French destroyer Commandant Rivière
![]() Commandant Rivière underway in 1914
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History | |
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Name | Commandant Rivière |
Builder | Forges et Chantiers de la Gironde, Bordeaux |
Laid down | 1910 |
Launched | 2 October 1912 |
Completed | 1913 |
Stricken | June 1933 |
General characteristics (as built) | |
Class and type | Bouclier-class destroyer |
Displacement | 720–756 t (709–744 long tons) |
Length | 72.3–78.3 m (237 ft 2 in – 256 ft 11 in) (o/a) |
Beam | 7.6–8 m (24 ft 11 in – 26 ft 3 in) |
Draft | 2.9–3.3 m (9 ft 6 in – 10 ft 10 in) |
Installed power |
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Propulsion | 2 shafts; 2 steam turbines |
Speed | 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph) |
Range | 1,200–1,600 nmi (2,200–3,000 km; 1,400–1,800 mi) at 12–14 knots (22–26 km/h; 14–16 mph) |
Complement | 80–83 |
Armament |
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Commandant Rivière was one of a dozen Bouclier-class destroyers built for the French Navy in the first decade of the 20th century.
Design and description[]
The Bouclier class were designed to a general specification and varied significantly from each other in various ways.[1] The ships had an overall length of 74–78.3 meters (242 ft 9 in – 256 ft 11 in), a beam of 7.6–8 meters (24 ft 11 in – 26 ft 3 in), and a draft of 2.9–3.1 meters (9 ft 6 in – 10 ft 2 in). Designed to displace 800 metric tons (787 long tons), they displaced 720–756 t (709–744 long tons) at normal load. Their crew numbered 80–83 men.[1]
Commandant Rivière was powered by a pair of Breguet steam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft using steam provided by four water-tube boilers. The engines were designed to produce 13,000 shaft horsepower (9,700 kW) which was intended to give the ships a speed of 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph). Commandant Rivière handily exceed that speed, reaching 32.35 knots (59.91 km/h; 37.23 mph) during her sea trials. The ships carried enough fuel oil to give them a range of 1,200–1,600 nautical miles (2,200–3,000 km; 1,400–1,800 mi) at cruising speeds of 12–14 knots (22–26 km/h; 14–16 mph).[2]
The primary armament of the Bouclier-class ships consisted of two 100-millimeter (3.9 in) Modèle 1893 guns in single mounts, one each fore and aft of the superstructure, and four 65-millimeter (2.6 in) Modèle 1902 guns distributed amidships. They were also fitted with two twin mounts for 450-millimeter (17.7 in) torpedo tubes amidships.[1]
During World War I, a 45-millimeter (1.8 in) or 75-millimeter (3 in) anti-aircraft gun, two 8-millimeter (0.31 in) machine guns, and eight or ten Guiraud-type depth charges were added to the ships. The extra weight severely overloaded the ships and reduced their operational speed to around 26 knots (48 km/h; 30 mph).[1]
Construction and career[]
Commandant Rivière was ordered from Forges et Chantiers de la Gironde and was launched from its Bordeaux shipyard on 2 October 1912. The ship was completed the following year.[3]
References[]
Bibliography[]
- Couhat, Jean Labayle (1974). French Warships of World War I. London: Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-0445-5.
- Gardiner, Robert & Gray, Randal (1985). Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-245-5.
- Bouclier-class destroyers
- Ships built in France
- 1912 ships