Naïade-class submarine

The Naïade-class submarines, sometimes referred to as the Perle class[1] were a group of submarines built for the French Navy at the beginning of the 20th century. There were twenty vessels in this class, which was designed by Gaston Romazotti. The class introduced internal combustion engines into French submarine design. They remained in service until just prior to the outbreak of the First World War.

Three Naïade-class submarines; Grondin (foreground) with two others (not identified).
Class overview
Name: Naïade class
Operators:  French Navy
Cost: fr. 365,000 per unit
Built: 1903–1905
In commission: 1903–1914
Completed: 20
Preserved: 1
General characteristics
Type: Submarine
Displacement:
  • 70.5 long tons (71.6 t), surfaced
  • 73.6 long tons (74.8 t) submerged
Length: 23.7 m (77 ft 9 in)
Beam: 2.2 m (7 ft 3 in)
Draft: 2.6 m (8 ft 6 in)
Propulsion:
Speed:
  • 7.20 knots (13.33 km/h; 8.29 mph) (surfaced)
  • 5.98 knots (11.07 km/h; 6.88 mph) (submerged)
Range:
  • 200 nmi (370 km; 230 mi) at 5.5 knots (10.2 km/h; 6.3 mph) surfaced
  • 30 nmi (56 km; 35 mi) at 4.1 knots (7.6 km/h; 4.7 mph) submerged
Complement: 12
Armament: 2 × single 450 mm (17.7 in) torpedoes in Drzewiecki drop collars

Design and description

The Naïades were designed by Gaston Romazotti, an early French submarine engineer and director of the Arsenal de Cherbourg. They were of a single-hull design, following most previous French submarine designs, but with dual propulsion.[2] The hull was constructed of Roma-bronze, a copper alloy devised by Romazotti to resist corrosion and reduce interference with the boat's magnetic compass; it was also believed to offer more flexibility at depth. The Naïade design was based on the first French submarine, Gymnote. The submarines had a heavy lead keel for stability when submerged.[1] The submarines had a surfaced displacement of 70.5 long tons (71.6 t) and 73.6 long tons (74.8 t) submerged. They were 23.7 metres (77 ft 9 in) long with a beam of 2.2 metres (7 ft 3 in) and draught of 2.6 metres (8 ft 6 in).[2][lower-alpha 1]

The underwater power for the single shaft was provided by a Société Éclairage Électrique electric motor rated at 95 shaft horsepower (71 kW), while on the surface a Panhard et Levassor petrol engine rated at 57 brake horsepower (43 kW) was used, giving an improved performance on the surface. The submarines had a maximum speed of 5.98 knots (11.07 km/h; 6.88 mph) submerged and 7.20 knots (13.33 km/h; 8.29 mph) on the surface and a range of 30 nautical miles (56 km; 35 mi) at 4.1 knots (7.6 km/h; 4.7 mph) submerged and 200 nautical miles (370 km; 230 mi) at 5.5 knots (10.2 km/h; 6.3 mph) on the surface. The Naïade class were armed with two single 450 mm (17.7 in) torpedoes located externally in Drzewiecki drop collars.[2][3] These were the first French submarines to incorporate an internal combustion engine into their design.[3]

Assessment

The Naïades were smaller than Romazotti's previous Morse and Morse-class submarines, smaller in fact than any French submarine to that date except the pioneering Gymnote. However the Naïades had an adequate armament (two torpedoes, carried externally) and a good performance, with a better range than Romazotti's previous designs or the contemporary Farfadet class, though not as good as Narval and Sirène class. They were considered good surface boats, with good maneuverability but erratic when submerged.[1]

Ships in class
Naïade-class submarines[2]
NamePennant numberNamesakeBuilderLaunchedFate
AloseQ33"Shad"Arsenal de Toulon12 October 1904Stricken May 1914; preserved as museum ship
AnguilleQ32"Eel"Arsenal de Toulon8 August 1904Stricken May 1914
BoniteQ19"Bonito"Arsenal de Toulon6 February 1904Stricken May 1914
CastorQ26"Beaver"Arsenal de Rochefort5 November 1903Stricken May 1914
DoradeQ22"Dorado"Arsenal de Toulon5 November 1903Stricken May 1914
EsturgeonQ18"Sturgeon"Arsenal de Toulon8 January 1904Stricken 1912
GrondinQ31"Gurnard"Arsenal de Toulon15 July 1904Stricken 1913
LoutreQ25"Otter"Arsenal de Rochefort25 August 1903Stricken May 1914
LudionQ24"Diver"Arsenal de Toulon18 March 1904Stricken May 1914
LynxQ23"Lynx"Arsenal de Cherbourg24 November 1903Stricken May 1914
MéduseQ29"Jellyfish"Arsenal de Rochefort15 June 1904Stricken May 1914
NaïadeQ15"Naiad"Arsenal de Cherbourg20 February 1904Stricken May 1914
OtarieQ28"Sealion"Arsenal de Rochefort16 April 1904Stricken May 1914
OursinQ30"Urchin"Arsenal de Rochefort26 September 1904Stricken May 1914
PerleQ17"Pearl"Arsenal de Toulon1 November 1903Stricken May 1914
PhoqueQ27"Seal"Arsenal de Rochefort16 March 1904Stricken May 1914
ProtéeQ16"Proteus"Arsenal de Cherbourg8 October 1903Stricken May 1914
SouffleurQ21"Dolphin" (lit. "Blower")Arsenal de Toulon20 April 1903Stricken May 1914
ThonQ20"Tuna"Arsenal de Toulon18 March 1904Stricken May 1914
TruiteQ34"Trout"Arsenal de Toulon14 April 1905Stricken May 1914

Service history

The Naïades were ordered as part of the French Navy's 1900 building programme, and were constructed over the next five years at the naval dockyards at Toulon, Rochefort and Cherbourg.[2] The entire class was assigned for service in the Mediterranean Sea apart from the three submarines constructed at Cherbourg which served in the English Channel.[3]

By 1905, they had been reclassified as harbour defence boats.[1] They remained in service until just prior to the outbreak of the First World War, but by then had been superseded by more modern designs and all were stricken by mid-1914.[2] The wreck of Alose which was scuttled during any aerial bombing exercise in 1918, was discovered and raised in May 1975. The vessel is preserved as a museum piece at the headquarters of COMEX (the Compagnie Maritime d'Expertises) in Marseilles and was declared a French national historic site in 2008.[4]

See also

Notes
  1. Jane's Fighting Ships has the displacement of the submarines as 68 long tons (69 t) with a maximum speed of 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) surfaced and 4 1⁄2 knots (8.3 km/h; 5.2 mph) submerged. The submarines were 76 feet (23 m) long with a 7 1⁄2 feet (2.3 m) beam and a draught of 8 feet (2.4 m). They had one torpedo tube.[lower-alpha 2]

Citations
  1. Jane, p. 135.
  2. Gardiner & Gray p. 207.
  3. Fontenoy, p. 78.
  4. Delgado, p. 226.

References
  • Delgado, James P. & Cussler, Clive (2011). Silent Killers: Submarines and Underwater Warfare. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84908-365-2.
  • Fontenoy, Paul E. (2007). Submarines: An Illustrated History of Their Impact. Weapons and Warfare. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-Clio. ISBN 978-1-85109-563-6.
  • Gardiner, Robert & Gray, Randal, eds. (1986). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-245-5.
  • Jane, Fred T., ed. (1970) [1905]. Jane's Fighting Ships 1905/6. New York City: Arco Publishing Company. OCLC 23138656.
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