French destroyer Spahi

Spahi was the name ship of her class of destroyers built for the French Navy in the first decade of the 20th century.

Sister ship Mameluck at anchor
History
France
Name: Spahi
Namesake: Spahi
Builder: Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée, La Seyne-sur-Mer
Launched: 3 May 1908
Completed: July 1910
Stricken: December 1927
General characteristics
Class and type: Spahi-class destroyer
Displacement: 530–550 t (522–541 long tons)
Length: 64.6 m (211 ft 11 in) (p/p)
Beam: 6.05 m (19 ft 10 in)
Draft: 2.3 m (7 ft 7 in)
Installed power:
  • 9,000 ihp (6,711 kW)
  • 4 Normand boilers
Propulsion: 2 shafts; 2 triple-expansion steam engines
Speed: 28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph)
Range: 1,000–1,200 nmi (1,900–2,200 km; 1,200–1,400 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Complement: 77–79
Armament:

Design and description

The Spahi-class was over 50 percent larger than the preceding Branlebas class to match the increase in size of foreign destroyers.[1] Spahi had an length between perpendiculars of 64.6 meters (211 ft 11 in), a beam of 6.05 meters (19 ft 10 in),[2] and a draft of 2.3 meters (7 ft 7 in). The ships displaced 530–550 metric tons (522–541 long tons) at deep load. Their crew numbered 77–79 officers and men.[1]

Spahi was powered by two triple-expansion steam engines, each driving one propeller shaft using steam provided by four Normand boilers. Unlike her sister ships, Spahi's engines were designed to produce 9,000 indicated horsepower (6,700 kW) which was intended to give her a speed of 28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph). During her sea trials, she reached a speed of 29.43 knots (54.50 km/h; 33.87 mph). The ships carried enough coal to give them a range of 1,000–1,200 nautical miles (1,900–2,200 km; 1,200–1,400 mi) at a cruising speed of 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).[3]

The primary armament of the Spahi-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]

Construction and career

Spahi was ordered from Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée and was launched at their shipyard in La Seyne-sur-Mer on 3 May 1908. She was completed in July 1910.[4]

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References
  1. Gardiner & Gray, p. 202
  2. Couhat, p. 95
  3. Couhat, pp. 95–96
  4. Couhat, p. 96

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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