Bouclier-class destroyer

The Bouclier class consisted of twelve destroyers built between 1910 and 1912 for the French Navy, four of which were lost during the First World War.

Bouclier, lead ship of the class, circa 1914
Class overview
Name: Bouclier class
Operators:  French Navy
Preceded by: Chasseur class
Succeeded by: Bisson class
Built: 1909–1913
In commission: 1911–1933
Completed: 12
Lost: 4
Scrapped: 8
General characteristics
Type: Destroyer
Displacement: 703–809 t (692–796 long tons)
Length: 72.3–78.3 m (237 ft 2 in–256 ft 11 in) (o/a)
Beam: 7.6–8 m (24 ft 11 in–26 ft 3 in)
Draft: 2.9–3.3 m (9 ft 6 in–10 ft 10 in)
Installed power:
Propulsion: 2–3 shafts; 2–3 steam turbines
Speed: 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Range: 1,200–1,600 nmi (2,200–3,000 km; 1,400–1,800 mi) at 12–14 knots (22–26 km/h; 14–16 mph)
Complement: 80–83
Armament:

Design and description

The Bouclier-class was nearly double the size of the preceding 450-metric-ton (443-long-ton) destroyers to match the increase in size of foreign destroyers. The French Navy issued a general specification that required oil-fired boilers, steam turbine propulsion and a uniform armament that allowed individual shipyards the freedom to design their ships as they saw fit. This allowed for some variations in size (from 72.32–78.3 meters (237 ft 3 in–256 ft 11 in) in length) and machinery (Bouclier and Casque had three shafts, all the others had two, while Casque has three funnels, all the rest had four).[1]

Bouclier was the shortest ship with an overall length of 72.32 meters and her sister ships ranged in length from 74 to 78.3 meters (242 ft 9 in to 256 ft 11 in). All of the ships had beams of 7.6–8 meters (24 ft 11 in–26 ft 3 in) and drafts of 2.9–3.3 meters (9 ft 6 in–10 ft 10 in). Bouclier and her sister Francis Garnier had the lightest displacements at 692 metric tons (681 long tons); the others displaced 720–756 metric tons (709–744 long tons) at normal load. Their crews numbered 80–83 men.[1]

The destroyers were powered by two or three steam turbines of four different models, each driving one propeller shaft using steam provided by four water-tube boilers of four different types. The turbines were designed to produce 13,000 shaft horsepower (9,700 kW) which was intended to give the ships a speed of 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph). During their sea trials, they reached speeds of 29.3–35.5 knots (54.3–65.7 km/h; 33.7–40.9 mph). The ships carried 120–160 t (118–157 long tons) of fuel oil which gave them a range of 1,200–1,600 nautical miles (2,200–3,000 km; 1,400–1,800 mi) at cruising speeds of 12–14 knots (22–26 km/h; 14–16 mph).[2]

The primary armament of the Bouclier-class ships consisted of two 100-millimeter (3.9 in) Modèle 1893 guns in single mounts, one each fore and aft of the superstructure, and four 65-millimeter (2.6 in) Modèle 1902 guns distributed amidships. They were also fitted with two twin mounts for 450-millimeter (17.7 in) torpedo tubes amidships.[1]

During World War I, a 45-millimeter (1.8 in) or 75-millimeter (3 in) anti-aircraft gun, two 8-millimeter (0.31 in) machine guns, and eight or ten Guiraud-type depth charges were added to the ships. The extra weight severely overloaded the ships and reduced their operational speed to around 26 knots (48 km/h; 30 mph).[1]

Ships
NameBuilderLaunchedFate
BouclierChantiers et Ateliers Augustin Normand, Le Havre29 June 1911Struck, 15 February 1933
BoutefeuDyle et Bacalan, Bordeaux2 May 1911Sunk by mine laid by UC-25 off Brindisi, 15 May 1917, during the Battle of the Strait of Otranto
Capitaine MehlAteliers et Chantiers de la Loire, St. Nazaire20 April 1912Struck, 10 July 1926
CasqueForges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée, Le Havre25 August 1910Struck, 26 March 1926. Broken up, 1927.
CimeterreForges et Chantiers de la Gironde, Bordeaux13 April 1911Struck, 10 July 1926
Commandant BoryDyle et Bacalan, Bordeaux14 September 1912Struck, 29 July 1926
Commandant RivièreForges et Chantiers de la Gironde, Bordeaux2 October 1912Struck, June 1933
Dague13 April 1911Sunk by a drifting mine in Antivari Roads, 24 February 1915
DehorterAteliers et Chantiers de Penhoët, Saint-Nazaire18 April 1912Struck, 1933
FaulxÉtablissement de la Brosse et Fouché, Nantes2 February 1911Accidentally rammed and sunk by Mangini in Strait of Otranto, 18 April 1918
Fourche21 October 1910Torpedoed and sunk by U-15, 23 June 1916
Francis GarnierChantiers et Ateliers Augustin Normand, Le Havre1 October 1912Struck, 10 February 1926

Citations
  1. Gardiner & Gray, p. 203
  2. Couhat, pp. 101, 104

Bibliography
  • "BOUCLIER - Contre-torpilleur - marine - Forum Pages d'Histoire: marine". pages14-18.mesdiscussions.net. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  • Couhat, Jean Labayle (1974). French Warships of World War I. London: Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-0445-5.
  • Gardiner, Robert & Gray, Randal (1985). Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-245-5.
  • Osborne, Eric W. (2005). Destroyers - An Illustrated History of Their Impact. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-Clio. ISBN 1-85109-479-2.
  • Roche, Jean-Michel (2005). "Classement par types". Dictionnaire des bâtiments de la flotte de guerre française de Colbert à nos jours. 2: 1870–2006. Toulon: Roche. ISBN 978-2-9525917-0-6. OCLC 165892922.
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