Émeraude-class submarine (1906)
| |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Émeraude class |
| Operators |  French Navy |
| Preceded by | Oméga |
| Succeeded by | Circé class |
| Built | 1903–1910 |
| In commission | 1908–1919 |
| Completed | 6 |
| Lost | 1 |
| Scrapped | 5 |
| General characteristics (as built) | |
| Type | Submarine |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 44.9 m (147 ft 4 in) ( o/a ) |
| Beam | 3.9 m (12 ft 10 in) |
| Draft | 3.77 m (12 ft 4 in) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion | 2 × shafts; 2 × diesels; 2 × electric motors |
| Speed |
|
| Range |
|
| Test depth | 40 m (130 ft) |
| Complement | 2 officers and 23 crewmen |
| Armament | 4 × 450 mm (17.7 in) torpedo tubes (2 × bow, 2 × stern) |
The Émeraude-class submarines consisted of six
Design and description
The Émeraude class were built as part of the French Navy's 1903 building program to a Maugas single-hull design.[1] The submarines displaced 395 metric tons (389 long tons) surfaced and 427 metric tons (420 long tons) submerged. They had an overall length of 44.9 meters (147 ft 4 in), a beam of 3.9 meters (12 ft 10 in), and a draft of 3.8 meters (12 ft 6 in). They had an operational diving depth of 40 meters (130 ft). Their crew numbered 2 officers and 23 enlisted men.[2]
For surface running, the boats were powered by two
The boats were armed with four internal 450-millimeter (17.7 in) torpedo tubes, two in the bow and two in the stern, for which they carried six torpedoes.[4] Topaze and Turquoise were the first French submarines to be equipped with a deck gun when they were fitted with a single 37-millimeter (1.5 in) gun in August 1915.[1]
Ships
| Name | Builder | Laid down[5] |
Launched[1] | Commissioned[6] | Fate[7] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Émeraude | Arsenal de Cherbourg |
October 1903 | 6 August 1906 | 11 November 1908 | Sold for scrap, 27 January 1923 |
| Opale | 20 November 1906 | 19 December 1908 | Sold for scrap, 10 May 1921 | ||
| Rubis | 26 June 1907 | 11 December 1909 | |||
| Saphir | Arsenal de Toulon |
6 February 1908 | 10 December 1910 | Sunk by a naval mine, 15 January 1915 | |
| Topaze | 2 July 1908 | Sold for scrap, 10 May 1921 | |||
| Turquoise | 3 August 1908 | Damaged by Ottoman gunfire and beached on 30 October 1915. Re-floated and repaired by Ottoman forces; renamed Müstecip Onbaşı, but never commissioned. Returned to France and sold for scrap, 14 April 1920 |
See also
Notes
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.
- Garier, Gérard (2002). A l'épreuve de la Grande Guerre. L'odyssée technique et humaine du sous-marin en France (in French). Vol. 3–2. Bourg-en-Bresse, France: Marines édition. ISBN 2-909675-81-5.
- Garier, Gérard (1998). Des Émeraude (1905-1906) au Charles Brun (1908–1933). L'odyssée technique et humaine du sous-marin en France (in French). Vol. 2. Bourg-en-Bresse, France: Marines édition. ISBN 2-909675-34-3.
- Roche, Jean-Michel (2005). "Classement par types". Dictionnaire des bâtiments de la flotte de guerre française de Colbert à nos jours 2, 1870 - 2006. Toulon: Roche. OCLC 165892922.
External links
