifications | |
| displacement |
1,356 ts standard |
| length |
107.9 m |
| width |
9.84 m |
| Draft |
4.3 m |
| crew |
9 officers and 153 seamen (war) |
| drive |
3 steam boilers |
| speed |
33 kn (61 km / h) |
| Armament |
From 1940:
|
L'Adroit-class was a class of fourteen destroyers in the French Navy . The ships of the class were planned after the Naval Conference of 1922 as an enlarged version of the previous Bourrasque class and later used in World War II .
construction
The L'Adroit class with its three chimneys was similar to the previous class. In addition to the slightly larger ship length, the 75 mm anti-aircraft gun amidships was missing and the headlights were arranged differently. Various changes were made within the hull and relocated, among other things, the magazine for the depth charges, which in the Bourrasque class was on port side , right next to the magazine with the 130 mm ammunition, further towards the stern. The water tank there was divided and used to enclose the depth charge magazine on both sides to provide additional protection.
The thickness of the steel used and the manufacture by riveting remained unchanged in the L'Adroit class .
machinery
The ships carried 386 tons of heavy fuel oil, which was burned in boilers to evaporate water. The steam drove the turbines, which transmitted their power to two propellers via two shafts .
Eight ships received Parsons turbines , four were equipped with Zoelly Schneider turbines and one received a Zoelly Fives Lille turbine. The Basque was equipped with a prototype of a Rateau turbine.
Armament
The ships carried the same armament in the same arrangement as the Bourrasque-class , with the exception of the lack of a 75-mm gun. Of four individual 130 mm guns with protective shields, two each were set up on the fore and aft, with the inner gun installed at an elevated level.
However, the L'Adroit-class guns themselves were a more modern version than the 130mm Mle 1919 Bourrasque-class guns . The 130-mm-L / 40-Mle 1924 should have a higher rate of fire of 8 to 9 rounds per minute, but only 5 to six rounds were achieved. A 34.85 kg high explosive grenade could be fired about 18,000 meters.
Two single 37 mm L / 50 Mle 1928 cannons were installed for anti-aircraft defense, to which ammunition from box magazines with 5 rounds each was fed. However, this armament proved inadequate in World War II with the much faster aircraft.
At the beginning of the war, the installation of 13.2 mm L / 76 twin machine guns on the bridge structure began and the anti-aircraft defenses of the surviving ships were further increased with 25 mm and 37 mm cannons, if possible.
The ships carried two sets of three torpedo tubes each in the middle of the ship, which could be swiveled to either side. 550 mm Mle 1919D torpedoes were carried with a range of 6,000 meters at 35 knots or 14,000 meters at 25 knots. The weapon burned kerosene in order to drive the propeller with the generated steam gas and to transport a warhead weighing around 250 kg to the target.
Ships of the class
The ships were built in private shipyards. The first six ships bore the names of the historic ships that the famous French privateer Jean Bart had commanded in the 17th century. The next four were named after the inhabitants of French provinces that began with "B", the last were named with "F".
L'Adroit
The L'Adroit was laid down in Dunkirk and launched on April 1, 1927. After entering service in July 1929, she became part of the French fleet. Months after the beginning of the Second World War, she was badly damaged by German bombers on May 21, 1940 during the Battle of Dunkirk off the coast and the commander put the ship on the beach at Malo-les-Bains . The ammunition magazine under the forward turrets later exploded, almost completely separating the bow from the rest of the wreck. The wreck could be reached on foot at low tide .
L'Alcyon
The L'Alcyon was laid down in Bordeaux and launched in June 1926. After entering service in July 1929, she became part of the French fleet. After the French armed forces surrendered in 1940, it was part of the Vichy France fleet in Morocco . After the war it was scrapped in 1952.
La Palme
The La Palme was laid down in Nantes and launched in June 1926. After its commissioning in 1928, it became part of the French fleet. After the surrender of the French armed forces in 1940, it was part of the Vichy France fleet in Toulon . When German troops marched in, it was sunk by the occupation itself on November 27, 1942 and later scrapped.
La Railleuse
The La Railleuse was laid down in Nantes in July 1925 and launched in September 1926. After entering service in March 1928, she became part of the French fleet. After the French armed forces surrendered in 1940, it was part of the Vichy France fleet in Morocco. As a result of an accident, it was so badly damaged in March 1940 by the explosion of its own torpedo in Casablanca that it had to be abandoned.
Le Fortuné
The Le Fortuné was laid down in Caen in September 1925 and launched in November 1926. After entering service in July 1928, she became part of the French fleet. After the surrender of the French armed forces in June 1940, she was confiscated and interned by British troops in Alexandria. It later belonged to the Allied fleet again in 1943 and was demolished after the war in 1950.
Le Mars
The Le Mars was laid down in Caen in July 1925 and launched in August 1926. After entering service in January 1928, she became part of the French fleet. After the surrender of the French armed forces, it was part of the Vichy France fleet in Toulon. When German troops marched in, it was sunk by the occupation itself on November 27, 1942 and later scrapped.
Basque
The Basque was laid down in Le Havre in 1926 and launched in May 1929. After its commissioning in March 1931, it became part of the French fleet. After the surrender of the French armed forces in June 1940, she was confiscated and interned by British troops in Alexandria. It later belonged to the Allied fleet again in 1943 and was demolished after the war in 1950.
Bordelais
The Bordelais was laid down in Bordeaux in 1926 and launched in May 1928. After entering service in April 1930, she became part of the French fleet. After the surrender of the French armed forces, it was part of the Vichy France fleet in Toulon. When German troops marched in, it was sunk by the occupation itself on November 27, 1942 and later scrapped.
Boulonnais
The Boulonnais was laid down in Caen in 1926 and launched in May 1928. After its commissioning in June 1928, it became part of the French fleet. After the surrender of the French armed forces, it was part of the Vichy France fleet in Morocco. She opposed the landing fleet during Operation Torch and was sunk by the Allies on November 8, 1942 off Casablanca.
Brestois
The Brestois was laid down in Bordeaux in 1926 and launched in May 1927. After its commissioning in June 1928, it became part of the French fleet. After the surrender of the French armed forces, it was part of the Vichy France fleet in Morocco. She opposed the landing fleet during "Operation Torch" and was sunk by the Allies on November 8, 1942 off Casablanca.
Forbin
The Forbin was laid down in La Seyne in 1927 and launched in July 1928. After entering service in May 1930, she became part of the French fleet. After the surrender of the French armed forces in June 1940, she was confiscated and interned by British troops in Alexandria. She later belonged to the Allied fleet again in 1943 and was dismantled after the war in 1952.
Frondeur
The Frondeur was laid down in Bordeaux in 1927 and launched in June 1929. After entering service in October 1931, she became part of the French fleet. After the surrender of the French armed forces, it was part of the Vichy France fleet in Morocco. She opposed the landing fleet during "Operation Torch" and was sunk by the Allies on November 8, 1942 off Casablanca.
Foudroyant
The Foudroyant was laid down in Bordeaux in 1927 and launched in April 1929. After entering service in October 1930, she became part of the French fleet. A few months after the start of the Second World War, it was sunk off the coast on June 1, 1940 by German bombers during the Battle of Dunkirk.
Fougueux
The Fougueux was laid down in Nantes in 1927 and launched in August 1928. After entering service in June 1930, she became part of the French fleet. After the surrender of the French armed forces, it was part of the Vichy France fleet in Morocco. She opposed the landing fleet during "Operation Torch" and was sunk by the Allies on November 8, 1942 off Casablanca.
literature
- John Jourdan, Jean Moulin: French Destroyers: Torpilleurs d'Escadre and Contre-Torpilleurs, 1922–1956 , Seaforth Publishing, 2015, ISBN 978-1-84832-198-4 .
Web links
- L'Adroit at uboat.net (English)
Individual evidence
- ^ John Jourdan, Jean Moulin: French Destroyers: Torpilleurs d'Escadre and Contre-Torpilleurs, 1922-1956 , p. 61
- ^ John Jourdan, Jean Moulin: French Destroyers: Torpilleurs d'Escadre and Contre-Torpilleurs, 1922–1956 , p. 30
- ^ John Jourdan, Jean Moulin: French Destroyers: Torpilleurs d'Escadre and Contre-Torpilleurs, 1922-1956 , p. 60
- ↑ "Boulonnais" at uboat.net
- ↑ "Berstois" at uboat.net
- ↑ "Frondeur" at uboat.net
- ↑ "Foudroyant" at uboat.net
- ↑ "Fougueux" at uboat.net