Enseigne Roux-class destroyer

The Enseigne Roux class was the thirteenth class of destroyers to be built for the French Navy during World War I. The first two units of this class, the Enseigne Roux and the Mécanicien Principal Lestin saw use during the war. However, the construction of the third ship of the class — Enseigne Gabolde — was suspended in 1914. It was then resumed in 1921, and completed in 1923 to a modified design.[1]

Enseigne Roux at anchor
Class overview
Name: Enseigne Roux class
Builders: Arsenal de Rochefort
Operators:  French Navy
Preceded by: Bisson class
Succeeded by:
Built: 1913–15
In commission: 1915–36
Planned: 3
Completed: 2
Scrapped: 2
General characteristics (as built)
Type: Destroyer
Displacement:
  • 850 t (837 long tons) (normal)
  • 1,075 t (1,058 long tons) (deep load)
Length: 82.6 m (271 ft 0 in) (o/a)
Beam: 8.6 m (28 ft 3 in)
Draft: 3 m (9 ft 10 in)
Installed power:
Propulsion: 2 shafts; 2 Steam turbines
Speed: 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Range: 1,400 nmi (2,600 km; 1,600 mi) at 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph)
Complement: 81
Armament:

Design and construction

The Ensigne Roux-class was an enlarged derivative of the previous Bisson-class, themselves an improved Bouclier. Two (Enseigne Roux and Mécanicien Principal Lestin) were ordered from Rochefort Dockyard to a standard design, while a third Enseigne Gabolde was ordered from the Le Havre shipyard of Normand to a modified design, with different machinery.[2]

Enseigne Roux and Mécanicien Principal Lestin were 82.60 metres (271 ft 0 in) long, with a beam of 8.60 metres (28 ft 3 in). They displaced 1,075 tonnes (1,058 long tons). Four boilers fed two sets of direct-drive Parsons steam turbines rated at 17,000 shaft horsepower (13,000 kW) which drove two propeller shafts, giving a design speed of 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph).[3][lower-alpha 1] Enseigne Gabolde was longer, and was fitted with geared steam turbines instead of direct drive units. These were rated at 20,000 shaft horsepower (15,000 kW), with a design speed of 31 knots (57 km/h; 36 mph).[4]

The design armament was as for the previous two classes, i.e. two 100 mm (3.9 in) Mle 1893 guns, four 65 mm (2.6 in) Mle 1902 guns and two twin 450 mm torpedo tubes.[5] During the First World War, a 75 millimetres (3.0 in) anti-aircraft gun was added, with an anti-submarine armament of ten depth charges and a towed explosive sweep.[3]

Enseigne Roux and Mécanicien Principal Lestin were laid down in late 1913, launched in 1915 and completed in 1916. Construction of Enseigne Gabolde was suspended due to the war, with her boilers used in other ships, with work not restarting until after the end of the war, and she was not completed until 1923.[2]

Ships
NameBuilderLaunchedFate
Enseigne RouxArsenal de Rochefort13 July 1915Struck, 1936
Mécanicien Principal LestinArsenal de Rochefort15 May 1915Struck, 1936

Citations
  1. Mécanicien Principal Lestin reached a speed of 31.21 knots (57.80 km/h; 35.92 mph) during sea trials.[3]
  1. "Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1906–1921". books.google.co.uk. Retrieved 1 July 2010.
  2. Couhat 1974, pp. 115–116
  3. Couhat 1974, p. 115
  4. Couhat 1974, p. 116
  5. Couhat 1974, pp. 101, 115
gollark: What?
gollark: Ibsfall that
gollark: https://pastebin.com/ZfhJz6n4
gollark: Hold on.
gollark: Why don't you?

References
  • Couhat, Jean Labayle (1974). French Warships of World War I. London: Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-0445-5.
  • Friedman, Norman (2011). Naval Weapons of World War One. Barnsley, South Yorkshire, UK: Seaforth. ISBN 978-1-84832-100-7.
  • Gardiner, Robert & Gray, Randal, eds. (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships: 1906–1921. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-907-3.
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