French destroyer Branlebas

For other ships with the same name, see French ship Branlebas.

File:Branlebas destroyer.jpg Branlebas in harbor
History
France
Name	Branlebas
Namesake	Action stations
Builder	Chantiers et Ateliers Augustin Normand, Le Havre
Laid down	November 1905
Launched	8 October 1907
Fate	Sunk 30 September 1915
General characteristics
Class & type	Branlebas-class destroyer
Displacement	350 t (344 long tons)
Length	58 m (190 ft 3 in) (p/p)
Beam	6.28 m (20 ft 7 in)
Draft	2.96 m (9 ft 9 in)
Installed power	6,800 ihp (5,071 kW) 2 Normand or Du Temple boilers
Propulsion	2 shafts; 2 Triple-expansion steam engines
Speed	27.5 knots (50.9 km/h; 31.6 mph)
Range	2,100 nmi (3,900 km; 2,400 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Complement	60
Armament	1 × 65 mm (2.6 in) gun 6 × 47 mm (1.9 in) Hotchkiss guns 2 × 450 mm (17.7 in) torpedo tubes
Armor	Waterline belt: 20 mm (0.8 in)

Branlebas was the name ship of her class of destroyers built for the French Navy in the first decade of the 20th century.

During World War I, Branlebas struck a mine and sank in the North Sea between Dunkirk, France, and Nieuwpoort, Belgium, on 30 September 1915.

Design

The Branlebas-class was a development of the previous Claymore class, and was the final evolution of the 300-tonne type which the French had built since 1899, with their first destroyer class, the Durandal-class. Like all the 300-tonne destroyers, the Branlebas class had a turtledeck forecastle with a flying deck, raised above the hull, aft.

They were 58 metres (190 ft 3 in) long between perpendiculars and 59.06 m (193 ft 9 in) overall, with a beam of 6.28 metres (20 ft 7 in) and a maximum draught of 2.37 metres (7 ft 9 in). Displacement was 350 tonnes (344 long tons). Two coal-fired Normand or Du Temple boilers fed steam to two triple-expansion steam engines, rated at 6,800 indicated horsepower (5,100 kW), and driving two propeller shafts, giving a design speed of 27.5 knots (50.9 km/h; 31.6 mph). The ships had a range of 2,100 nautical miles (3,900 km; 2,400 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).

A 20 millimetres (0.79 in) belt of armour was fitted to protect the ship's boilers and machinery from splinters. The class was built with the standard gun armament for the 300-tonne destroyers, with a single 65 mm (2.6 in) forward, backed up by six 47 mm (1.9 in) guns, while two 450 mm (17.7 in) torpedo tubes were carried. The ships had a complement of 4 officers and 56 men.

Construction and service

Branlebas was laid down at the Le Havre shipyard of Chantiers et Ateliers A. Normand in November 1905 and was launched on 8 October 1910. She reached a speed of 28.76 kn (33.10 mph; 53.26 km/h) during sea trials.

When the First World War began in August 1914, Branlebas was assigned to the 1st Destroyer Flotilla (1^re escadrille de torpilleurs) of the 2nd Light Squadron (2^e escadre légère) based at Cherbourg.