Le Fier-class torpedo boat

The Le Fier class was a series of sea-going torpedo boats built for the French Navy. Laid down in 1940, the ships were incomplete as of the fall of France and remained unfinished for the rest of World War II.

Class overview
Name: Le Fier class
Builders:
Operators:
Preceded by: La Melpomène class
Succeeded by: T 47 class
Subclasses:
  • L'Alsacien class
  • Torpedoboot Ausland 1 class
Built: 1939–1944
Planned: 14
Completed: 0
Cancelled: 7
General characteristics
Type: Torpedo boat
Displacement:
  • 1,010 long tons (1,026 t) standard
  • 1,337 long tons (1,358 t) (full load)
Length: 95 m (311 ft 8 in) o/a
Beam: 9.4 m (30 ft 10 in)
Draught: 3.25 m (10 ft 8 in)
Installed power:
Propulsion: 2 shafts, 2 steam turbines
Speed: 33 knots (61 km/h; 38 mph)
Range: 1,000 nmi (1,900 km; 1,200 mi) at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Complement: 7 officers, 129 sailors
Armament:

Design and development

With rising tensions with Nazi Germany after their remilitarization of the Rhineland in 7 March 1936, the French Third Republic undertook a series of naval construction programmes to maintain military parity in the face of rapid German re-armament. On 31 December 1936, the French Parliament authorized the construction of more warships at the suggestion of Admiral François Darlan. These ships were one light cruiser, two destroyers (torpilleur d'escadre) of the Le Hardi class, four torpedo boats (torpilleur), four submarines of the Aurore class, one mine-laying Émeraude-class submarine, two Bougainville-class avisos, six Elan, four Sans Souci-class small seaplane tenders, one oil tanker, and twelve submarine chasers. Collectively this order was named Tranche 1937.

The four torpedo boats were to be named, Le Fier, L'Agile, L'Entreprenant, and Le Farouche and were also referred to as torpilleurs légers de 1010 in reference to their displacement in tons. Exactly one year after the 1937 tranche, on 31 December 1937 the chamber of deputies approved a second naval procurement order, named Tranche 1938. Three additional Le Fier-class torpedo boats, to be named Alsacien, Le Corse and Le Breton were ordered. On 2 May 1938, an additional tranche (Tranche 1938bis) was budgeted which included five more Le Fier-class torpedo boats, to be named Le Tunisien, Le Normand, Le Parisien, Le Provençal and Le Saintongeais. Lastly Tranche 1938ter was approved, with two more torpedo boats, Le Niçois and Le Savoyard.

The Le Fier class were based on an enlarged La Melpomène-class torpedo boat design with improved sea-going features. The class of ships had a standard displacement of 1,010 tons, a length of 90 m (295.3 ft) and an overall length of 95 m (311.7 ft). The ships breadth was 9.4 m (30.8 ft), draught was 3.25 m (10.7 ft) deep. Propulsion was provided by a two-shaft, twin steam turbines, and powered by three Indret boilers, producing 30,300 shp (22,600 kW), and 30,800 shp (23,000 kW) at full power. Ships ordered under Tranche 1937 were to be powered by Rateau-Bretagne turbine engines while all subsequent ships, starting with L'Alsacien were to be powered by Parsons steam turbines. The Le Fier class had an unorthodox weapons arrangement, with all main guns, mounted aft, and anti-aircraft armament primarily mounted at the fore-end. The primary armament of Le Fier class were four, recently developed 100mm/45 Modèle 1933 dual-purpose guns, in two rear-facing 29.8 ton Contre-Avions Double Modèle 1937 gun turrets protected by 4 mm (0.2 in) plating. The 100 mm (3.9 in) Modèle 1933 was an improved variant of the earlier Modèle 1930 and were the first dual purpose guns mounted on a French navy ship. The secondary armament consisted of four single Canon de 37 mm Modèle 1925 anti-aircraft guns, and eight Hotchkiss M1929 machine guns in four, twin Contre-Avions Double Modèle 1929 mountings. Torpedo armament consisted of two, centreline double 550 mm (21.7 in) torpedo tubes.[1]

Of all these French fourteen torpedo boats, none would ever be completed. After the surrender of France on 25 June 1940, all work on the Le Fier-class torpedo boats was halted.[2]

German service
Main article: Torpedoboot Ausland

In June 1940, the German army seized all shipyards from the new collaborationist Vichy France government including the Le Fier-class torpedo boats still under construction. These were Le Fier, L'Agile, L'Entreprenant, Le Farouche, L'Alsacien, and Le Corse. Le Breton, which was the least complete of the ships, was scrapped and the seven unbuilt ships were cancelled. The remaining torpedo boats were transferred to the Kriegsmarine and renamed TA1-TA6 (Torpedoboot Ausland) and were to be completed for the Germans with revised specifications.[1]

Displacement would increase to 1087 tons, with a full displacement 1,443 tons. At the same time the dimensions were to shrunk. The overall length would be reduced to 93.2 m (305.8 ft), the breadth would be reduced 9.28 m (30.4 ft) and the draught reduced to 3.08 m (10.1 ft). While the engines and propulsion would remain, full power was to be reduced to 28,000 bhp (20,900 kW). The ships would be rearmed with German weapons. The four 100 mm dual-purpose guns would be replaced by three, single mounted 10.5 cm SK C/32 naval guns. The secondary guns would consist of two 3.7 cm SK C/30 guns, and nine 2 cm SK c/38 guns. Four in one quad-mount, and five single mounts. The torpedo armament consisted of six centreline 533 mm (21.0 in) torpedo tubes, in two triple launchers.[3]

While work on the torpedo boats continued under German supervision, a shortage of materials and sabotage by French workers hampered progress of the ships, even though before the surrender several of the ships were near completion. Eventually in April 1943, due to a lack of general progress, it was decided that only TA1 and TA4 would be completed and the rest were to be cannibalized to finish the remaining two ships. Delays continued as TA2 and TA4 were sunk by United States Army Air Forces, but refloated, again. The Normandy landings on 6 June 1944 led to a German withdrawal from Nantes and the remaining ships were purposely scuttled by the Germans or were sunk, incomplete, on 11 August 1944.[4][5]

The Germans assisted the Spain, under Francisco Franco in the design and construction of the Audaz-class destroyers using captured plans and documents from the Le Fier class.[1]

Ships
Name Builder Laid Launched Completed Notes Fate
Le Fier group
Tranche 1937
Le Fier Ateliers et Chantiers de Bretagne January 1939 12 March 1940 N/A Sunk during attempted crossing of the English Channel on 22 June 1940, refloated by Germany, renamed TA1 Scuttled at Nantes on 11 August 1944[6]
L'Agile Ateliers et Chantiers de Bretagne April 1939 23 May 1940 Captured by Germany on 22 June 1940, renamed TA2 Sunk by American bombers on 14 September 1943, refloated, sunk by American bombers on 11 August 1944[4]
L'Entreprenant Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire January 1939 25 May 1940 Scuttled on 22 June 1940, refloated by Germany, renamed TA4 Sunk by American bombers on 14 September 1943, refloated, sunk by American bombers on 11 August 1944[5]
Le Farouche Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire April 1939 19 October 1940 Captured by Germany on 22 June 1940, renamed TA5 Sunk at Nantes on 11 August 1944[7]
L'Alsacien group
Tranche 1938
L'Alsacien Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire April 1939 1942 N/A Captured by Germany on 22 June 1940, renamed TA3 Destroyed by Allied aircraft March 1944[8]
Le Corse Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire January 1940 4 April 1942 Captured by Germany on 22 June 1940, renamed TA6 Sunk at Nantes on 11 August 1944[9]
Le Breton Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire January 1940 N/A Captured by Germany on 22 June 1940[1] Scrapped June 1940
Tranche 1938bis [10]
Le Flamand >

Le Tunisien

 Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire N/A Cancelled June 1940
Le Normand Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire Cancelled June 1940
Le Parisien Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire Cancelled June 1940
Le Provençal Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire Cancelled June 1940
Le Saintongeais Ateliers et Chantiers de Saint-Nazaire Penhoët Cancelled June 1940
Tranche 1938ter [10]
Le Niçois Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée N/A Cancelled June 1940
Le Savoyard Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée Cancelled June 1940
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References
  1. Fitzsimons, Bernard, ed. (1977). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of 20th century weapons and warfare. London: Latimer House. p. 938. ISBN 0906704006. (ill. by John Batchelor)
  2. Jordan, John; Moulin, Jean (2015). French Destroyers: Torpilleurs d'Escadre & Contre-Torpilleurs 1922-1956 (First ed.). Barnsley, South Yorkshire: Seaforth Publishing. pp. 208, 286. ISBN 9781848321984.
  3. Emmerich, Michael. "TA1". german-navy.de. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
  4. Emmerich, Michael. "TA2". german-navy.de. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
  5. Emmerich, Michael. "TA4". german-navy.de. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
  6. Bertke, Donald A.; Kindell, Don; Smith, Gordon (2009). World War II sea war (1st ed.). Dayton, Ohio: Bertke Publications. p. 290. ISBN 1937470008.
  7. Emmerich, Michael. "TA5". german-navy.de. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
  8. Emmerich, Michael. "TA3". german-navy.de. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
  9. Emmerich, Michael. "TA6". german-navy.de. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
  10. Roche, Jean-Michel (2013). Dictionnaire des bâtiments de la Flotte de guerre française de Colbert à nos jours: Tome II. ISBN 978-2-9525917-3-7.
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