Forbin 1939
| Name | No | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Comp | Fate |
| L`Alcyon | F C de la Gironde, Bordeaux | 2/1925 | 26/6/1926 | 7/1929 | FNFL late 1942, sold 6/1952 | |
| La Palme | A C Dubigeon, Nantes | 5/1925 | 30/6/1926 | 2/1928 | scuttled 27/11/1942 | |
| Le Mars | CNF, Caen | 7/1925 | 28/8/1926 | 1/1928 | scuttled 27/11/1942 | |
| La Railleuse | A C Dubigeon, Nantes | 7/1925 | 9/9/1926 | 2/1928 | explosion 24/3/1940 | |
| Le Fortune | CNF, Caen | 9/1925 | 15/11/1926 | 7/1928 | FNFL late 1942, sold 8/1950 | |
| L`Adroit | A C de France, Dunkerque | 5/1925 | 1/4/1927 | 7/1929 | sunk 21/5/1940 | |
| Brestois | Dyle et Baccalan, Bordeaux | 5/1926 | 18/5/1927 | 6/1928 | sunk 8/11/1942 | |
| Le Bordelais | F C de la Gironde, Bordeaux | 11/1926 | 23/5/1928 | 4/1930 | scuttled 27/11/1942 | |
| Boulonnais | CNF, Caen | 5/1926 | 1/6/1927 | 6/1928 | sunk 8/11/1942 | |
| Forbin | F C de la Méditerranée, Le Havre | 6/1927 | 17/7/1928 | 5/1930 | FNFL late 1942, sold 11/1952 | |
| Fougueux | A C de Bretagne, Nantes | 9/1927 | 4/8/1928 | 6/1930 | sunk 8/11/1942 | |
| Le Foudroyant | Dyle et Baccalan, Bordeaux | 7/1927 | 24/4/1929 | 10/1930 | sunk 1/6/1940 | |
| Basque | A C de la Seine-Maritime, Le Trait | 9/1926 | 25/5/1929 | 3/1931 | FNFL late 1942, sold 12/1952 | |
| Frondeur | CNF, Caen | 11/1927 | 20/6/1929 | 10/1931 | sunk 8/11/1942 |
|
Displacement standard, t |
1378 |
|
Displacement full, t |
2000 |
|
Length, m |
100.9 pp 107.2 oa |
|
Breadth, m |
9.84 |
|
Draught, m |
4.30 |
|
No of shafts |
2 |
|
Machinery |
L`Adroit, L`Alcyon, Frondeur: Zoelly geared steam turbines, 3 Du Temple boilers Fougeux: Rateau-Bretagne geared steam turbines, 3 Du Temple boilers others: Parsons geared steam turbines, 3 Du Temple boilers |
|
Power, h. p. |
34000 |
|
Max speed, kts |
33 |
|
Fuel, t |
oil 340 |
| Endurance, nm(kts) | 2150(14) |
|
Armament |
4 x 1 - 130/40 M1924, 1 x 1 - 75/50 M1924, 2 x 1 - 8/80, 2 x 3 - 550 TT, 2 DCT, 2 DCR (32) |
| Complement | 142 |
Ship project history: Built under 1924 (6 ships), 1925 (4 ships) and 1926 (4 ships) programs. Main guns were differed by complexity in maintenance and insufficient firing rate. To a beginning of war ships reached no more than 28-29kts. In 1940 for raise of stability they lost main gun No3 or (less often) No4.
Modernizations: late 1930s, all: - 1 x 1 - 75/50, 2 x 1 - 8/80; + 2 x 1 - 37/50 M1925, 2 x 2 - 13.2/76
1940, all survived: - 1 x 1 - 130/40
1943, L`Alcyon, Le Fortune, Basque, Forbin: - 1 x 3 - 550 TT; + 1 x 1 - 40/56 Bofors, (4 - 6) x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon, radar, sonar
Naval service: La Railleuse was lost at Casablanca 24/3/1940 after spontaneous explosion of torpedoes in fwd TT. L`Adroit and Le Foudroyant were sunk by German aircraft off Dunkirk 21/5/1940 and 1/6/1940 respectively. Boulonnais, Fougueux, Brestois and Frondeur were sunk at Allied landing to Casablanca 8/11/1942 by gunfire of Allied ships and carrier aircraft. Three ships, Le Mars, La Palme and Le Bordelais, were scuttled at Toulon 27/11/1942, later salvaged by Germans and scrapped.
Le Fortune, Basque and Forbin since June, 1940 till July, 1943 as a part of Force "X" stood disarmed at Alexandria.
La Railleuse prewar
Le Fortune 1945
© Ivan Gogin, 2008-11