:French destroyer Pistolet

The Arquebuse class was designed as a faster version of the preceding {{sclass|Durandal|destroyer|2}}s. The ships had an overall length of {{convert|56.58|m|ftin|sp=us|0}},Roberts, p. 377 a beam of {{convert|6.38|m|ftin|sp=us}}, and a maximum draft of {{convert|3.2|m|ftin|sp=us}}.Couhat, p. 86 They normally displaced {{convert|307|t|LT|sp=us|lk=on}} and {{cvt|357|t|LT}} at deep load. The two vertical triple-expansion steam engines each drove one propeller shaft using steam provided by two du Temple Guyot boilers. The engines were designed to produce a total of {{convert|6300|ihp|lk=on}} for a designed speed of {{convert|28|kn|lk=in}},Stanglini & Cosentino, p. 227 all the ships exceeded their contracted speed during their sea trials. Pistolet reached a speed of {{convert|29|kn}} from {{cvt|6573|ihp}} during her sea trials on 23 July 1903. The ships carried enough coal to give them a range of {{convert|2300|nmi|lk=in}} at {{convert|10|kn}}. Their crew consisted of four officers and fifty-eight enlisted men.

The main armament of the Arquebuse-class ships consisted of a single Canon de 65 mm Modèle 1891 forward of the bridge and six QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss Hotchkiss guns in single mounts, three on each broadside. They were fitted with two single rotating mounts for {{convert|381|mm|in|adj=on|sp=us|0}} torpedo tubes on the centerline, one between the funnels amidships and the other on the stern.

Pistolet (Pistol) was ordered from Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire on 22 May 1901 and the ship was laid down in September at its shipyard in Nantes. She was launched on 29 May 1903 and conducted her sea trials from June to August that year. The ship was commissioned on 21 September after their completion. She was assigned to the Northern Squadron before completion, on 9 September, to replace the old destroyer {{ship|French destroyer|Escopette||2}}. She was shortly thereafter transferred to the Far East Squadron ({{lang|fr|escadre de l'Extrême-Orient}}) based in French Indochina, arriving there in April 1904. She traveled there in company with the protected cruiser {{ship|French cruiser|D'Assas||2}} and several other Arquebuse-class destroyers.Roberts, pp. 378–379

In June 1905, the destroyer was assigned to the newly formed 2nd China Sea Torpedo Boat Flotilla ({{lang|fr|2^e Flotille des torpilleurs des mers de Chine}}) of the renamed Naval Division of the Far East ({{lang|fr|Division navale de l'Extrême-Orient}}).Le Masson, p. 138

In 1911 the division consisted of the armored cruisers {{ship|French cruiser|Dupleix|1900|2}} and {{ship|French cruiser|Kléber||2}}, the old torpedo cruiser {{ship|French cruiser|D'Iberville||2}}, two other destroyers, six torpedo boats, and four submarines, along with a number of smaller vessels.Burgoyne, p. 66

At the start of World War I in August 1914, the division included Pistolet, along with the armored cruisers {{ship|French cruiser|Montcalm|1900|2}} and Dupleix, D'Iberville, and the destroyers {{ship|French destroyer|Mousquet||2}}, and {{ship|French destroyer|Fronde||2}}. The unit was based in Saigon in French Indochina. The destroyers and D'Iberville were initially sent to patrol the Strait of Malacca while the armored cruisers were sent north to join the search for the German East Asia Squadron.Jordan & Caresse, p. 219 D'Iberville and the destroyers conducted patrols in the strait for the German unprotected cruiser {{SMS|Geier}}, which was known to be passing through the area at the time; the French ships failed to locate the German vessel.Corbett, pp. 154–155

Pistolet was present in the harbor at George Town, Penang, on 27 October, moored alongside her sister Fronde. The other major Triple Entente ships in the harbor included D'Iberville and the Russian protected cruiser {{ship|Russian cruiser|Zhemchug||2}}. In the early hours of 28 October, the German light cruiser {{SMS|Emden}} entered the harbor to attack the Entente vessels there. In the ensuing Battle of Penang, Emden quickly torpedoed and sank Zhemchug before turning to flee. As the German ship departed, she encountered and sank Mousquet. Unlike the other French warships, Pistolet could not open fire on the raider, as she was moored inboard of Fronde and could not bring her guns to bear.Staff, pp. 129–132

In 1915, Pistolet received new boilers at Saigon. She returned home later that year, arriving back in Toulon on 19 January 1916. The ship was then assigned to the Western Mediterranean Patrol Division, where she operated for the next two years. On 21 May, she arrived in Toulon having escorted the submarine {{ship|French submarine|Gay-Lussac||2}} from Brindisi, Italy.Garier, p. 93 The war having ended in November 1918, Pistolet was struck from the naval register on 30 October 1919 and eventually sold to ship breakers in Toulon on 6 May 1920.Roberts, p. 379

{{Reflist|20em}}

• {{cite journal

|editor-last=Burgoyne

|editor-first=Alan H.

|title=The French Navy

|journal=The Navy League Annual

|year=1911

|volume=V

|location=London

|publisher=John Murray

|pages=57–66

|oclc=809125514

}}

• {{cite book |last=Corbett |first=Julian Stafford |author-link=Julian Corbett |title=Naval Operations: To The Battle of the Falklands, December 1914 | url = https://archive.org/details/navaloperations01corb |volume=I |year=1920 |publisher=Longmans, Green & Co. |location=London |oclc=174823980 }}
• {{cite book|last=Couhat|first=Jean Labayle|title=French Warships of World War I|year=1974|publisher=Ian Allan |location=London|isbn=0-7110-0445-5}}
• {{cite book|title=L'odyssée technique et humaine du sous-marin en France|volume=3, part 2: A l'épreuve de la Grande Guerre |first=Gérard |last=Garier |language=fr|location=Nantes|publisher=Marines éditions|year=2002|trans-title=The Technical and Human Odyssey of the Submarine in France: Put to the Test by the Great War|isbn=2-909675-81-5}}
• {{cite book |last1=Jordan |first1=John |last2=Caresse |first2=Philippe |title=French Armoured Cruisers 1887–1932 |date=2019 |publisher=Seaforth Publishing |location=Barnsley, UK |isbn=978-1-5267-4118-9 |name-list-style=amp }}
• {{cite book |last1=Le Masson |first1=Henri |title=Histoire du Torpilleur en France |date=1967 |publisher=Académie de marine |location=Paris|oclc=491016784 |trans-title=History of the Torpedo-armed Ship in France}}
• {{cite book|last=Roberts|first=Stephen S.|title=French Warships in the Age of Steam 1859–1914: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates|year=2021 |location=Barnsley, UK|publisher=Seaforth Publishing |isbn=978-1-5267-4533-0}}
• {{cite book |last=Staff |first=Gary |title=Battle on the Seven Seas |year=2011 |location=Barnsley, UK |publisher=Pen & Sword Maritime |isbn=978-1-84884-182-6 }}
• {{cite book |last1=Stanglini |first1=Ruggero |last2=Cosentino |first2=Michelle |title=The French Fleet: Ships, Strategy and Operations, 1870-1918 |date=2022 |publisher=Seaforth Publishing |location=Barnsley, UK |isbn=978-1-5267-0131-2|name-list-style=amp}}

{{Arquebuse class destroyer}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pistolet}}

Category:Arquebuse-class destroyers

Category:Ships built in France

Category:1903 ships