NAVYPEDIA

Photo

Kersaint 1976

Ships

Name	No	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comp	Fate
Surcouf	D621		Arsenal de Lorient	16.7.1951	3.10.1953	1.11.1955	stricken 5.1972
Kersaint	D622		Arsenal de Lorient	1.12.1951	3.10.1953	20.3.1956	stricken 3.1984
Cassard	D623		A C Bretagne, Nantes	11/1951	12.5.1953	14.4.1956	stricken 6.1976
Bouvet	D624		Arsenal de Lorient	16.6.1952	25.9.1954	13.5.1956	stricken 6.1983
Dupetit-Thouars	D625		Arsenal de Brest	24.3.1952	4.2.1954	15.9.1956	stricken 8.1988
Chevalier Paul	D626		F C de la Gironde, Bordeaux	2/1952	28.7.1953	22.12.1956	stricken 7.1971
Maillé-Brézé	D627		Arsenal de Lorient	9.10.1953	2.7.1955	4.5.1957	stricken 4.1988
Vauquelin	D628		Arsenal de Lorient	8.3.1954	2.7.1955	3.11.1956	stricken 4.1987
D'Estrées	D629		Arsenal de Brest	6.10.1953	27.11.1954	19.3.1957	stricken 7.1985
Du Chayla	D630		Arsenal de Brest	7/1953	27.11.1954	4.6.1957	stricken 11.1991
Casabianca	D631		F C de la Gironde, Bordeaux	10/1953	13.11.1954	4.5.1957	stricken 12.1984
Guépratte	D632		A C Bretagne, Nantes	8/1953	8.11.1954	6.6.1957	stricken 8.1985

Technical data

Displacement standard, t	2750
Displacement full, t	3740
Length, m	128.6
Breadth, m	12.7
Draught, m	5.40
No of shafts	2
Machinery	2 sets Rateau geared steam turbines, 4 Indret boilers
Power, h. p.	63000
Max speed, kts	34
Fuel, t	oil 800
Endurance, nm(kts)	5000(18)
Armament	3 x 2 - 127/54 Mod 1948, 3 x 2 - 57/60 Mod 1951, 4 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 4, 4 x 3 - 550 TT (18)
Electronic equipment	DRBV-20A, DRBV-11, DRBC-11, 2x DRBC-30 radars, DUBV-1, DUBA-1 sonars
Complement	347

Standard scale images

Graphics

Project history

Larger than other contemporary European destroyers, the T 47 class, authorized 1949-52, were clearly in direct line of succession to French prewar construction. In mission, layout, and in the calibre adopted for their main armament, they bear a particularly close resemblance to the Le Hardi class.

Designated escorteur d'escadre, the T 47 was designed to give AAW protection to the new carriers and other fleet units. A 127mm calibre was adopted for the main armament to enable the ships to use standard US ammunition, and this was backed up by a heavy secondary battery of 57mm twin AA mountings of a new pattern. The inclusion of a heavy AA battery in addition to the dual-purpose main armament was a response to the weakness of French prewar-built ships in this respect, and was also responsible for the increase in length compared with Le Hardi.

In the original plans little provision was made for ASW operations beyond the traditional depth-charge racks. A single quadruple bank of 550mm anti-ship torpedo tubes was to be mounted on the centreline between the after groups of 127mm and 57mm mountings. After considering the American Hedgehog and the British Squid it was finally decided to fit the ship with four triple banks of tubes, mounted along the deck edge on either side, of which the forward pair would fire L3 anti-submarine homing torpedoes and the after pair either L3 ASW or K2 anti-ship torpedoes. Immediately abaft each bank of ASW tubes was a ready-use locker containing three reloads. Hull sonars of French design were fitted.

In recognition of the increased threat from the air the T 47 was to carry a new generation of French radars. Initially it was intended to fit the ships with a tall British-pattern lattice mast carrying the DRBV-20A air search antenna, but in the event twin tripods with lattice supports were fitted, the second of which carried a DRBV-11 surface/air search radar. A single FC director was fitted for the main armament, with a second director aft for the 57mm.

As the new fleet escorts were designed to operate in company with the carriers and were not expected to engage in independent operations against hostile surface units, high speed was a less important consideration than it was for the prewar torpilleurs and contre-torpilleurs. The hull was entirely welded and light alloy was used extensively in the upperworks to reduce topweight. The ships were assembled using eighty-four prefabricated sections.

Modernizations

1961, Surcouf; 1962, Cassard, Chevalier Paul as command ships: - 1 x 2 - 57/60(fwd); bridge was extended

early 1960s, D'Estrées: - DUBV-1, DUBA-1 sonars; + new bow-mounted and VDS sonars

1962, Cassard: + helicopter deck

1962-1965, Dupetit-Thouars, Kersaint, Bouvet, Du Chayla: new armament consisted of 1 x 1 Tartar SAM (40 RIM-24), 3 x 2 - 57/60 Mod 1951, 2 x 3 - 550 TT (6 short L3), 1 x 6 - 375 Bofors Mk 54 ASWRL, sensors were DRBV-20A, SPS-39A, DRBC-11, 2x DRBC-30, 2x SPG-51 radars, DUBV-1, DUBA-1 sonars

1968-1970, Maillé-Brézé, Vauquelin, D'Estrées, Casabianca, Guépratte: new armament consisted of 1 x 1 Malafon ASuM (13? Malafon), 2 x 1 - 100/55 Mod 1953, 2 x 3 - 550 TT (6 short L3), 1 x 6 - 375 Bofors Mk 54 ASWRL, sensors were DRBV-22A, DRBV-50, DRBV-11, DRBC-11, 2x DRBC-32A radars, DUBV-23, DUBV-43 (VDS) sonars, ARBR/ARBA-10C ECM suite, length oa was 132.5m, complement 260, full displacement 3900t

1968-1972, Dupetit-Thouars, Kersaint, Bouvet, Du Chayla: - SPS-39A radar; + SPS-39B radar, ARBR/ARBA-10C ECM suite, SENIT-2 CCS

1979, Dupetit-Thouars, Du Chayla: - DRBV-20A radar; + DRBV-22A radar, complement was 277

Naval service

No significant events.