Bourrasque was a Bourrasque-class destroyer (torpilleur d'escadre) built for the French Navy during the 1920s.

Sister ship Ouragan underway before 1942
History
France
Name	Bourrasque
Ordered	5 March 1923
Builder	Ateliers et Chantiers de France, Dunkerque
Laid down	12 November 1923
Launched	5 August 1925
Completed	23 September 1926
In service	23 September 1926
Fate	Sunk, 30 May 1940
General characteristics
Class and type	Bourrasque-class destroyer
Displacement	1,320 t (1,300 long tons) (standard) 1,825 t (1,796 long tons) (full load)
Length	105.6 m (346 ft 5.5 in)
Beam	9.7 m (31 ft 9.9 in)
Draft	3.5 m (11 ft 5.8 in)
Installed power	31,000 PS (22,800 kW; 30,576 shp) 3 du Temple boilers
Propulsion	2 shafts 2 geared steam turbines
Speed	33 knots (61 km/h; 38 mph)
Range	3,000 nmi (5,600 km; 3,500 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Crew	9 officers, 153 crewmen (wartime)
Armament	4 × single 130 mm (5.1 in) guns 1 × single 75 mm (3.0 in) anti-aircraft guns 2 × triple 550 mm (21.7 in) torpedo tubes 2 chutes for 16 depth charges

Design and description

The Bourrasque class had an overall length of 105.6 meters (346 ft 5 in), a beam of 9.7 meters (31 ft 10 in), and a draft of 3.5 meters (11 ft 6 in). The ships displaced 1,320 metric tons (1,300 long tons) at (standard) load and 1,825 metric tons (1,796 long tons) at deep load. They were powered by two geared steam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft, using steam provided by three du Temple boilers. The turbines were designed to produce 31,000 metric horsepower (22,800 kW; 30,576 shp), which would propel the ship at 33 knots (61 km/h; 38 mph). The ships carried enough fuel oil to give them a range of 3,000 nautical miles (5,600 km; 3,500 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph).[1]

The main armament of the Bourrasque-class ships consisted of four Canon de 130 mm (5.1 in) Modèle 1919 guns in shielded single mounts, one superfiring pair each fore and aft of the superstructure. Their anti-aircraft (AA) armament consisted of a single Canon de 75 mm (3 in) Modèle 1924 gun. The ships carried two triple mounts of 550-millimeter (21.7 in) torpedo tubes amidships. A pair of depth charge chutes were built into their stern that housed a total of sixteen 200-kilogram (440 lb) depth charges.[1]

Construction and career

Bourrasque was laid down on 12 November 1923, launched on 5 August 1925 and completed on 23 September 1926.[2]

Bourrasque was sunk on 30 May 1940 during Operation Dynamo, with the loss of some 500 of the 1,100–1,200 troops and crew aboard.[3][4]

Notes

References

• Campbell, John (1985). Naval Weapons of World War II. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-459-4.
• Chesneau, Roger, ed. (1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Greenwich, UK: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-146-7.
• Jordan, John & Moulin, Jean (2015). French Destroyers: Torpilleurs d'Escadre & Contre-Torpilleurs 1922–1956. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-198-4.
• Rohwer, Jürgen (2005). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two (Third Revised ed.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-59114-119-2.
• Whitley, M. J. (1988). Destroyers of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-326-1.