| Lagrange-class submarine | |
|---|---|
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French submarine Lagrange.jpg Lagrange between 1922 and 1923 | |
| Class overview | |
| Name: | Lagrange class |
| Operators: | |
| Preceded by: | Armide class |
| Succeeded by: | O'Byrne class |
| Built: | 1913 – 1924 |
| Planned: | 3 |
| Completed: | 3 |
| Retired: | 3 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Submarine |
| Displacement: |
|
| Length: | 75.2 m (246 ft 9 in) |
| Beam: | 6.3 m (20 ft 8 in) |
| Draught: | 3.6 m (11 ft 10 in) |
| Propulsion: |
|
| Speed: |
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| Range: |
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| Test depth: | 50 m (160 ft) |
| Complement: | 47 |
| Armament: |
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The Lagrange-class submarines were a class of four submarines built for the French Navy during World War I and the interwar period. Three ships of this type were built in the Arsenal de Toulon from 1913 to 1924, and one was built the Arsenal de Rochefort shipyard. The submarines entered the Marine Nationale from 1918 to 1924 and served until the mid-1930s.
Design[]
The Lagrange class was constructed as part of the French fleet's expansion programmes from 1913 to 1914.[1][2] The ships were designed by Julien Hutter, slightly modifying his previous project Dupuy de Lôme, using two Parsons steam turbines with a power of 2,000 hp (1,491 kW).[3] During construction, though, the idea was abandoned and the ships were instead equipped with diesel engines.[1][3]
75.2 m (246 ft 9 in) long, with a beam of 6.3 m (20 ft 8 in) and a draught of 3.6 m (11 ft 10 in),[1][4] Lagrange-class submarines could dive up to 50 m (160 ft). The submarine had a surfaced displacement of 920 tonnes (905 long tons) and a submerged displacement of 1,318 tonnes (1,297 long tons).[1][4] Propulsion while surfaced was provided by two 2,600 hp (1,939 kW) diesel motors built by the Swiss manufacturer Sulzer and two 1,640 hp (1,223 kW) electric motors.[3][5] The submarines' electrical propulsion allowed it to attain speeds of 11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph) while submerged and 16.5 knots (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph) on the surface.[3][4] Their surfaced range was 7,700 nautical miles (14,300 km) at 9 knots (17 km/h), and 4,000 nautical miles (7,400 km) at 12 knots (22 km/h), with a submerged range of 70 nautical miles (130 km) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h).[1][3]
The ships were equipped with eight 450 mm torpedo tubes (four in the bow, two stern and two external), with a total of 10 torpedoes and two on-board guns.[3][5] The class was also armed with a 75 mm with an ammo supply of 440 bullets. The crew of one ship consisted of four officers and 43 of officers and seamen.[3][5][6]
Ships[]
Of the four Lagrange class submarines, three ships were built in the Toulon Arsenal, and one in the Arsenal de Rochefort.[5][7] The member ships were laid down between 1913 and 1914,[1] and launched between 1917 and 1924. The ships were named after distinguished French scholars: Joseph-Louis Lagrange, Pierre-Simon Laplace, Henri Victor Regnault, and the constructor of submarines Gaston Romazzotti.[8]
| Lagrange-class submarines | ||||
| Name | Laid down | Launched | Completed | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laplace | 1913 | 8 December 1919 | 1921 | Stricken in 1937.[1][8] |
| Lagrange | 1913 | 31 May 1917 | February 1918 | Stricken in 1935.[1][8] |
| Regnault | 1913 | 25 June 1924 | 1924 | Stricken in 1937.[1][8] |
| Romazotti | 1914 | 31 March 1918 | September 1918 | Stricken in 1937.[1][8] |
Service[]
Of the four submarines, only two were commissioned before the end of World War I: Lagrange and Romazzotti,[6] which operated in the Mediterranean Sea.[3]
From 1922 to 1923, the ships underwent a major refit in which they received new major kiosks, bridges and periscopes.[3] All ships served in the Mediterranean Sea until 1935 for Lagrange and 1937 for the other three ships.[1][8]
References[]
Citations[]
- Jean Labayle Couhat (1974). French warships of World War I. London.
- Robert Gardiner; Randal Gray (1985). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1906-1921. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 978-0-85177-245-5.
- Paul E. Fontenoy (2007). Submarines: An Illustrated History of Their Impact. ABC-CLIO Publishing.
- John Moore (1990). Jane's Fighting Ships of World War I. London.
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