Arquebuse-class destroyer

A postcard of Sarbacane underway in 1905
Class overview
NameArquebuse class
Operators French Navy
Preceded byPertuisane-class destroyer
Succeeded byClaymore-class destroyer
Built1900–04
In service1903–21
Completed20
Lost2
Scrapped18
General characteristics
TypeDestroyer
Displacement323 t (318 long tons)
Length58.26 m (191 ft 2 in) (o/a)
Beam6.38 m (20 ft 11 in)
Draft3.2 m (10 ft 6 in)
Installed power
Propulsion2 shafts; 2 Triple-expansion steam engines
Speed28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph)
Range2,300 nmi (4,300 km; 2,600 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Complement60
Armament

The Arquebuse class was a group of 20 destroyers built for the French Navy in the first decade of the 20th century. Two ships were sunk during the First World War and the others were scrapped after the war.

Losses

The Catapulte was sunk after a collision with the British steamship Warrimoo near Bizerte, Tunisia, on 18 May 1918.[1]

The Mousquet was sunk off the entrance of Penang harbour in the Strait of Malacca on 28 October 1914 by the German cruiser SMS Emden, which she was attempting to engage.[1]

Ships

The first 10 ships were provided for in the 1900 Budget, and the second 10 in the 1901 Budget, but all were built under the Programme of 1900. They were numbered M'12 to M'31 respectively.

Name Ordered Laid down Launched Completed Fate
Carabine 4 May 1900 15 July 1901 21 July 1902 September 1903 Sold for scrap 26 July 1919 at Bizerte.
Sarbacane 4 May 1900 1 October 1901 12 March 1903 December 1903 Deleted 1 October 1920; still for sale
at Toulon in January 1922.
Arquebuse 1 August 1900 1900 15 November 1902 May 1903 Sold for scrap 1 March 1921 at Bizerte.
Arbalète 1 August 1900 23 November 1900 28 April 1903 August 1903 Sold for scrap 10 May 1921 at Toulon.
Mousquet 14 November 1900 November 1900 7 August 1902 June 1903 Sunk 28 October 1914 off Penang.
Javeline 14 November 1900 November 1900 15 October 1902 30 June 1903 Sold for scrap August 1920 at Cherbourg.
Sagaie 7 November 1900 1901 15 November 1902 April 1903 Sold for scrap 12 April 1921 at Lorient.
Épieu 7 November 1900 1901 17 January 1903 July 1903 Sold for scrap 20 May 1922 at Bizerte.
Harpon 14 November 1900 November 1900 20 October 1902 April 1903 Sold for scrap 10 July 1922 at Cherbourg.
Fronde 14 November 1900 January 1901 17 January 1903 April 1903 Sold for scrap 6 May 1920 at Toulon.
Francisque 5 March 1901 5 February 1903 2 March 1904 April 1904 Sold for scrap 10 July 1922 at Cherbourg.
Sabre 5 March 1901 1903 15 April 1904 June 1904 Sold for scrap 1 June 1921 at Rochefort.
Dard 29 May 1901 15 October 1902 10 September 1903 May 1904 Sold for scrap 20 December 1920 at Bizerte.
Baliste 29 May 1901 20 November 1902 22 October 1903 June 1904 Sold for scrap 6 May 1920 at Toulon.
Mousqueton 29 May 1901 1901 4 November 1902 September 1904 Sold for scrap 15 April 1921 at Bizerte.
Arc 29 May 1901 1901 24 December 1902 July 1904 Sold for scrap 9 January 1921 at Toulon.
Pistolet 22 May 1901 September 1901 29 May 1903 21 September 1903 Sold for scrap 6 May 1920 at Toulon.
Bélier 22 May 1901 September 1901 29 May 1903 April 1904 Sold for scrap 20 May 1922 at Bizerte.
Catapulte 29 May 1901 1901 1 April 1903 October 1903 Sunk in collision 18 May 1918 off Bizerte.
Bombarde 29 May 1901 6 December 1901 26 June 1903 26 November 1903 Sold for scrap 20 April 1921 at Rochefort.

Citations

  1. ^ a b "French Navy in World War I". naval-history.net. Retrieved 28 June 2010.

Bibliography

  • Campbell, N. J. M. (1979). "France". In Chesneau, Roger & Kolesnik, Eugene M. (eds.). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905. Greenwich: Conway Maritime Press. pp. 283–333. ISBN 0-8317-0302-4.
  • Couhat, Jean Labayle (1974). French Warships of World War I. London: Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-0445-5.
  • Osborne, Eric W. (2005). Destroyers - An Illustrated History of Their Impact. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-Clio. ISBN 1-85109-479-2.
  • 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.
  • Stanglini, Ruggero & Cosentino, Michelle (2022). The French Fleet: Ships, Strategy and Operations, 1870-1918. Barnsley: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-5267-0131-2.
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