French submarine Aréthuse (1916)

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

The French submarine Aréthuse was one of eight Amphitrite-class submarines built for the French Navy during the 1910s and completed during World War I. Completed in 1916, she served in the Adriatic Sea during the war and was sold for scrap in 1929.^[1]

A colorized postcard of sister ship Andromaque
History
France
Name	Aréthuse
Ordered	8 January 1912
Builder	Arsenal de Toulon
Laid down	14 June 1912
Launched	20 April 1916
Commissioned	10 July 1916
Stricken	8 March 1927
Identification	Budget number: Q97
Fate	Sold for scrap, 2 May 1929
General characteristics (as built)
Class & type	Amphitrite-class submarine
Displacement	418 t (411 long tons) (surfaced) 614 t (604 long tons) (submerged)
Length	54 m (177 ft 2 in) (p/p)
Beam	5.41 m (17 ft 9 in) (deep)
Draft	3.46 m (11 ft 4 in)
Installed power	2 × 400 PS (290 kW; 390 hp) diesel engines 2 × 350 PS (260 kW; 350 hp) electric motors
Propulsion	2 shafts
Speed	12–13 knots (22–24 km/h; 14–15 mph) (surfaced) 9.5 knots (17.6 km/h; 10.9 mph) (submerged)
Range	785 nmi (1,454 km; 903 mi) at 13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph) (surfaced) 100 nmi (190 km; 120 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) (submerged)
Complement	27
Armament	2 × bow 450 mm (17.7 in) external torpedo launchers or torpedo tubes 6 × single 450 mm Drzewiecki drop collars 1 × 47 mm (1.9 in) Hotchkiss deck gun

Design and description

The Amphitrite-class boats were built as improved versions of the Clorinde class. They displaced 418 metric tons (411 long tons) surfaced and 614 t (604 long tons) submerged. They had a length between perpendiculars of 54 meters (177 ft 2 in), a beam of 5.41 meters (17 ft 9 in), and a draft of 3.46 meters (11 ft 4 in). The crew numbered 27 officers and crewmen.^[1]

For surface running, the Amphitrite class was powered by a pair of two-cycle diesel engines provided by three different manufacturers, each driving one propeller shaft. Aréthuse was equipped with six-cylinder Schneider engines that were intended to produce a total of 1,300 metric horsepower (1,282 bhp; 956 kW), but only produced 800 PS (789 bhp; 588 kW) in service, enough for a speed of 12–13 knots (22–24 km/h; 14–15 mph) rather than the designed 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph).^[1] When submerged each shaft was driven by a 700-metric-horsepower (690 bhp; 515 kW) electric motor.^[2] The designed speed underwater was 9.5 knots (17.6 km/h; 10.9 mph). The Amphitrites had a maximum fuel capacity of 12 t (12 long tons) of kerosene which gave them a surface endurance of 785 nautical miles (1,454 km; 903 mi) at 13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph). Their designed submerged endurance was 100 nmi (190 km; 120 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph).^[1]

The Amphitrite-class boats were armed with a total of eight 450-millimeter (17.7 in) torpedoes. Two of these were positioned in the bow in external tubes angled outwards 4° 25'. The other six were located in external rotating Drzewiecki drop collars, three on each broadside that could traverse 100 degrees to the side of the boats. The boats were also equipped with a 47 mm (1.9 in) Mle 1885-1915 gun aft of the conning tower.^[2][1][3]

Construction and career

Aréthuse was ordered on 8 January 1912 and was laid down at the Arsenal de Toulon on 14 June. She was launched on 20 April 1916 and commissioned on 10 July.^[4]