French destroyer Durandal

Durandal was the name ship of her class of four destroyers built for the French Navy in the late 1890s.

Sister ship Hallebarde departing Toulon
History
France
Name: Durandal
Namesake: Durendal
Ordered: 25 August 1896
Builder: Chantiers et Ateliers Augustin Normand, Le Havre
Launched: 11 February 1899
Stricken: 7 April 1919
Fate: Sold for scrap, 22 February 1921
General characteristics
Class and type: Durandal-class destroyer
Displacement: 301 t (296 long tons)
Length: 57.64 m (189 ft 1 in)
Beam: 6.3 m (20 ft 8 in)
Draft: 3.2 m (10 ft 6 in)
Depth: 4.1 m (13 ft 5 in)
Installed power:
Propulsion:
Speed: 26 knots (48 km/h; 30 mph)
Range: 2,300 nmi (4,300 km; 2,600 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Complement: 64 officers and enlisted men
Armament:

Design and description

The Durandal class was the first class of destroyers built for the French Navy, and formed part of the 300-tonne type of destroyers, of which 55 ships of similar size and layout were built between 1897 and 1908.[1][2] They were designed by the French specialist builder of torpedo vessels, Chantiers et Ateliers A. Normand, based on their Filibustier-class torpedo boat design, but enlarged and with a stronger hull.[1]

The Durandals were 57.64 m (189.1 ft) long overall and 56 m (183.7 ft) between perpendiculars, with a beam of 5.95 m (19.5 ft) and a draft of 3.20 m (10.5 ft).[3] Displacement was 301 t (296 long tons).[4] Like all the 300 tonne destroyers, Durandal had a "turtleback"[lower-alpha 1] forecastle and a raised flying-deck aft.[6] Two coal-fired Normand water-tube boilers fed steam to two triple-expansion steam engines rated at 4,800 ihp (3,600 kW), giving a design speed of 26 kn (30 mph; 48 km/h).[4] Two widely separated funnels were fitted.[4] The ships had an operating radius of 2,300 nmi (2,600 mi; 4,300 km) at 10 kn (12 mph; 19 km/h) and 217 nmi (250 mi; 402 km) at 26 kn (30 mph; 48 km/h).[3]

Durandal had a gun armament of one Canon de 65 mm Modèle 1891 gun on a raised platform around the ship's conning tower, and six 47 mm (1.9 in)/40 M1885 guns on the ship's beams. Two 380 mm (15 in) torpedo tubes were fitted, with two spare torpedoes carried.[4][3] She had a crew of four officers and 48 other ranks.[3]

Construction and service

Durandal and sister ship Hallebarde were ordered on 25 August 1896, and Durandal was launched at Normand's Le Havre shipyard on 11 February 1899. She reached a speed of 27.42 knots (31.55 mph; 50.78 km/h) during sea trials on 4 July 1899.[3]

In July 1902, Durandal took part in the 1902 French naval manoeuvres in the Mediterranean.[7]

On the outbreak of the First World War, Durandal was based in the English Channel, deployed on anti-submarine duties.[8] On 12 October 1914, Durandal, the destroyer Escopette and the auxiliary cruiser Pas de Calais (a converted paddle packet ship), engaged the German submarine U-20 off Cap Gris-Nez.[9][10]

Notes
  1. A fore deck with exaggerated camber designed to throw off sea water at high speeds.[5]

Citations
  1. Chesneau & Kolesnik 1979, p. 323
  2. Couhat 1974, p. 81
  3. Couhat 1974, p. 81
  4. Chesneau & Kolesnik 1979, p. 326
  5. Gardiner & Lambert 1992, p. 188
  6. Chesneau & Kolesnik 1979, pp. 323, 326
  7. Brassey 1903, p. 140
  8. Fock 1989, p. 379
  9. Fock 1989, p. 380
  10. Couhat 1974, pp. 80, 84

Bibliography
  • Brassey, T. A., ed. (1903). The Naval Annual 1903. Portsmouth, UK: J. Griffin and Co.
  • Caresse, Philippe (2013). "The Unlucky Destroyer Espignole". In Jordan, John (ed.). Warship 2013. London: Conway. ISBN 978-1-84486-205-4.
  • Chesneau, Roger & Kolesnik, Eugene M. (1979). Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-133-5.
  • Couhat, Jean Labayle (1974). French Warships of World War I. London: Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-0445-5.
  • Fock, Harald (1989). Z-Vor! Internationale Entwicklung und Kriegseinsätze von Zerstörern und Torpedobooten 1914 bis 1939 (in German). Herford, Germany: Koehlers Verlagsgesellschaft mBH. ISBN 3-7822-0207-4.
  • Gardiner, Robert; Lambert, Andrew, eds. (1992). Steam, Steel & Shellfire: The Steam Warship 1815–1905. Conway's History of the Ship. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-564-0.

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