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fighting ships of the world

FRENCH NAVY (FRANCE)

ESCORTS

LE CORSE frigates (1955 - 1956)

Le Corse 1960

Le Corse 1970

Name No Yard No Builder Laid down Launched Comp Fate
Le Corse F761   Arsenal de Lorient 15.3.1952 5.8.1952 23.4.1955 stricken 1.1975
Le Brestois F762   Arsenal de Lorient 14.8.1952 16.12.1952 19.1.1956 stricken 9.1975
Le Boulonnais F763   A C de la Loire, Nantes 5.9.1952 12.5.1953 5.8.1955 stricken 6.1976
Le Bordelais F764   F C de la Méditerranée, La Seyne 30.1.1953 11.7.1953 7.4.1955 stricken 6.1976
  

Displacement standard, t

1250

Displacement full, t

1702

Length, m

95.1 pp 99.7 oa

Breadth, m

10.3

Draught, m

4.30

No of shafts

2

Machinery

2 sets Rateau geared steam turbines, 2 Indret boilers

Power, h. p.

20000

Max speed, kts

28

Fuel, t

oil 292

Endurance, nm(kts) 4000(15)

Armament

3 x 2 - 57/60 Mod 1951, 2 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 4, 4 x 3 - 550 TT (24 K2/L3), 1 x 6 - 375 Bofors Mk 54 ASWRL, 2 DCT, 1 DCR

Electronic equipment DRBV-20A, DRBC-30 radars, DUBV-1, DUBA-1 sonars

Complement

174

Project history: The E 50 class was designed to produce sea-going convoy escort vessels with a large radius of action. They were the first French ships to be built specifically for convoy escort. Although clearly influenced by the latest American thinking (they were of similar size to the contemporary Dealey class DEs, with which they shared an American-style flush-decked hull form with a transom stern), they were entirely of French design. Two were authorized under the 1949 Programme, and the second pair in 1950. The first three ships were financed under MDAP.

    The original ASW armament comprised four triple banks of ASW torpedo rubes, all mounted forward at 01 deck level. Immediately abaft each bank was a ready-use locker carrying three more reloads, the torpedoes being transferred tail-first into the muzzle of the tubes. Initial drawings show a German-pattern single 105mm gun aft, with two of the new 57mm AA mountings in 'B' and 'X' positions. In the event, however, the 105mm was replaced by a third 57mm mounting for a homogeneous AA battery. There was a fire control position forward of the bridge with a director aft above the second mounting. As with the T 47 destroyers, initial drawings show a single tall lattice foremast on the British pattern, topped by a DRBV-20A air search radar, but a tall tripod with lattice support was eventually adopted. Le Bordelais was completed with a modified Strombos-Velensi funnel cap.

    It was decided at a late stage to fit one of the new sextuple Bofors ASW RL, but the only position available - immediately forward of the DRBC-31 director - was not ideal because of its poor arcs fore and aft. This defect was corrected in the E 52 class.

    The designed maximum speed was 26kts, but this was exceeded by an average of 3kts on trials. In convoy escort operations the E 50s were expected to maintain 14kts for maximum fuel economy.

Modernizations: early 1960s, Le Brestois: - 1 x 2 - 57/60(aft), 1 x 6 - 375 Bofors Mk 54 AWSRL, DRBV-20A radar; + 1 x 1 - 100/55 Mod 1964, DRBV-22A, DRBC-32A radars

1964, Le Corse, Le Boulonnais, Le Bordellais: - DRBV-20A radar; + DRBV-22A radar

Naval service: No significant events.

Le Brestois 1971 with 100mm gun

© Ivan Gogin, 2015