French destroyer Vautour

For other ships with the same name, see French ship Vautour.

The French destroyer Vautour was one of six Aigle-class destroyers (contre-torpilleurs) built for the French Navy during the 1930s.

Half-sister Milan at anchor
History
France
Name	Vautour
Namesake	Vulture
Builder	Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée, La Seyne
Launched	26 August 1930
Completed	2 May 1932
Fate	Scuttled, 27 November 1942 Refloated Sunk, 4 February 1944
General characteristics
Class & type	Aigle-class destroyer
Displacement	2,441 long tons (2,480 t) (standard)
Length	128.5 m (421 ft 7 in)
Beam	11.8 m (38 ft 9 in)
Draught	4.97 m (16 ft 4 in)
Installed power	4 du Temple boilers 64,000 PS (47,000 kW; 63,000 shp)
Propulsion	2 shafts; 2 geared steam turbines
Speed	36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph)
Range	3,650 nmi (6,760 km; 4,200 mi) at 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Crew	10 officers, 217 crewmen (wartime)
Armament	5 × single 138.6 mm (5.5 in) guns 4 × single 37 mm (1.5 in) AA guns 2 × triple 550 mm (21.7 in) torpedo tubes 2 chutes, 4 throwers for 36 depth charges

Design and description

The Aigle-class ships were designed as improved versions of the preceding Guépard-class destroyers. They had an overall length of 128.5 meters (421 ft 7 in), a beam of 11.8 meters (38 ft 9 in),^[1] and a draft of 4.97 meters (16 ft 4 in). The ships displaced 2,441 long tons (2,480 t) at standard^[2] and 3,140 metric tons (3,090 long tons) at deep load. They were powered by two geared steam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft using steam provided by four du Temple boilers. The turbines were designed to produce 64,000 metric horsepower (47,000 kW; 63,000 shp), which would propel the ships at 36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph). During her sea trials on 29 August 1931, Vautour's Parsons turbines provided 75,608 PS (55,610 kW; 74,574 shp) and she reached 39.28 knots (72.75 km/h; 45.20 mph) for a single hour. The ships carried enough fuel oil to give them a range of 3,650 nautical miles (6,760 km; 4,200 mi) at 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph). Their crew consisted of 10 officers and 198 crewmen in peacetime and 10 officers and 217 enlisted men in wartime.^[3]

The main armament of the Aigle-class ships consisted of five 138.6-millimeter (5.5 in) Modèle 1927 guns in single shielded mounts, one superfiring pair fore and aft of the superstructure and the fifth gun abaft the aft funnel. Their anti-aircraft armament consisted of four 37-millimeter (1.5 in) Modèle 1927 guns in single mounts positioned amidships. The ships carried two rotating triple mounts for 550-millimeter (21.7 in) torpedo tubes, one mount between the two pairs of funnels as well as another aft of the rear funnel. A pair of depth charge chutes were built into their stern; these housed a total of sixteen 200-kilogram (440 lb) depth charges, with eight more in reserve. They were also fitted with four depth-charge throwers, two on each broadside abreast the forward pair of funnels, for which the ships carried a dozen 100-kilogram (220 lb) depth charges.^[4]

Service

In Vichy French service after France surrendered to Germany in June 1940, Vautour was scuttled at Toulon, France, on 27 November 1942 to prevent her capture by the Germans when Germany occupied Vichy France.^[5] Later refloated by the Germans, she was sunk again in an Allied air raid on Toulon on 4 February 1944.^[6]