French destroyer Faulx

Fourche was one of a dozen Bouclier-class destroyers built for the French Navy in the first decade of the 20th century.

History
France
Name: Faulx
Namesake: Scythe
Builder: Établissement de la Brosse et Fouché, Nantes
Laid down: 1909
Launched: 2 February 1911
Completed: 1912
Fate: Sunk in a collision, 18 April 1918
General characteristics (as built)
Class and type: Bouclier-class destroyer
Displacement: 720–756 t (709–744 long tons)
Length: 72.3–78.3 m (237 ft 2 in–256 ft 11 in) (o/a)
Beam: 7.6–8 m (24 ft 11 in–26 ft 3 in)
Draft: 2.9–3.3 m (9 ft 6 in–10 ft 10 in)
Installed power:
Propulsion: 2 shafts; 2 steam turbines
Speed: 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Range: 1,200–1,600 nmi (2,200–3,000 km; 1,400–1,800 mi) at 12–14 knots (22–26 km/h; 14–16 mph)
Complement: 80–83
Armament:

Design and description

The Bouclier class were designed to a general specification and varied significantly from each other in various ways.[1] The ships had an overall length of 74–78.3 meters (242 ft 9 in–256 ft 11 in), a beam of 7.6–8 meters (24 ft 11 in–26 ft 3 in), and a draft of 2.9–3.1 meters (9 ft 6 in–10 ft 2 in). Designed to displace 800 metric tons (787 long tons), they displaced 720–756 t (709–744 long tons) at normal load. Their crew numbered 80–83 men.[1]

The ships were powered by a pair of Rateau steam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft using steam provided by four water-tube boilers. The engines were designed to produce 13,000 shaft horsepower (9,700 kW) which was intended to give the ships a speed of 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph). Faulx handily exceed that speed, reaching 32 knots (59 km/h; 37 mph) during her sea trials. The ships carried enough fuel oil to give them a range of 1,200–1,600 nautical miles (2,200–3,000 km; 1,400–1,800 mi) at cruising speeds of 12–14 knots (22–26 km/h; 14–16 mph).[2]

The primary armament of the Bouclier-class ships consisted of two 100-millimeter (3.9 in) Modèle 1893 guns in single mounts, one each fore and aft of the superstructure, and four 65-millimeter (2.6 in) Modèle 1902 guns distributed amidships. They were also fitted with two twin mounts for 450-millimeter (17.7 in) torpedo tubes amidships.[1]

During World War I, a 45-millimeter (1.8 in) or 75-millimeter (3 in) anti-aircraft gun, two 8-millimeter (0.31 in) machine guns, and eight or ten Guiraud-type depth charges were added to the ships. The extra weight severely overloaded the ships and reduced their operational speed to around 26 knots (48 km/h; 30 mph).[1]

Construction and career

Faulx was ordered from Établissement de la Brosse et Fouché and was launched from its Nantes shipyard on 2 February 1911. The ship was completed in 1912.[3] On 18 April 1918, the French destroyer Mangini rammed and sank Faulx in the Strait of Otranto.[4]

gollark: "I'm still using my 15-year-old prototype"?
gollark: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_inventors_killed_by_their_own_inventions>
gollark: I think it's more that when a new invention is decently possible to make and economically viable, and there's research in the relevant field, some people come up with it. Blaming the first person to is kind of potatos.
gollark: Let's blame the first caveman to set wood on fire.
gollark: The steam engine person.

References
  1. Gardiner & Gray, p. 203
  2. Couhat, pp. 101, 104
  3. Couhat, p. 104
  4. "French Navy". Naval History. Retrieved 21 February 2013.

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.

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