French destroyer Tirailleur
Tirailleur was one of two Voltigeur-class destroyers built for the French Navy in the first decade of the 20th century.
 Tirailleur in 1908 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Name: | Tirailleur |
| Namesake: | Tirailleur |
| Builder: | Forges et Chantiers de la Gironde, Bordeaux |
| Launched: | 27 November 1908 |
| Completed: | July 1910 |
| Stricken: | July 1921 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Voltigeur-class destroyer |
| Displacement: | |
| Length: | 63 m (206 ft 8 in) (p/p) |
| Beam: | 6.4 m (21 ft 0 in) |
| Draft: | 2.9 m (9 ft 6 in) |
| Installed power: |
|
| Propulsion: | 3 shafts; 1 triple-expansion steam engine and 2 steam turbines |
| Speed: | 28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph) |
| Range: | 1,520 nmi (2,820 km; 1,750 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) |
| Complement: | 76–77 |
| Armament: |
|
Design and description
The Voltigeur class was based on the preceding Spahi-class destroyer, albeit with a different arrangement of propulsion machinery.[1] Tirailleur had an length between perpendiculars of 63 meters (206 ft 8 in), a beam of 6.4 meters (21 ft 0 in),[2] and a draft of 2.9 meters (9 ft 6 in). Designed to displaced 450 metric tons (443 long tons), the ships displaced 590 t (581 long tons) at deep load. Their crew numbered 76–77 men.[1]
Tirailleur was powered by one triple-expansion steam engine and two Breguet direct-drive steam turbines. The steam engine drove the center propeller shaft while the turbines powered the two outer shafts, all using steam provided by four du Temple boilers. The engines were designed to produce 7,500 indicated horsepower (5,600 kW) which was intended to give the ships a speed of 28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph). The ships carried enough coal to give them a range of 1,520 nautical miles (2,820 km; 1,750 mi) at a cruising speed of 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).[2]
The primary armament of the Voltigeur-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
Tirailleur was ordered from Forges et Chantiers de la Gironde and was launched from its Bordeaux shipyard on 27 November 1908. The ship was completed in July 1910.[3]
References
- Gardiner & Gray, p. 202
- Couhat, p. 98
- Couhat, p. 99
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.