Sirène class (1901)
Sirène class
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| General data | |
| Ship type : | Submarine |
| Navy : | French Navy |
| Builder : | Arsenal de Cherbourg ( Cherbourg ) |
| Units: | 4th |
| Boats of the class | |
| Espadon , Silure , Sirène , Triton | |
| Technical specifications | |
| Crew : | 13 men |
| Displacement : |
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| Drive : | |
| Speed : | |
| Driving range : |
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| Armament | |
| Torpedoes : | 4 * 450 mm Drzewiecki drop collar |
The Sirène class was a submarine - class of the French Navy in the First World War . The four submarines equipped with a hybrid drive consisting of a steam piston and an electric motor were a further development of the Q 4 Narval .
Construction and design features
As a result of the Faschoda crisis, the two-hulled boats were commissioned together with the Farfadet and Morse classes , although the immediate predecessor Q 4 Narval was still in the testing phase. The four boats were built at Arsenal de Cherbourg between 1900 and 1901 .
The Sirène-class submarines developed by Maxime Laubeuf were propelled over water by a steam engine that was also used to charge the lead-acid batteries . An electric motor served as a drive means under water. The fuel tanks and the diving cells were located in the space between the pressure hull and the outer shell.
The combination of an internal combustion engine for cruising above the water and an electric drive for submerged use resulted in a significant increase in the distance above water compared to purely electrically powered submarines. The Sirène-class boats could travel 600 nautical miles (1111 km) over water at a speed of 8 knots (15 km / h ) . The underwater range was up to 55 nautical miles (102 km) at a speed of 3.75 knots (6.95 km / h).
The main disadvantage of steam propulsion was the complex and lengthy procedure that was necessary to prepare for a dive. The steam boiler and the steam engine had to be shut down and the chimney folded down. The duration of this process was between 9 minutes for the Triton and 6 minutes for the Espadon .
The armament consisted of four external drain racks for 450 mm torpedoes . These swiveling constructions were named Drzewiecki drop collars after their Russian inventor .
Mission history
During the First World War, the submarines were stationed in Cherbourg . After the end of the war , all four Sirène-class submarines were decommissioned in November 1919 and later scrapped.
Boats of the class
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Sirène (Q 5)
- Commissioning: May 4, 1901
- Decommissioned: November 1919
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Triton (Q 6)
- Commissioning: July 13, 1901
- Decommissioned: November 1919
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Espadon (Q 13)
- Commissioning: September 7, 1901
- Decommissioned: November 1919
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Silure (Q 14)
- Commissioning: October 29, 1901
- Decommissioned: November 1919
See also
- List of French submarine classes
- Sirène (ship name) - other French ships with the name Sirène
Web links
- History of the early submarines at www.uboatnet.de
- Sirène class at www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk ( Memento of 24 October 2012 at the Internet Archive ) ( Engl. )
literature
- Robert Hutchinson: KAMPF UNDER WASSER - Submarines from 1776 to today , Motorbuchverlag, Stuttgart, 1st edition 2006, ISBN 3-613-02585-X
- Anthony Preston: The history of the submarines , Karl Müller Verlag, Erlangen, German edition 1998, ISBN 3-86070-697-7