NAVYPEDIA

Ships

Name	No	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comp	Fate
Avant-Garde			A C Augustin-Normand, Le Havre	1888	11.10.1889	1890	wrecked 25.2.1890
Archer			A C Augustin-Normand, Le Havre		30.5.1893	1893	sold 1908
Turco			A C de la Loire, Nantes		20.11.1891	1892	sold 1911
Zouave			A C de la Loire, Nantes		1.1892	1892	sold 1908
Dragon			A C Augustin-Normand, Le Havre		29.4.1892	1892	stricken 8.1910
Grenadier			A C Augustin-Normand, Le Havre		20.8.1892	1892	sold 1919
Lancier			A C Augustin-Normand, Le Havre		19.12.1892	1893	sold 1911

Technical data

Displacement normal, t	Avant-Garde, Archer: 116
Displacement full, t	Avant-Garde, Archer: 128 Turco, Zouave: 127 Dragon, Grenadier, Lancier: 129
Length, m	Avant-Garde, Archer: 42.0 pp others: 41.9 pp
Breadth, m	4.51
Draught, m	1.30
No of shafts	2
Machinery	Avant-Garde, Archer: 2 CR, 2 locomotive boilers Turco, Zouave: 2 VTE, 2 Oriolle boilers Dragon, Grenadier, Lancier: 2 VTE, 2 du Temple boilers
Power, h. p.	Avant-Garde, Archer: 1250 others: 1750
Max speed, kts	Avant-Garde, Archer: 20.5 others: 21
Fuel, t	Avant-Garde, Archer: 15 others: 22
Endurance, nm(kts)
Armament	Avant-Garde: 2 x 1 - 47/40 M1885, 1 - 350 TT (bow), 1 x 1 - 350 TT, 1 spar torpedo others: 2 x 1 - 47/40 M1885, 1 - 350 TT (bow), 1 x 1 - 350 TT (4)
Complement	27

Project history

Ordered on 7.11.1887, Avant-Garde was Normand's contribution to the series of design studies for a suitable 'torpilleur de haute mer'. An enlarged version of the highly successful TBs of the 126 series, this boat proved to be robust and seaworthy, and also reasonably fast - 20.97kts on trials. She had twin funnels abreast and originally a light 3-masted rig. When this vessel's career was prematurely curtailed, a replacement was ordered (10.11.1889) to use her undamaged machinery and this boat became the Archer. The only differences were the single funnel and the same armament as the later boats. This design was considered so successful that in April 1890 two modified boats were ordered from Loire, and three more from Normand. The Normand boats were highly satisfactory, being the first French TBs to exceed 25kts on trials, although only designed for 21kts. The Loire boats, however, had machinery originally designed by the builders for the 34-metre type TBs, although the hull was to the Normand design, and neither reached 21kts on trials.

Modernizations

None.

Naval service

Avant-Garde wrecked 25.2.1890.