Voltigeur-class destroyer
The Voltigeur class was a pair of destroyers built for the French Navy in the first decade of the 20th century. Both ships survived the First World War and were scrapped afterwards.
 A lithograph of Voltigeur | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Voltigeur class |
| Operators: |
 French Navy |
| Preceded by: | Spahi class |
| Succeeded by: | Chasseur class |
| Built: | 1908–10 |
| In service: | 1910–21 |
| Completed: | 2 |
| Scrapped: | 2 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Destroyer |
| Displacement: | |
| Length: | 63–65.5 m (206 ft 8 in–214 ft 11 in) (p/p) |
| Beam: | 6.4–6.8 m (21 ft 0 in–22 ft 4 in) |
| Draft: | 2.9–3.1 m (9 ft 6 in–10 ft 2 in) |
| Installed power: |
|
| Propulsion: | 3 shafts; 1 triple-expansion steam engine and 2 steam turbines |
| Speed: | 28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph) |
| Range: | 1,520 nmi (2,820 km; 1,750 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) |
| Complement: | 76–77 |
| Armament: |
|
Design and description
The Voltigeur class was based on the preceding Spahi-class destroyer, albeit with a different arrangement of propulsion machinery.[1] They had an length between perpendiculars of 63–65.5 meters (206 ft 8 in–214 ft 11 in), a beam of 6.4–6.8 meters (21 ft 0 in–22 ft 4 in),[2] and a draft of 2.9–3.1 meters (9 ft 6 in–10 ft 2 in). Designed to displaced 450 metric tons (443 long tons), the ships displaced 590 t (581 long tons) at deep load.[1]
The destroyers were powered by one triple-expansion steam engines andtwo direct-drive steam turbine. The steam engines drove the center propeller shaft while the turbine powered the two outer shafts, all using steam provided by four water-tube boilers of two different types. The engines were designed to produce 7,500 indicated horsepower (5,600 kW) which was intended to give the ships a speed of 28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph). The ships carried 118 t (116 long tons) of coal which gave them a range of 1,520 nautical miles (2,820 km; 1,750 mi) at a cruising speed of 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).[2]
The primary armament of the Voltigeur-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]
Ships
- Voltigeur - built by Ateliers et Chantiers de Bretagne, Nantes, launched 23 March 1909, decommissioned May 1920.[1]
- Tirailleur - built by Forges et Chantiers de la Gironde, Bordeaux, launched 27 November 1908, decommissioned July 1921.[1]
Citations
- Gardiner & Gray, p. 202
- Couhat, p. 98
Bibliography
- 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.