Bouclier-class destroyer

The Bouclier-class was nearly double the size of the preceding {{convert|450|t|LT|0|adj=on|sp=us}} destroyers to match the increase in size of foreign destroyers. The French Navy issued a general specification that required oil-fired boilers, steam turbine propulsion and a uniform armament that allowed individual shipyards the freedom to design their ships as they saw fit. This allowed for some variations in size (from {{convert|72.32|-|78.3|m|ftin|sp=us}} in length) and machinery ({{ship|French destroyer|Bouclier||2}} and {{ship|French destroyer|Casque|1910|2}} had three shafts, all the others had two, while Casque has three funnels, all the rest had four).Gardiner & Gray, p. 203

Bouclier was the shortest ship with an overall length of 72.32 meters and her sister ships ranged in length from {{convert|74|to|78.3|m|ftin|sp=us}}. All of the ships had beams of {{convert|7.6|-|8|m|ftin|sp=us}} and drafts of {{convert|2.9|-|3.3|m|ftin|sp=us}}. Bouclier and her sister {{ship|French destroyer|Francis Garnier||2}} had the lightest displacements at {{convert|692|t|LT|0|sp=us}}; the others displaced {{convert|720|-|756|t|LT|sp=us|lk=on|0}} at normal load. Their crews numbered 80–83 men.

The destroyers were powered by two or three steam turbines of four different models, each driving one propeller shaft using steam provided by four water-tube boilers of four different types. The turbines were designed to produce {{convert|13000|shp|kW|lk=on}} which was intended to give the ships a speed of {{convert|30|kn|lk=in}}. During their sea trials, they reached speeds of {{convert|29.3|-|35.5|kn}}. The ships carried {{cvt|120|-|160|t|LT|0|sp=us}} of fuel oil which gave them a range of {{convert|1200|-|1600|nmi|lk=in}} at cruising speeds of {{convert|12|-|14|kn}}.Couhat, pp. 101, 104

The primary armament of the Bouclier-class ships consisted of two Canon de 100 mm Modèle 1891 Modèle 1893 guns in single mounts, one each fore and aft of the superstructure, and four Canon de 65 mm Modèle 1891 guns distributed amidships. They were also fitted with two twin mounts for {{convert|450|mm|in|adj=on|1|sp=us}} torpedo tubes amidships.

During World War I, a {{convert|45|mm|in|adj=on|sp=us}} or Canon de 75 modèle 1897#Naval and coastal artillery anti-aircraft gun, two {{convert|8|mm|in|adj=on|sp=us}} machine guns, and eight or ten Guiraud-type depth charges were added to the ships. The extra weight severely overloaded the ships and reduced their operational speed to around {{convert|26|kn}}.

{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Commons category|Bouclier class destroyers|Bouclier-class destroyer}}

• {{cite web|url=http://pages14-18.mesdiscussions.net/pages1418/Forum-Pages-d-Histoire-aviation-marine/marine-1914-1918/bouclier-contre-torpilleur-sujet_308_1.htm|title=BOUCLIER - Contre-torpilleur - marine - Forum Pages d'Histoire: marine|publisher=pages14-18.mesdiscussions.net|access-date=25 October 2015|archive-date=30 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150630225551/http://pages14-18.mesdiscussions.net/pages1418/Forum-Pages-d-Histoire-aviation-marine/marine-1914-1918/bouclier-contre-torpilleur-sujet_308_1.htm|url-status=dead}}
• {{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 |last1=Freivogel |first1=Zvonimir |title=The Great War in the Adriatic Sea 1914–1918 |date=2019 |publisher=Despot Infinitus |location=Zagreb |isbn=978-953-8218-40-8}}
• {{cite book|last1=Gardiner|first1=Robert|last2=Gray|first2=Randal|title=Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921|year=1985|publisher=Conway Maritime Press|location=London|isbn=0-85177-245-5|name-list-style=amp}}
• {{cite book |first=Eric W. |last=Osborne|year=2005 |title=Destroyers - An Illustrated History of Their Impact |isbn=1-85109-479-2 |publisher=ABC-Clio |location=Santa Barbara, California}}
• {{cite book |last1=Prévoteaux |first1=Gérard |title=La marine française dans la Grande guerre: les combattants oubliés: Tome I 1914–1915 |date=2017 |publisher=Éditions Lela presse |location=Le Vigen, France |isbn=978-2-37468-000-2|trans-title=The French Navy during the Great War: The Forgotten Combatants, Book I 1914–1915|series=Collection Navires & Histoire des Marines du Mond|volume=23}}
• {{cite book |last1=Prévoteaux |first1=Gérard |title=La marine française dans la Grande guerre: les combattants oubliés: Tome II 1916–1918 |date=2017 |publisher=Éditions Lela presse |location=Le Vigen, France |isbn=978-2-37468-001-9|trans-title=The French Navy during the Great War: The Forgotten Combatants, Book II 1916–1918|series=Collection Navires & Histoire des Marines du Mond|volume=27}}
• {{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 |first=Jean-Michel |last=Roche |year=2005 |chapter=Classement par types |title=Dictionnaire des bâtiments de la flotte de guerre française de Colbert à nos jours|volume= 2: 1870–2006 |isbn=978-2-9525917-0-6 |oclc=165892922 |publisher=Roche |location=Toulon}}

{{Bouclier class destroyer}}

{{WWI French ships}}

Category:Destroyer classes

Category:Destroyers of the French Navy

Category:Ship classes of the French Navy