Jaguar (T36 / Beast) class, French Contre-Torpillieur laid down 1936
The
Jaguar class contre-torpillieurs were the genesis of one of the most numerous and successful modern warship classes ever constructed in France. The
Jaguars, also called the T36 or Beast class destroyers, were the first sixteen vessels of the group, laid down between 1936 and 1938. Traditionally, the Marine Nationale had adopted a two-pronged approach to fast light warships. On the smallest end of the scale were the
torpillieurs d'escadre (fleet torpedo boats), small fast ships with a comparatively light gun armament, designed for fleet escort duties. On the larger end of the scale were the large, powerfully-armed
contretorpillieurs (such as the
Roland,
Le Fantasque, and
Mogador classes) which were designed for surface action. Both types were referred to as "destroyers" in foreign press, but their purposes were different. As the Marine Nationale adopted a more oceanic strategy in the 1930s, it became clear that the small, short-ranged
torpillieurs d'escadre was not a suitable blue-water escort. The
Jaguars were designed to fill the gap, providing anti-aircraft and anti-submarine protection to capital ships on the high seas. As a result of their intended mission, they represented a bridge between the smaller
torpillieurs d'escadre and the larger
contretorpillieurs. Four ships were ordered in 1936, and four more in 1937. The first examples of the design proved extremely successful in trials, being fast, comfortable, well-armed ships. The Marine Nationale immediately ordered eight more vessels for construction in 1938. The first set of eight ships was named for cats, and six of the trailing octet were named for birds of prey.
The sixteen ships of the
Jaguar class proved so effective that between 1938 and 1940, a modified version called the "T36 Longue" was designed, using the lessons learned in the construction and design of the original
Jaguars. Three meters longer, with more range, and designed to carry the new teledetector electronic arrays, eight ships were laid down in 1941, becoming the
Sabre or T41 subclass. Further design modifications continued through 1941, with the three dual 120mm guns being replaced by the outstanding dual 100mm mounting. Although a smaller weapon, this gun had a high rate-of-fire and worked better in the anti-aircraft role. In 1942, two more octets of destroyers were ordered. The more conventional
Cimeterre subclass, built in Marseilles, strongly resembled the preceding
Sabre subclass in most respects, but the La Rochelle-built ships, the
Barfleur subclass, was constructed using prefabricated sections, and with the addition of a split power plant. Alsthom cruising diesels could be used economically at speeds up to eighteen knots, with steam turbines boosting the ship up to full speed when required. The cost savings from the new prefabricated construction methods proved to be substantial, and the
Barfleur design was repeated for a further octet of ships laid down in 1943, the
Etendard group. With the order of the
Étendard class, a total of forty-eight vessels had been built to the basic design of the original
Jaguar class destroyers.
In 1943 and 1944, all sixteen ships received a light refit to install radio-teledecteur equipment and update the ASDIC equipment.
Displacement:
2,000 t light; 2,104 t standard; 2,343 t normal; 2,533 t full load
Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
392.81 ft / 383.86 ft x 36.09 ft x 13.45 ft (normal load)
119.73 m / 117.00 m x 11.00 m x 4.10 m
Armament:
6 - 4.72" / 120 mm guns (3x2 guns), 61.73lbs / 28.00kg shells, 1936 Model
Dual purpose guns in deck mounts with hoists
on centreline ends, majority forward, 1 raised mount - superfiring
4 - 1.57" / 40.0 mm guns (1x4 guns), 1.95lbs / 0.88kg shells, 1936 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in a deck mount with hoist
on side amidships, all raised guns
8 - 1.57" / 40.0 mm guns (4x2 guns), 1.95lbs / 0.88kg shells, 1936 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts with hoists
on side, evenly spread
4 - 0.50" / 12.7 mm guns in single mounts, 0.06lbs / 0.03kg shells, 1936 Model
Machine guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
Weight of broadside 394 lbs / 179 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 250
8 - 21.7" / 550 mm above water torpedoes
Armour:
- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 0.98" / 25 mm 0.20" / 5 mm -
2nd: 0.98" / 25 mm 0.20" / 5 mm -
3rd: 0.98" / 25 mm 0.20" / 5 mm -
- Conning tower: 1.18" / 30 mm
Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Geared drive, 2 shafts, 49,350 shp / 36,815 Kw = 35.00 kts
Range 3,200nm at 18.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 429 tons
Complement:
167 - 218
Cost:
£1.427 million / $5.707 million
Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 43 tons, 1.8 %
Armour: 17 tons, 0.7 %
- Belts: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Armament: 12 tons, 0.5 %
- Armour Deck: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Conning Tower: 4 tons, 0.2 %
Machinery: 1,178 tons, 50.3 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 713 tons, 30.4 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 342 tons, 14.6 %
Miscellaneous weights: 50 tons, 2.1 %
Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
660 lbs / 299 Kg = 12.5 x 4.7 " / 120 mm shells or 0.3 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.34
Metacentric height 1.8 ft / 0.6 m
Roll period: 11.2 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 50 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.51
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.00
Hull form characteristics:
Hull has rise forward of midbreak
and transom stern
Block coefficient: 0.440
Length to Beam Ratio: 10.64 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 22.42 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 68 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 20.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 0.00 ft / 0.00 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 24.61 ft / 7.50 m
- Forecastle (20 %): 20.67 ft / 6.30 m
- Mid (50 %): 20.67 ft / 6.30 m (11.48 ft / 3.50 m aft of break)
- Quarterdeck (15 %): 11.48 ft / 3.50 m
- Stern: 12.47 ft / 3.80 m
- Average freeboard: 16.46 ft / 5.02 m
Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 179.8 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 94.2 %
Waterplane Area: 9,104 Square feet or 846 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 74 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 39 lbs/sq ft or 189 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.50
- Longitudinal: 2.07
- Overall: 0.57
Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is cramped
Room for accommodation and workspaces is adequate
Breakdown of Miscellaneous Weights:
Asdic - 10 tons
Depth charges - 30 tons
* * * * *
Jaguar, French Destroyer laid down 1936
1943-1944 Light Refit
Displacement:
2,000 t light; 2,104 t standard; 2,343 t normal; 2,533 t full load
Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
396.10 ft / 383.86 ft x 36.09 ft x 13.45 ft (normal load)
120.73 m / 117.00 m x 11.00 m x 4.10 m
Armament:
6 - 4.72" / 120 mm guns (3x2 guns), 61.73lbs / 28.00kg shells, 1936 Model
Dual purpose guns in deck mounts with hoists
on centreline ends, majority forward, 1 raised mount - superfiring
4 - 1.57" / 40.0 mm guns (1x4 guns), 1.95lbs / 0.88kg shells, 1936 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mount
on centreline aft, all raised guns - superfiring
8 - 1.57" / 40.0 mm guns (4x2 guns), 1.95lbs / 0.88kg shells, 1936 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread
4 - 0.50" / 12.7 mm guns in single mounts, 0.06lbs / 0.03kg shells, 1936 Model
Machine guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
Weight of broadside 394 lbs / 179 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 250
8 - 21.7" / 550 mm above water torpedoes
Armour:
- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 0.98" / 25 mm 0.20" / 5 mm -
2nd: 0.98" / 25 mm 0.20" / 5 mm -
3rd: 0.98" / 25 mm 0.20" / 5 mm -
- Conning tower: 1.18" / 30 mm
Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines,
Geared drive, 2 shafts, 49,350 shp / 36,815 Kw = 35.00 kts
Range 3,200nm at 18.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 429 tons
Complement:
167 - 218
Cost:
£1.425 million / $5.702 million
Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 43 tons, 1.8 %
Armour: 17 tons, 0.7 %
- Belts: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Armament: 12 tons, 0.5 %
- Armour Deck: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Conning Tower: 4 tons, 0.2 %
Machinery: 1,176 tons, 50.2 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 705 tons, 30.1 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 342 tons, 14.6 %
Miscellaneous weights: 60 tons, 2.6 %
Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
661 lbs / 300 Kg = 12.5 x 4.7 " / 120 mm shells or 0.3 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.35
Metacentric height 1.8 ft / 0.6 m
Roll period: 11.2 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 51 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.48
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.01
Hull form characteristics:
Hull has rise forward of midbreak
and transom stern
Block coefficient: 0.440
Length to Beam Ratio: 10.64 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 22.42 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 68 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 50
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 20.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 3.28 ft / 1.00 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 24.61 ft / 7.50 m
- Forecastle (20 %): 20.67 ft / 6.30 m
- Mid (50 %): 20.67 ft / 6.30 m (11.48 ft / 3.50 m aft of break)
- Quarterdeck (15 %): 11.48 ft / 3.50 m
- Stern: 12.47 ft / 3.80 m
- Average freeboard: 16.46 ft / 5.02 m
Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 180.0 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 94.2 %
Waterplane Area: 9,104 Square feet or 846 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 74 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 38 lbs/sq ft or 187 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.50
- Longitudinal: 2.06
- Overall: 0.57
Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is cramped
Room for accommodation and workspaces is adequate
Breakdown of Miscellaneous Weights:
- 45 tons for electronics
- 15 tons for depth charges (56x573-lb bombs)
Electronics:
- DRBV-9 surface and air search radars (2 radars, 15 tons)
- DRBN-1 navigational surface and air search radar (1 radar, 2 tons)
- DRBC-3B fire-control radar (2 radars, 8 tons)
- DRBI-2R height-finding radar (1 radar, 2 tons)
- SAGEM HF/DF (3 tons)
- ASDIC (8 tons)
- Diesel electric generator set (5 tons)
- Gunnery Computer for 120mm and 40mm guns (2 tons)
Ships in Class:
-
Jaguar: Laid down at La Rochelle January 1936, completed December 1936, refitted October 1943
-
Chacal: Laid down at La Rochelle January 1936, completed December 1936, refitted October 1943
-
Lion: Laid down at La Rochelle January 1936, completed December 1936, refitted October 1943
-
Guépard: Laid down at La Rochelle January 1936, completed December 1936, refitted October 1943
-
Leopard: Laid down at La Rochelle January 1937, completed December 1937
-
Lynx: Laid down at La Rochelle January 1937, completed December 1937
-
Panthère: Laid down at La Rochelle January 1937, completed December 1937
-
Tigre: Laid down at La Rochelle January 1937, completed December 1937
-
Aigle: Laid down at La Rochelle January 1938, completed December 1938
-
Vautour: Laid down at La Rochelle January 1938, completed December 1938
-
Albatros: Laid down at La Rochelle January 1938, completed December 1938
-
Gerfaut: Laid down at La Rochelle January 1938, completed December 1938
-
Milan: Laid down at La Rochelle January 1938, completed December 1938
-
Épervier: Laid down at La Rochelle January 1938, completed December 1938
-
Bison: Laid down at Marseilles January 1938, completed December 1938
-
Valmy: Laid down at Marseilles January 1938, completed December 1938
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