French destroyer Hallebarde

Hallebarde was one of four Durandal-class destroyers built for the French Navy in the late 1890s.

Hallebarde departing Toulon
History
France
NameHallebarde
NamesakeHalberd
Ordered25 August 1896
BuilderNormand, Le Havre
Launched8 June 1899
Stricken4 March 1920
FateSold for scrap, 20 April 1921
General characteristics
Class and typeDurandal-class destroyer
Displacement311 t (306 long tons)
Length57.64 m (189 ft 1 in)
Beam6.3 m (20 ft 8 in)
Draft3.2 m (10 ft 6 in)
Depth4.1 m (13 ft 5 in)
Installed power
Propulsion
Speed26 knots (48 km/h; 30 mph)
Range2,300 nmi (4,300 km; 2,600 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Complement64 officers and enlisted men
Armament

Design and description

The Durandals had an overall length of 57.64 meters (189 ft 1 in), a beam of 6.3 meters (20 ft 8 in), and a maximum draft of 3.2 meters (10 ft 6 in).[1] They displaced 311 metric tons (306 long tons) at deep load. The two triple-expansion steam engines, each driving one propeller shaft, were designed to produce a total of 5,200 metric horsepower (3,825 kW), using steam provided by two Normand boilers.[2] The ships had a designed speed of 26 knots (48 km/h; 30 mph), but Hallebarde reached 27.2 knots (50.4 km/h; 31.3 mph) during her sea trials.[1] The ships carried enough coal to give them a range of 2,300 nautical miles (4,300 km; 2,600 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). Their original complement consisted of four officers and sixty enlisted men, but the number of enlisted men increased to 60 in 1899.[2]

The Durandal-class ships were armed with a single 65-millimeter (2.6 in) gun forward of the bridge and six 47-millimeter (1.9 in) Hotchkiss guns, three on each broadside. They were fitted with two single 381-millimeter (15 in) torpedo tubes, one between the funnels and the other on the stern. Two reload torpedoes were also carried; their air flasks, however, had to be charged before they could be used, a process that took several hours. The Modèle 1887 torpedo that they used had a warhead weight of 42 kilograms (93 lb).[2]

Construction and career

Hallebarde (Halberd) was ordered from Chantiers et Ateliers Augustin Normand on 5 August 1896 and the ship was laid down at its shipyard in Le Havre on 25 August. The ship was launched on 8 June 1899 and conducted her sea trials in July-August. She was commissioned on 12 September.[3]

When the First World War began in August 1914, Hallebarde was a leader (divisionnaire) in the 1st Submarine and Destroyer Flotilla (1ère escadrille sous-marins et torpilleurs) of the 1st Naval Army (1ère Armée navale),[4] based in Toulon.[3]

References

  1. Couhat, p. 82
  2. Caresse, p. 97
  3. Roberts, p. 375
  4. Prévoteaux, Tome I, p. 30

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.
  • Caresse, Philippe (2013). "The Unlucky Destroyer Espignole". In Jordan, John (ed.). Warship 2013. London: Conway. ISBN 978-1-84486-205-4.
  • Couhat, Jean Labayle (1974). French Warships of World War I. London: Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-0445-5.
  • 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.

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