French destroyer Carabinier

The Spahi-class was over 50 percent larger than the preceding Branlebas class to match the increase in size of foreign destroyers.[1] Carabinier had an length between perpendiculars of 64.2 meters (210 ft 8 in), a beam of 6.5 meters (21 ft 4 in),[2] and a draft of 2.4 meters (7 ft 10 in). The ships displaced 530–550 metric tons (522–541 long tons) at deep load. Their crew numbered 77–79 officers and men.[1]

Carabinier was powered by two triple-expansion steam engines, each driving one propeller shaft using steam provided by four Guyot boilers. The engines were designed to produce 7,500 indicated horsepower (5,600 kW) which was intended to give the Spahi class a speed of 28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph). During her sea trials, Carabinier reached a speed of 27.05 knots (50.10 km/h; 31.13 mph), the slowest ship of the class. The ships carried enough coal to give them a range of 1,000–1,200 nautical miles (1,900–2,200 km; 1,200–1,400 mi) at a cruising speed of 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).[3]

The primary armament of the Spahi-class ships consisted of six 65-millimeter (2.6 in) Modèle 1902 guns in single mounts, one each fore and aft of the superstructure and the others were distributed amidships. They were also fitted with three 450-millimeter (17.7 in) torpedo tubes. One of these was in a fixed mount in the bow and the other two were on single rotating mounts amidships.[1]

Carabinier was ordered from Ateliers et Chantiers de Saint-Nazaire Penhoët and was launched at their shipyard in Saint-Nazaire on 10 October 1908. She was completed in October 1909.[4]

On 13 November 1918, two days after the conclusion of World War I, Carabinier ran aground at Latakia, Syria, on the coast of the Ottoman Empire. She was scuttled on 15 November 1918.[5]

• 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.