Le Breton class (E42), French Escorteurs Rapide laid down 1942
Through the 1930s, the Marine Nationale gave significant consideration to light forces suitable for the escort of fleets at sea. This process resulted in the extremely successful
Jaguar class destroyer and its various sub-groups. Despite extensive streamlining of the construction process in order to reduce construction costs and time, the
Jaguars remained relatively expensive warships to build. The Marine Nationale sought a smaller and less-expensive warship for the role. The
Zephir class aviso, laid down in 1936, provided a starting point for the DCNS designers. The
Zephir's main gun battery of 6x120mm guns was reduced to 6x100mm and repositioned to provide for better electronics and antisubmarine weaponry. More powerful machinery, including an Alsthom diesel engine for cruising speed, allowed the ship to reach twenty-eight knots. The resulting design was called the
escortier rapide.
The first of these ships,
Le Breton, was intended as a testing unit and laid down in 1942, and three more ships were ordered to the same design in 1943. These ships were built using prefabricated sections to save construction time and costs, a process carried over from the
Barfleur group destroyers.
Displacement:
1,185 t light; 1,302 t standard; 1,547 t normal; 1,743 t full load
Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
328.19 ft / 314.96 ft x 33.79 ft x 12.11 ft (normal load)
100.03 m / 96.00 m x 10.30 m x 3.69 m
Armament:
6 - 3.94" / 100 mm guns (3x2 guns), 35.27lbs / 16.00kg shells, 1942 Model
Dual purpose guns in deck mounts with hoists
on centreline ends, majority aft, 2 raised mounts - superfiring
8 - 1.57" / 40.0 mm guns (4x2 guns), 1.95lbs / 0.88kg shells, 1942 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mounts
on side, all amidships, all raised mounts - superfiring
2 - 0.59" / 15.0 mm guns in single mounts, 0.10lbs / 0.05kg shells, 1942 Model
Machine guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread
Weight of broadside 227 lbs / 103 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 650
6 - 21.7" / 550 mm above water torpedoes
Armour:
- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 1.18" / 30 mm 0.79" / 20 mm 0.39" / 10 mm
2nd: 0.39" / 10 mm 0.39" / 10 mm -
- Conning tower: 1.18" / 30 mm
Machinery:
Oil fired boilers, steam turbines plus diesel motors,
Geared drive, 2 shafts, 16,565 shp / 12,357 Kw = 28.00 kts
Range 4,500nm at 18.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 441 tons
Complement:
123 - 160
Cost:
£0.782 million / $3.129 million
Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 25 tons, 1.6 %
Armour: 20 tons, 1.3 %
- Belts: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Armament: 17 tons, 1.1 %
- Armour Deck: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Conning Tower: 3 tons, 0.2 %
Machinery: 433 tons, 28.0 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 547 tons, 35.4 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 362 tons, 23.4 %
Miscellaneous weights: 160 tons, 10.3 %
Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
1,180 lbs / 535 Kg = 38.7 x 3.9 " / 100 mm shells or 0.5 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.17
Metacentric height 1.3 ft / 0.4 m
Roll period: 12.4 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 53 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.40
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.13
Hull form characteristics:
Hull has a flush deck
and transom stern
Block coefficient: 0.420
Length to Beam Ratio: 9.32 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 20.59 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 62 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 47
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 25.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 3.28 ft / 1.00 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 21.33 ft / 6.50 m
- Forecastle (20 %): 16.40 ft / 5.00 m
- Mid (50 %): 11.48 ft / 3.50 m
- Quarterdeck (15 %): 11.48 ft / 3.50 m
- Stern: 11.48 ft / 3.50 m
- Average freeboard: 13.60 ft / 4.15 m
Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 119.2 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 79.0 %
Waterplane Area: 6,890 Square feet or 640 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 124 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 43 lbs/sq ft or 212 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.68
- Longitudinal: 2.28
- Overall: 0.77
Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is cramped
Room for accommodation and workspaces is cramped
Breakdown of Miscellaneous Weights:
- 25 tons for electronics
- 15 tons for hydrophones and ASDIC
- 14 tons for six reload torpedoes (3,638 lb each)
- 35 tons for depth charges (128x573-lb bombs)
- 25 tons for Lance roquettes anti-sous-marin de 265mm modèle 1942
- 10 tons for HVAC
- 16 tons for miscellaneous radio, electronics and ECM gear
- 20 tons for crew comforts
160 tons total miscellaneous weight
Electronics:
- DRBV-9 surface and air search radars (1 radar, 7 tons)
- DRBN-1 navigational surface and air search radar (1 radar, 2 tons)
- DRBC-3B fire-control radar (1 radar, 4 tons)
- DRBI-2R height-finding radar (1 radar, 2 tons)
- SAGEM HF/DF (3 tons)
- Diesel electric generator set (5 tons)
- Gunnery Computer for 100mm and 40mm guns (2 tons)
Ships in Class:
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Le Breton: Laid down at Brest January 1942, completed December 1942
-
Le Normand: Laid down at Brest January 1943, completed December 1943
-
Le Boulonnais: Laid down at Brest January 1943, completed December 1943
-
Le Lorrain: Laid down at Marseilles January 1943, completed December 1943
-
Le Vendéen: Laid down at La Rochelle January 1944, completed December 1944
-
Le Bordelais : Laid down at La Rochelle January 1944, completed December 1944
-
Le Gascon: Laid down at La Rochelle January 1944, completed December 1944
-
Le Savoyard: Laid down at La Rochelle January 1944, completed December 1944
-
Le Picard: Laid down at La Rochelle January 1945, completed December 1945
-
L'Alsacien: Laid down at La Rochelle January 1945, completed December 1945
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Le Audois: Laid down at La Rochelle January 1945, completed December 1945
-
Le Brestois: Laid down at La Rochelle January 1945, completed December 1945
-
Le Corse: Laid down at La Rochelle July 1945, completed June 1946
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Le Calaisien: Laid down at La Rochelle July 1945, completed June 1946
-
Le Basque: Laid down at La Rochelle July 1945, completed June 1946
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Le Dijonnais: Laid down at La Rochelle July 1945, completed June 1946
-
Le Dieppois: Laid down at La Rochelle January 1946, completed December 1946
-
Le Champenois: Laid down at La Rochelle January 1946, completed December 1946
-
Le Indrien: Laid down at La Rochelle January 1946, completed December 1946
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L'Calvadosien: Laid down at La Rochelle January 1946, completed December 1946
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L'Agenais: Laid down at La Rochelle July 1946, completed June 1947
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L'Costalorien: Laid down at La Rochelle July 1946, completed June 1947
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Le Avignonnais: Laid down at La Rochelle July 1946, completed June 1947
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Le Yvelinois: Laid down at La Rochelle July 1946, completed June 1947