|
Names |
N°29; 30 N° 56-59 |
|
Builders |
Thornycroft, Chiswick, UK: N°29, 30, 58, 59 F C de la Méditerranée, La Seyne: N°56, 57 |
|
Completed |
1879: N°29, 30 1881: N°58, 59 1882: N°56, 57 |
|
Losses |
none |
|
Transfers |
none |
|
Discarding |
1897-1904: N°29, 30, 57-59 1910: N°56 |
|
Displacement normal, t |
N°29, 30, 58, 59: 9 N°56, 57: 11 |
|
Displacement full, t |
|
|
Length, m |
18.3 |
|
Breadth, m |
2.28 |
|
Draught, m |
0.58 |
|
No of shafts |
1 |
|
Machinery |
1 CR, 1 locomotive boiler |
|
Power, h. p. |
|
|
Max speed, kts |
12 |
|
Fuel, t |
coal |
|
Endurance, nm(kts) |
|
|
Armament |
N°29, 30, 58, 59: 2 - 350 TC N°56, 57: 1 - 350 TT (bow) |
|
Complement |
12 |
Project history: The first pair were ordered 1.4.1878, 58 and 59 on 16.8.1880 and the remainder on 15.2.1881. 56 and 57 were built to a modified design at La Seyne, and had a ram bow; they proved to be a full 2kts slower on trials than the straight-stemmed Thornycroft boats (14.6kts as opposed to 16.2-16.9kts). The French-built boats were fitted with two 'impulse-tubes' which fired the torpedo using an explosive charge whereas the others had the usual torpedo 'frame' dropping gear.
Modernizations: None.
Naval service: They spent most of their careers aboard the TB transport Japon and later aboard the cruiser-like La Foudre until replaced by the specially-built 'alphabetical' TBs. They were stricken or sold between 1897 and 1904, although 56 survived until 1910.
© Ivan Gogin, 2014