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August 1914 Strength (83)
Approximately 24 in Mediterranean with 1st Armée
Navale
35. DURANDAL class, DURANDAL, FAUCONNEAU
(falconet), HALLEBARDE (halberd), 3 ships - 300t,
26 knots, 1-6.5cm/6-4.7cm/2-38cm tt, 52 crew, 1899-1900
36. FRAMÉE class, EPÉE (sword), PIQUE (pike),
YATAGAN (Turkish dagger), 3 ships, 1 lost - 315t,
26 knots, 1-6.5cm/6-4.7cm/2-38cm tt, 48 crew, 1900-01.
Class nameship Framée
(Frankish lance) sunk in 1900
YATAGAN, 3rd November 1916, English
Channel off
Dieppe, France - collision with British
steamship 'Teviot'. "Yatagan" spent the war as a
fishery protection vessel and was on these duties
when rammed and sunk. Some sources date her loss on
the 4th November, suggesting the night of the
3rd/4th.
37. PERTUISANE class, ESCOPETTE (carbine), FLAMBERGE
(sword), PERTUISANE (halberd), RAPIERE
(rapier), 4 ships - 305t, 1-6.5cm/6-4.7cm/2-38cm tt, 52
crew, 1902-03
38. ARQUEBUSE class, ARQUEBUSE (arquebuse), CARABINE
(rifle), CATAPULTE (catapult), MOUSQUET
(musket) and others, 20 ships in total, 2 lost - 300t,
1-6.5cm/6-4.7cm/2-38cm tt, 60 crew, 1902-04
Carabine, damaged date unknown, Mediterranean - collision with with British
steamship "Mentor". Towed to Palermo, Sicily and patched
up for voyage to Bizerta, Tunisia where she was
stricken
CATAPULTE, 18th May 1918, Mediterranean near Bizerta, Tunisia -
collision with British steamship "Warrimoo". Other sources place her loss
location further west off Bone, Algeria
MOUSQUET, 28th October 1914, Malay waters, off entrance to Penang
harbour in Strait of Malacca (5-38’N,
100-25’E) - gunfire of German cruiser
"Emden".
On patrol off north entrance to Penang harbour during
the Allied ocean-wide hunt for the German cruiser
"Emden". Among the ships at anchor was
Russian cruiser "Zhemchug". As
"Emden" totally surprised and sank her,
"Mousquet" returned to the sound of gunfire
and was herself destroyed by the
"Emden’s" guns around 07.44hrs; many
of her crew died including the CO, Lt Théroinne
39. CLAYMORE class, CLAYMORE (claymore sword)
and others, 13 ships in total - 350t, 28 knots,
1-6.5cm/6-4.7cm/2-45cm tt, 60 crew, launched 1905-08
40. BRANLEBAS class, BRANLEBAS (clear for
action!), ETENDARD (standard) and others, 10 ships
in total, 2 lost - 340t, 27 knots, 1-6.5cm/6-4.7cm/2-45cm
tt, 60 crew, launched 1907-09
BRANLEBAS, 30th September 1915, southern
North
Sea, off Nieuport,
West Flanders, Belgium - mined. Serving with the North Sea flotillas.
The 1919 "Jane’s Fighting Ships"
locates her loss further west off Dunkirk, France
ETENDARD, 25th April 1917, English Channel off Dunkirk - torpedoed by German
destroyers. Blown
up and sunk with all hands
41. SPAHI class, CARABINIER (rifleman), SPAHI
(Algerian soldier) and others, 7 ships in total, 1 lost -
530t, 28 knots, 6-6.5cm/3-45cm tt, 78 crew, launched
1908-11
CARABINIER, 13th/15th November 1918, Eastern
Mediterranean off
Latakia, Syria - stranded and scuttled under Turkish
gunfire. Ran
aground on the 13th and destroyed two days later on
the 15th, even though the Ottoman Empire had formally
surrendered to the Allies
42. VOLTIGEUR class, TIRAILLEUR (skirmisher), VOLTIGEUR
(rifleman), 2 ships - 450t, 28 knots, 6-6.5cm/3-45cm tt,
77 crew, launched 1908/09
43. CHASSEUR class, CAVALIER (cavalryman), CHASSEUR
(light infantry), FANTASSIN (foot-soldier), JANISSAIRE
(soldiers of Turkish origin), 4 ships, 1 lost - 450t, 28
knots, 6-6.5cm/3-45cm tt, 78 crew, launched 1909/10
FANTASSIN, 5th June 1916, Central
Mediterranean off
the island of Fano, south of the Straits of Otranto
in the Ionian Sea - collision with French
destroyer "Mameluk'. Rammed at night during a submarine hunt,
"Fantassin" was finished off by gunfire
from the older destroyer 'Fauconneau'.
44. BOUCLIER class, BOUCLIER (small shield),
BOUTEFEU (cannon linstock), CIMITERRE (scimitar),
DAGUE (dagger), FAULX (scythe), FOURCHE (pitchfork)
and others, 12 ships in total, 4 lost - 800t, 30 knots,
2-10cm/6-6.5cm/4-45cm tt, 80 crew, launched 1910-12
BOUTEFEU, 15th May 1917, southern Adriatic Sea off Brindisi, SE Italy - mines
laid by German "UC-25". In the 15th May 1917
"Otranto Action", Austrian cruisers raided
the drifters patrolling the Otranto anti-U-boat
barrage. In support of them the Austrians and Germans
carried out a number of actions including laying
U-boat mines off Brindisi. Protecting the British
drifters was a patrol of one Italian and three French
destroyers (less the "Boutefeu" with engine
trouble). Allied warships, including two British
light cruisers sailed to intercept the Austrian
forces and the "Dartmouth" was torpedoed
and badly damaged by the German "UC-25"
which had already laid the mines off Brindisi. As
"Boutefeu" sailed to assist, she struck one
of the mines just after clearing the Brindisi boom,
was blown in half and sank within two minutes.
DAGUE, 24th February 1915, southern Adriatic Sea in Antivari Roads - drifting mine. "Dague", on duty off
the port of Antivari through which Allied supplies
passed for Montenegro, was the first French warship
lost in the Adriatic
FAULX, 18th April 1918, Southern Adriatic Sea in the Straits of Otranto -
rammed by French destroyer "Mangani". Both destroyers were part of a
force of seven or eight Italian and French destroyers
escorting three Italian battleships from Brindisi to
Taranto. In the Strait of Otranto,
"Mangani’s" steering broke down and
she collided with and sank "Faulx". An hour
later in the Ionian Sea, the Italian destroyer
'Carini' rammed and sank 'Benedetto Cairoli' (some
sources date the Italian collision on the 10th)
FOURCHE, 23rd June 1916, southern Adriatic Sea, east of Otranto in the Strait
of Otranto - 1 torpedo from Austrian
"U-15". "Fourche"
was in company with Italian AMC 'Città di
Messina" when the latter was hit by
"U-15" and sank. The destroyer attacked
with depth-charges, and believing the submarine
destroyed, started to pick up survivors from the AMC.
Hit by another torpedo, the Brindisi-based
"Fourche" was cut in half
45. BISSON class, BISSON, MANGANI, RENAUDIN (Napoleonic
war captain) and others, 6 ships in total, 5 completed by
August 1914, 1 lost - c 760t, 30 knots,
2-10cm/4-6.5cm/4-45cm tt, 80 crew, launched 1912-14
Bisson took
part with Italian AMC 'Città di Messina" in the
sinking of Austrian submarine "U-3" in the
Strait of Otranto on the 13th August 1915. In May
1917, with "Bouclier" class destroyers
"Boutefeu" (sunk), "Cimiterre"
and "Commandant Rivière" she took part in
the Allied naval action which followed the Austrian
cruiser attack on the Otranto Barrage drifter line
Mangani and the
British "Shark" on the 10th November 1918,
were the first Allied ships to anchor off
Constantinople on passage through to the Black Sea
RENAUDIN, 18th March 1916, southern Adriatic Sea, off Durazzo (Durres), Albania
- torpedoed by Austrian "U-6". On a sweep from Brindisi
across the Adriatic with other Allied ships,
"Renaudin" was hit by one of the few
Austrian submarines available for operations. As with
other French destroyer losses, she also was cut in
two.
Wartime Additions (30)
46. ENSEIGNE ROUX class, ENSEIGNE ROUX, MECANICIEN
PRINCIPAL LESTIN, 2 ships - 850t, 30 knots,
2-10cm/4-6.5cm/4-45cm tt, 80 crew, launched 1915
47. AVENTURIER class, AVENTURIER (adventurer), INTRÉPIDE
(intrepid), OPINIÂTRE (obstinate), TÉMÉRAIRE
(reckless), 4 ships - 930t, 32 knots, 4-10cm/4-45.7cm tt,
140 crew, launched 1911.
Argentine Navy orders
taken over in August 1914 and completed with French
armament
48. ARABE class, ARABE (Arabian) and others,
12 ships in total - 680t, 29 knots, 1-12cm/4-7.6cm/4-45cm
tt, 86 crew, launched 1917.
All built in Japan
49. Greek NIKI class, NIKI and others, 4 ships in
total, 1 lost - See
Greek Navy for details.
Seized in 1916, served
in French Navy 1917-18
50. Greek THYELLA class, THYELLA and others, 4 ships
in total - See
Greek Navy for details.
Seized in 1916, served
in French Navy 1917-18
51. Greek AETOS class, AETOS and others, 3 ships in
total - See
Greek Navy for details.
Seized in 1916, served
in French Navy 1917-18
SUBMARINES
August 1914 Strength (55)
52. SIRENE class, ESPADON (swordfish), SILURE
(silurus), SIRENE (mermaid), TRITON (the
sea-god), 4 boats, 155/215t, 9/5 knots, 4-45cm external
torpedoes, 13 crew, launched 1901
53. AIGRETTE class, AIGRETTE (egret), COGOGNE,
2 boats - 180/255t, 9/6 knots, 4-45cm external torpedoes,
14 crew, launched 1904
54. OMEGA - 305/410t, 10/6
knots, 2-45cm tt/4-45cm external torpedoes, 22 crew,
launched 1905
55. ÉMERAUDE class, ÉMERAUDE (emerald), OPALE
(opal), RUBIS (ruby), SAPHIR
(sapphire), TOPASE (topaz), TURQUOISE
(turquoise), 6 boats, 2 lost - 390/425t, 11/9 knots,
6-45cm tt, 21 crew, launched 1906-08
SAPHIR, 15th January 1915, Turkish waters in the Dardanelles Narrows,
off Nagara Point - probably ran aground. A month after British submarine
"B.11" reached almost as far as Chanak in
the Dardanelles and sank guardship
"Mesudiye", "Saphir" was the
first to try to break right through to the Sea of
Marmara. She passed Chanak and got as far as Nagara
Point against the fierce currents and after passing
under ten lines of mines before her luck ran out. At
this point, sources vary. She probably ran aground
trying to avoid the minefields, surfaced and and was
either scuttled or destroyed by shore batteries. In
some sources she was mined. Many of her crew were
lost, reportedly 14 men killed and 13 survivors.
Other sources date her loss on the 17th January 1915
Of the four unhandy
French boats that attempted to reach the Sea of
Marmara in 1915, only one made it -
"Turquoise" (following). Two more -
"Joule" and "Mariotte" - were
lost trying to break through before
"Turquoise" succeeded
TURQUOISE, 30th October 1915, Turkish waters in the Dardanelles Narrows,
off Nagara Point - probably ran aground. After successfully reaching
the Sea of Marmara, "Turquoise" (Lt Ravenel
or Ravene?) was forced to turn back for her base at
Mudros in the Aegean because of mechanical defects.
Returning through the Dardanelles, the strong
currents ran her aground on the southern shore at
Nagara Point right under a Turkish fort. To save the
lives of his crew, Lt Ravenel surrendered and
"Turquoise" was captured intact. All the
crew of 25 were saved and taken prisoner.
Unfortunately confidential papers and charts were not
destroyed, and a notebook or chart (sources vary)
revealed information about a rendezvous with the
British "E-20". A week later, on the 5th
November "E-20" was ambushed and sunk by
German U-boat "UB-14". In other accounts,
she was damaged by Turkish shore batteries and
beached; ran aground and hit; or sunk by the gunfire
of Turkish warships. Her date of loss is also given
as the 31st October.
Turquoise was
refloated on the 3rd November 1915 and incorporated
into the Turkish Navy as 'Mustadieh Ombashi', but
never recommissioned.
56. CIRCÉ (Circe, mythology), lost - 350/490t, 11/7
knots, 6-45cm external torpedoes/1-4.7cm, 22 crew,
launched 1907
CIRCÉ, 20th September 1918, southern Adriatic Sea, off Kattaro (Kotor) -
torpedoed by Austrian 'U-47' (ex-German 'UB-47'). "Circé"
was on anti-submarine patrol at the time; one
survivor picked up
57. PLUVIOSE class, FLORÉAL (from flowering -
eighth month of First Republic calendar), FRESNEL
(19th cen physicist), MONGE, PLUVIOSE (from
rainy - eighth month .... ), PRAIRIAL (from meadow
- ninth month .... ) and others, 17 boats in total, 4
lost - 400/550t, 12/8 knots, 1-45cm tt/6-45cm external
torpedoes, 24 crew, launched 1907-10
FLORÉAL, 2nd August 1918, northern Aegean Sea - collision with British armed
boarding steamer "Hazel". Two locations are given - off
Salonika, NE Greece or off Mudros on the island of
Lemnos; all 26 crew were saved
FRESNEL, 5th December 1915, southern Adriatic Sea off the mouth of the Bojana
River, northern Albania - ran aground and destroyed by
Austrian forces.
On patrol off the Albanian coast, "Fresnel"
ran aground at night in heavy fog on a sandbank off
the Bojana. Her crew made every effort to free her
but without success. At daylight she was sighted by
an Austrian light force including cruiser
"Novara" and four destroyers returning from
a raid along the coast between Bojano and San
Giovanni de Medua (Shengjin), north Albania where
they sank a number of ships. Destroyer 'Warasdiner'
(or 'Varasdinier') took off
"Fresnel’s" crew and finished her with
gunfire. All 26 crew were saved. Other sources give
two varying accounts of her loss - (1)
"Fresnel" was surprised further north off
Cattaro by Austrian aircraft, attacked by the
'Warasdiner', beached, abandoned and blown up; and
(2) torpedoed further south off Durazzo by Austrian
destroyers.
MONGE, 29th December 1915, south Adriatic Sea, south of Cattaro (Kotor) - Austrian
warships. An
Austrian force of new scout cruiser 'Helgoland' and
five 'Tatra' class destroyers sailed from the advance
southern Austrian base of Cattaro late on the 28th to
attack Durazzo and interfere with the evacuation of
Serbian forces. On passage they sighted the
"Monge" early on the 29th on patrol to the
south of Cattaro. Destroyer "Balaton"
opened fire, rammed and sank her. Before the Austrian
operation was over, two of the "Tatra"
destroyers were lost on mines. The 1919
"Jane’s Fighting Ships" attributes her
loss to ramming by the cruiser "Helgoland"
off Cattaro.
PRAIRIAL, 28th/29th April 1918, English Channel off Le Havre, northern France
- collision with British steamship 'Tropic'. She was run down and lost on
the night of the 28th/29th April;19 men lost and
seven survivors. Some sources date her loss on the
25th.
58. BRUMAIRE class, BERNOULLI (18th cen Swiss
scientist), BRUMAIRE (from wintry - second month
of First Republic calendar), CURIE (19th/20th cen
Polish/French physicists), FOUCAULT (19th cen
physicist), JOULE (19th cen English physicist) and
others, 16 boats in total, 4 lost - 400/550t, 13/8 knots,
1-45cm tt/6-45cm external torpedoes, 29 crew, launched
1911-13
Bernoulli took
part in the Allied naval action in May 1917 which
followed the Austrian cruiser attack on the Otranto
drifter line, firing at the escaping destroyer
"Balaton" but missing
BERNOULLI, 13th February 1918, southern Adriatic Sea, off Durazzo (Durres), Albania
- probably Austrian mines. Date of loss is approximate; sunk with
all hands. The 1919 "Jane’s Fighting
Ships" attributes her loss to an Austrian U-boat
on the 13th February 1918.
CURIE, 20th December 1914, northern Adriatic Sea, in Pola naval base - damaged by
defences and scuttled. "Curie" (Lt Dupetit-Thouars,
descendant of the Napoleonic war admiral), was caught
in the Pola nets trying to break into the main
Austrian base. She was refloated and recommissioned
into the Austrian navy as "U-14". Returned
to France in 1918
FOUCAULT, 15th September 1916, central Adriatic Sea, ten miles off Cattaro (Kotor)
- bombed by Austrian Navy flying boats. Caught by flying boats or
seaplanes L-132 and L-135, "Foucault" was
the first submarine sunk at sea by aircraft. The two
aircraft landed, took the survivors on board and
waited for a torpedo-boat to arrive.
JOULE, 1st May 1915, Turkish waters, in the Dardanelles Narrows - Turkish mines. On the 25th April, the
first Allied submarine, Australian "AE-2",
broke through to the Sea of Marmara although she only
survived until the 30th. Next day, and following the
loss of "Saphir" in mid January,
"Joule" was the next French boat to try and
fail. She attempted to negotiate the ten lines of
mines guarding the final few miles to Chanak, but
detonated one or more and was lost with all hands
59. ARCHIMEDE (3rd cen BC Greek mathematician &
"engineer") - 600/810t, 14/10 knots, 1-45cm
tt/6-45cm external torpedoes, 26 crew, launched 1909.
Reciprocating steam
engines for surface propulsion
60. MARIOTTE, (17th cen physicist) - 530/630t,
14/11 knots, 4-45cm tt/2-45cm external torpedoes, 29
crew, 1911
MARIOTTE, 27th July 1915, Turkish waters in the Dardanelles, off Chanak
in the Narrows - Turkish net defences and shore
batteries. By now
two French boats ("Saphir" and
"Joule") had been lost trying to break
through to the Sea of Marmara. Setting out on the
26th, "Mariotte" sailed to join the
successful British "E.14" now on her third
patrol in the Marmara. "Mariotte" safely
passed under the lines of mines, but off Chanak was
trapped in the anti-submarine net newly installed by
the Germans. Forced to surface, she was shelled by
the shore defences and scuttled. One source gives the
date as the 25th July. British "E-7" was
stopped and sunk by the same nets in September 1915
61. AMIRAL BOURGOIS - 555/735t, 13/8knots, 4-45cm tt,
25 crew, launched 1912
62. CHARLES BRUN - 355/450t, 13/7 knots, 2-45cm tt/4-45cm
external torpedoes, 24 crew, launched 1910.
Experimental
boat
63. CLORINDE class, CLORINDE, CORNÉLIE, 2 boats
- 415/570t, 13/9 knots, 8-45cm external torpedoes, 29
crew, launched 1913
64. GUSTAVE ZÉDÉ class, GUSTAVE ZÉDÉ, NÉRÉIDE
(Nereid, mythology), 2 boats - c 850/1100t, c 17/11
knots, 6-45cm tt/2-45cm external
torpedoes/1-7.5cm/1-4.7cm, 47 crew, launched 1913/14.
Gustave
Zédé, 24th
August 1916, Adriatic area - battery explosion. Gray
reports her sunk with 4 men dead and 36 survivors.
She was not stricken until 1937, and was presumably
refloated and returned to service. Also in other
sources, Gustave Zédé was steam-powered
until after the war.
Wartime Additions (c 19)
65. AMPHITRITE class, AMPHITRITE (Amphitrite), ARIANE
(Ariadne, both from mythology) and others, 8 boats in
total, 1 lost - 415/610t, 13/9 knots, 8-45cm external
torpedoes, 29 crew, launched 1914-16
ARIANE, 19th June 1917, central
Mediterranean,
north of Bizerta, North Africa - torpedoed once by German coastal
minelayer "UC-22". "Ariane" was off the entrance
to the Gulf of Bizerta undergoing sea-trials after
repairs when she was sunk
66. BELLONE class, BELLONE (Bellona),
GORGONE (Gorgon), HERMIONE (Hermione, all from
mythology), 3 boats - 525/790t, 14/9 knots, 8-45cm
tt/1-7.5cm gun, 38 crew, launched 1914-17
67. DUPUY DE LOME class, DUPUY DE LOME, SANÉ, 2
boats - 830/1290t, 17/11 knots, 8-45cm tt/2-7.5cm guns,
43 crew, launched 1915/16
68. DIANE class, DAPHNÉ (Daphne), DIANA
(Diana, both from mythology), 2 boats, 1 lost - 635/890t,
17/11 knots, 10-45cm tt/1-7.5cm, 43 crew, launched
1915/16
DIANE, 11th February 1918, North
Atlantic, off La Pallice, western France in Bay of Biscay - internal explosion, cause unknown. Escorting a
four-masted sailing ship, "Diane" went down
at night with the loss of all her crew. The 1919
"Jane’s Fighting Ships" places her
loss around the 10th March 1918 in the English
Channel.
69. ARMIDE class, AMAZONE (Amazon), ANTIGONE
(Antigone, both from mythology), ARMIDE, 3 boats -
460/670t, 17/11 knots, 4 or 6-45cm tt/1-4.7cm or 7.5cm,
31 crew, launched 1915-16.
Two Greek and one
Japanese boats building in France and requisitioned
70. ex-German "UB.18" class
coastal submarine, ROLAND
MORILLOT (ex-German "UB.26") - 265/290t,
9/5 knots, 2-50cm tt/1-5cm gun, 22 crew, launched 1915.
Scuttled off Le Havre,
northern France in April 1916, refloated and
commissioned into the French Navy in August 1917
71. JOESSEL/FULTON class, FULTON (early 19th cen US
steamship builder), JOESSEL, 2 boats - 870/1250t,
16/11 knots, 8-45cm tt/2-7.5cm guns, c 50 crew, launched
1917/19.
Only Joessel was
launched during the war
72. LAGRANGE class, LAGRANGE (18th cen
mathematician), LAPLACE (18th cen astronomer &
mathematician), REGNAULT, ROMAZOTTI, 4 boats -
920/1320t, 16/11 knots, 8-45cm tt/2-7.5cm guns, 47 crew,
launched 1917-24.
Only two
launched during the war
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