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The Voltigeur class was a pair of destroyers built for the French Navy in the first decade of the 20th century. Both ships survived the First World War and were scrapped afterwards.

A lithograph of Voltigeur
Class overview
Name	Voltigeur class
Operators	French Navy
Preceded by	Spahi class
Succeeded by	Chasseur class
Built	1908–10
In service	1910–21
Completed	2
Scrapped	2
General characteristics
Type	Destroyer
Displacement	450 t (443 long tons) (designed) 590 t (581 long tons) (deep load)
Length	63–65.5 m (206 ft 8 in – 214 ft 11 in) (p/p)
Beam	6.4–6.8 m (21 ft 0 in – 22 ft 4 in)
Draft	2.9–3.1 m (9 ft 6 in – 10 ft 2 in)
Installed power	4 water-tube boilers 7,500 shp (5,593 kW)
Propulsion	3 shafts; 1 triple-expansion steam engine and 2 steam turbines
Speed	28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph)
Range	1,520 nmi (2,820 km; 1,750 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Complement	76–77
Armament	6 × single 65 mm (2.6 in) guns 3 × single 450 mm (17.7 in) torpedo tubes

Design and description

The Voltigeur class was based on the preceding Spahi-class destroyer, albeit with a different arrangement of propulsion machinery.[1] They had a length between perpendiculars of 63–65.5 meters (206 ft 8 in – 214 ft 11 in), a beam of 6.4–6.8 meters (21 ft 0 in – 22 ft 4 in),[2] and a draft of 2.9–3.1 meters (9 ft 6 in – 10 ft 2 in). Designed to displaced 450 metric tons (443 long tons), the ships displaced 590 t (581 long tons) at deep load.[1]

The destroyers were powered by one triple-expansion steam engines andtwo direct-drive steam turbine. The steam engines drove the center propeller shaft while the turbine powered the two outer shafts, all using steam provided by four water-tube boilers of two different types. The engines were designed to produce 7,500 indicated horsepower (5,600 kW) which was intended to give the ships a speed of 28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph). The ships carried 118 t (116 long tons) of coal which gave them a range of 1,520 nautical miles (2,820 km; 1,750 mi) at a cruising speed of 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph).[2]

The primary armament of the Voltigeur-class ships consisted of six 65-millimeter (2.6 in) Modèle 1902 guns in single mounts, one each fore and aft of the superstructure and the others were distributed amidships. They were also fitted with three 450-millimeter (17.7 in) torpedo tubes. One of these was in a fixed mount in the bow and the other two were on single rotating mounts amidships.[1]

Ships

• Voltigeur - built by Ateliers et Chantiers de Bretagne, Nantes, launched 23 March 1909, decommissioned May 1920.[1]
• Tirailleur - built by Forges et Chantiers de la Gironde, Bordeaux, launched 27 November 1908, decommissioned July 1921.[1]

Citations

Bibliography

• Couhat, Jean Labayle (1974). French Warships of World War I. London: Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-0445-5.
• Gardiner, Robert & Gray, Randal (1985). Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-245-5.
• Osborne, Eric W. (2005). Destroyers - An Illustrated History of Their Impact. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-Clio. ISBN 1-85109-479-2.

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