French destroyer Boutefeu
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| History | |
|---|---|
 France | |
| Name | Boutefeu |
| Namesake | Linstock |
| Builder | Dyle et Bacalan, Bordeaux |
| Laid down | 1909 |
| Launched | 2 May 1911 |
| Completed | 1911 |
| Fate | Sunk by a mine, 15 May 1917 |
| 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 |
|
Boutefeu was one of a dozen Bouclier-class destroyers built for the French Navy in the first decade of the 20th century.
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]
Boutefeu was powered by a pair of
kW) which was intended to give the ships a speed of 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph). Boutefeu handily exceed that speed, reaching 31.4 knots (58.2 km/h; 36.1 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
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
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
Boutefeu was ordered from
Cattaro, Montenegro, on 1 September. Four days later, the fleet covered the evacuation of Danilo, Crown Prince of Montenegro, aboard Bouclier, to the Greek island of Corfu. The flotilla escorted multiple small convoys loaded with supplies and equipment to Antivari, beginning in October and lasting for the rest of the year, always covered by the larger ships of the Naval Army in futile attempts to lure the Austro-Hungarian fleet into battle. Amidst these missions, the 1st and 6th Flotillas were led by the French destroyer Dehorter as they conducted a sweep south of Cattaro on the night of 10/11 November in an unsuccessful search for Austro-Hungarian destroyers.[4]
The torpedoing of the
Royal Italian Navy (Regia Marina) now had primary responsibility for the Adriatic itself. His area of responsibility extended from Sardinia to Crete and he divided it into two zones with the 1st Light Squadron assigned to the western zone and the 2nd Light Squadron in the east. Those destroyers of the 1st Naval Army not assigned to reinforce the Italians were transferred to the newly-formed 1st and 2nd Flotillas of the Naval Army (flotille d'Armée navale). The 1st and 3rd Destroyer Flotillas were assigned to the 2nd Flotilla of the Naval Army, of which Dehorter was the flagship, which was tasked to support the cruisers of the 2nd Light Division.[6]
On 15 May 1917, during the
UC-25 just outside Brindisi harbor. The destroyer broke in two and sank in under two minutes, with heavy loss of life.[7]
References
- ^ a b c d Smigielski, p. 203
- ^ Couhat, pp. 101, 104
- ^ Couhat, pp. 104, 108
- ^ Freivogel, pp. 98–99, 117–121; Prévoteaux, I, pp. 27, 55–56, 59–62
- ^ Freivogel, p. 181
- ^ Jordan & Caresse, pp. 232–233; Prévoteaux, I, pp. 116–117
- ^ World War I: Encyclopedia, Volume 1, p. 870; Spencer Tucker, Priscilla Mary Roberts, Paul G. Halpern; ABC-CLIO, 2005
Bibliography
- Couhat, Jean Labayle (1974). French Warships of World War I. London: Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-0445-5.
- Freivogel, Zvonimir (2019). The Great War in the Adriatic Sea 1914–1918. Zagreb: Despot Infinitus. ISBN 978-953-8218-40-8.
- Jordan, John & Caresse, Philippe (2019). French Armoured Cruisers 1887–1932. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-5267-4118-9.
- Prévoteaux, Gérard (2017). La marine française dans la Grande guerre: les combattants oubliés: Tome I 1914–1915 [The French Navy during the Great War: The Forgotten Combatants, Book I 1914–1915]. Collection Navires & Histoire des Marines du Mond. Vol. 23. Le Vigen, France: Éditions Lela presse. ISBN 978-2-37468-000-2.
- Prévoteaux, Gérard (2017). La marine française dans la Grande guerre: les combattants oubliés: Tome II 1916–1918 [The French Navy during the Great War: The Forgotten Combatants, Book II 1916–1918]. Collection Navires & Histoire des Marines du Mond. Vol. 27. Le Vigen, France: Éditions Lela presse. ISBN 978-2-37468-001-9.
- Roberts, Stephen S. (2021). French Warships in the Age of Steam 1859–1914: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-5267-4533-0.
- Smigielski, Adam (1985). "France". In Gray, Randal (ed.). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. pp. 190–220. ISBN 0-87021-907-3.
Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in May 1917 | |
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| Other incidents |
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