French submarine Aigrette explained
Aigrette was the lead boat of the s built for the
French Navy between 1902 and 1905. Laid down in May 1902, she was
launched in February 1904 and
commissioned in 1908. She was essentially an experimental submarine, and although in service during
World War I, saw no action. The class was designed by
Maxime Laubeuf and used
Drzewiecki drop collar launchers and external cradles to launch torpedoes.
Design
Aigrette had a surfaced displacement of 178LT and a submerged displacement of 2530NaN0. Her dimensions were 35.9lk=onNaNlk=on long, with a beam of 4.04m (13.25feet) and a draught of 2.63m (08.63feet). She had a single shaft powered by one diesel engine for surface running of 150lk=on0lk=on and an electric motor which produced 130hp for submerged propulsion. The maximum speed was 9.3lk=onNaNlk=on on the surface and 6.2kn while submerged with a surfaced range of 1300lk=onNaNlk=on at 8kn and a submerged range of 65nmi at 3.8kn. Her complement was 14 men.[1] [2] [3]
The submarines armament comprised two 4501NaN1 Drzewiecki drop collar torpedo launchers and two 4501NaN1 torpedoes in external cradles.[1] [2]
Construction and career
Aigrette was ordered and laid down on 13 May 1902, launched in February 1904 and commissioned in 1908. She was the first submersible in the world to be launched which used a diesel engine for surface running[3] [4] although the experimental submarine was both the first to be ordered and commissioned.[1]
On 5 October 1904, hydrogen leaked out of the submarine's battery causing parts of it to explode,[3] and on 13 May 1908, she was sent to Toulon to serve as a training boat.[4]
During World War I, Aigrette served in defensive positions in Brest[5] and in Cherbourg.[1] In 1916, Aigrette participated in successful tests for underwater cutting of anti-submarine nets, but the result were never implemented in a warship before the end of the war.[5]
Aigrette was retired from service on 12 November 1919 and sold for scrap at Toulon on 14 April 1920.[4]
See also
Citations
- Book: Fontenoy, Paul E.. Submarines: An Illustrated History of Their Impact. ABC-CLIO Publishing. 2007. 978-1-85109-563-6.
- Book: Garier, Gérard. L'odyssée technique et humaine du sous-marin en France. 1: Du Plongeur (1863) aux Guêpe (1904). n.d.. Marines édition. Bourg-en-Bresse, France. The Technical and Human Odyssey of the Submarine in France: From Plongeur (1863) to Guêpe (1904). 2-909675-19-X. French.
- Book: Roberts, Stephen S.. French Warships in the Age of Steam 1859–1914: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. 2021. Barnsley, UK. Seaforth Publishing . 978-1-5267-4533-0.
- Book: Smigielski, Adam. France. 190–220. Gray. Randal . Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. 1985 . Annapolis, Maryland. Naval Institute Press. 0-87021-907-3.
Notes and References
- Smigielski, p. 208
- Fontenoy, p. 79
- Web site: Q 038. https://web.archive.org/web/20131029223832/http://sous-marin.france.pagesperso-orange.fr/Q038.htm. dead. 29 October 2013. 29 October 2013.
- Book: Yves Dufeil . Franck Le Bel . Marc Terraillon . Navire de la Grande Guerre – AIGRETTE . 2008 . 2018-10-26 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160316214653/http://www.navires-14-18.com/fichiers/A/AIGRETTE_MN_V0.pdf . 2016-03-16 . live .
- Book: Gérard Garier . L'odysée technique et humaine du sous-marin en France : A l'épreuve de la Grande Guerre . Marines édition . 3 . 2 . 21 & 38 . 978-2909675817.