The Guépard-class destroyers (contre-torpilleurs) were six ships of the French Navy, laid down in 1927 and commissioned in 1930. They were similar to the previous Chacal class, with a larger hull and with a slightly improved speed and gun armament with 138 mm guns of a new design. The first three ships bore 'animal' names like the Chacals, while the remaining three were given names starting with V, for two battles and a field-marshal. The class saw action in World War II.
 Guépard class destroyer
| |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Guépard class |
| Operators | |
| Preceded by | Chacal class |
| Succeeded by | Aigle class |
| Built | 1927–1931 |
| In commission | 1929–1945 |
| Completed | 6 |
| Lost | 6 |
| General characteristics (as built) | |
| Type | Destroyer |
| Displacement | |
| Length | 130.2 m (427 ft 2 in) |
| Beam | 11.5 m (37 ft 9 in) |
| Draft | 4.3 m (14 ft 1 in) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion | 2 shafts; 2 geared steam turbines |
| Speed | 35.5 knots (65.7 km/h; 40.9 mph) |
| Range | 3,000 nmi (5,600 km; 3,500 mi) at 14.5 knots (26.9 km/h; 16.7 mph) |
| Crew | 12 officers, 224 crewmen (wartime) |
| Armament |
|
Ships edit
- Built by Arsenal de Lorient.
- Completed 10 October 1930.
- She was sunk by German Junkers Ju 87 Stukas while taking part in the evacuation of Namsos, on 3 May 1940, off Trondheim. Out of 229 members on the crew, 136 were lost.[2] Survivors from Bison were picked up by HMS Afridi, which was then also sunk by the Stukas.
- Built by Arsenal de Lorient.
- Completed 13 August 1929,
- Scuttled 27 November 1942.
- Refloated 4 September 1943.
- Bombed and sunk March 1944.
- Refloated 1947 and broken up.
- Built by Ateliers et Chantiers de France, Dunkirk.
- Completed 21 January 1931.
- Seized by Germans 27 November 1942.
- Given to Italy and entered service as FR 21.
- Scuttled La Spezia 9 September 1943.
- Valmy (named after the battle of Valmy)[5]
- Built by Ateliers et Chantiers de St Nazaire-Penhoët, St. Nazaire
- Completed 1 January 1930.
- Seized by Germans 27 November 1942.
- Refloated 15 March 1943 and began refit as Italian Navy FR 24
- Captured by Germans at Savona September 1943
- Wreck found at Genoa 1945 and broken up.
- Verdun (named after the battle of Verdun)[6]
- Built by Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire, St Nazaire.
- Completed 1 April 1930.
- Scuttled 27 November 1942.
- Refloated 29 September 1943.
- Bombed and sunk 1944
- Refloated 1948 and broken up in Italy.
- Vauban (named after Marshal Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban)[7]
- Built by Ateliers et Chantiers de France, Dunkirk.
- Completed 9 January 1931.
- Scuttled 27 November 1942.
- Refloated 12 May 1947 and broken up.
Notes edit
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur (2013). "Bison". uboat.net. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
- ^ Charles Hocking (1990). Dictionary of Disasters at Sea During The Age of Steam. The London Stamp Exchange, London. p. 87. ISBN 0-948130-68-7.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur (2013). "Guepard". uboat.net. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur (2013). "Lion". uboat.net. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur (2013). "Valmy". uboat.net. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur (2013). "Verdun". uboat.net. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur (2013). "Vauban". uboat.net. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
References edit
- Campbell, John (1985). Naval Weapons of World War II. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-459-4.
- Cernuschi, Enrico & O'Hara, Vincent P. (2013). "Toulon: The Self-Destruction and Salvage of the French Fleet". In Jordan, John (ed.). Warship 2013. London: Conway. pp. 134–148. ISBN 978-1-84486-205-4.
- Chesneau, Roger, ed. (1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Greenwich, UK: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-146-7.
- Jordan, John & Moulin, Jean (2015). French Destroyers: Torpilleurs d'Escadre & Contre-Torpilleurs 1922–1956. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-198-4.
- Rohwer, Jürgen (2005). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two (Third Revised ed.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-59114-119-2.
- Whitley, M. J. (1988). Destroyers of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-326-1.