Branlebas was the name ship of her class of destroyers built for the French Navy in the first decade of the 20th century.
![]() Branlebas in harbor | |
History | |
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Name | Branlebas |
Namesake | Action stations |
Builder | Chantiers et Ateliers Augustin Normand, Le Havre |
Laid down | November 1905 |
Launched | 8 October 1907 |
Fate | Sunk 30 September 1915 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Branlebas-class destroyer |
Displacement | 350 t (344 long tons) |
Length | 58 m (190 ft 3 in) (p/p) |
Beam | 6.28 m (20 ft 7 in) |
Draft | 2.96 m (9 ft 9 in) |
Installed power |
|
Propulsion | 2 shafts; 2 Triple-expansion steam engines |
Speed | 27.5 knots (50.9 km/h; 31.6 mph) |
Range | 2,100 nmi (3,900 km; 2,400 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) |
Complement | 60 |
Armament |
|
Armor | Waterline belt: 20 mm (0.8 in) |
During World War I, Branlebas struck a mine and sank in the North Sea between Dunkirk, France, and Nieuwpoort, Belgium, on 30 September 1915.[1]
Design
The Branlebas-class was a development of the previous Claymore class, and was the final evolution of the 300-tonne type which the French had built since 1899, with their first destroyer class, the Durandal-class. Like all the 300-tonne destroyers, the Branlebas class had a turtledeck forecastle with a flying deck, raised above the hull, aft.[2]
They were 58 metres (190 ft 3 in) long between perpendiculars and 59.06 m (193 ft 9 in) overall,[3][4] with a beam of 6.28 metres (20 ft 7 in) and a maximum draught of 2.37 metres (7 ft 9 in). Displacement was 350 tonnes (344 long tons). Two coal-fired Normand or Du Temple boilers fed steam to two triple-expansion steam engines, rated at 6,800 indicated horsepower (5,100 kW), and driving two propeller shafts, giving a design speed of 27.5 knots (50.9 km/h; 31.6 mph). The ships had a range of 2,100 nautical miles (3,900 km; 2,400 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).[3]
A 20 millimetres (0.79 in) belt of armour was fitted to protect the ship's boilers and machinery from splinters.[2][5] The class was built with the standard gun armament for the 300-tonne destroyers, with a single 65 mm (2.6 in) forward, backed up by six 47 mm (1.9 in) guns, while two 450 mm (17.7 in) torpedo tubes were carried.[2] The ships had a complement of 4 officers and 56 men.[3]
Construction and service
Branlebas was laid down at the Le Havre shipyard of Chantiers et Ateliers A. Normand in November 1905 and was launched on 8 October 1910. She reached a speed of 28.76 kn (33.10 mph; 53.26 km/h) during sea trials.[5]
When the First World War began in August 1914, Branlebas was assigned to the 1st Destroyer Flotilla (1re escadrille de torpilleurs) of the 2nd Light Squadron (2e escadre légère)[6] based at Cherbourg.
References
Bibliography
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