T 53-class destroyer

The T 53 class were the second group of destroyers built for the French Navy after World War II. These ships were a modified version of the T 47-class destroyers. The main difference with the preceding ships was the provision of improved air warning and tracking radars as well as an anti-submarine mortar. The ships were built between 1957 and 1958 and were decommissioned in the late 1970s or early 1980s. A single modified ship La Galissonnière was built as a trials ship for a new generation of French weapons. This ship was designated as the T 56 class.

Class overview
Builders	Arsenal de Brest Arsenal de Lorient Forges et Chantiers de la Gironde Ateliers et Chantiers de Bretagne
Operators	French Navy
Preceded by	T 47 class
Succeeded by	Aconit
Subclasses	T 56 class Anti-submarine and anti-air variants after refit
In commission	1957–1992
Completed	6
Retired	6
General characteristics
Type	Destroyer
Displacement	2,750 long tons (2,794 t) standard 3,740 long tons (3,800 t) full load
Length	128.6 m (421 ft 11 in)
Beam	12.7 m (41 ft 8 in)
Draught	5.4 m (17 ft 9 in)
Propulsion	4 boilers, Geared turbines, 63,000 hp (46,979 kW), 2 shafts
Speed	34 knots (63 km/h; 39 mph)
Range	5,000 nmi (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at 18 kn (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Complement	347: 19 officers 328 enlisted
Sensors and processing systems	DRBV31 surface sentry and navigation radar 2 DRBC30 fire control radars DRBI10B altimetry radar DRBV22A combined sentry radar DUBV 1B sonar DUBA 1B sonar
Armament	As built: 6 × 127 mm (5 in) guns (3 × 2) 6 × 57mm/60 modèle 1951 guns (3 × 2) 4 × 20 mm (0.79 in) guns (4 × 1) 6 × Bofors 375 mm (14.8 in) ASW rocket launcher (1 × 6) 12 × 550 mm (21.7 in) torpedo tubes (4 × 3)

Modifications

In 1972–73 two of the class were substantially modified:

• Duperré was completely rearmed with a Model 1968 100 mm (4 in) main gun, four Exocet MM38 missiles, two quadruple L5 torpedo launchers, and two 20 mm AA cannon. She was also fitted with a helipad to carry a Lynx WG13 helicopter.^[1]
• Forbin had her forward 57 mm turret removed, and her aft 127 mm turret was replaced by a helipad. She was then principally used as a naval aviation training ship alongside the helicopter cruiser Jeanne d'Arc.^[2]

La Galissonnière

La Galissonnière differed slightly in specification from the rest of the class as she was built specifically to test the Malafon anti-submarine missile.^[3]

• Length : 128 m (419 ft 11 in)
• Beam : 12 m (39 ft 4 in)
• Draught : 5 m (16 ft 5 in)
• Complement: 272
• 2 × Model 1953 100 mm (4 in) guns (2×1)
• 1 × Malafon anti-submarine missile launcher (13 missiles)
• 6 × 550 mm (21.7 in) torpedo tubes (2×3)
• 1 × quadruple 305 mm (12 in) anti-submarine mortar
• 2 × 20 mm AA cannon
• 1 × Alouette II or Alouette III helicopter

La Galissonnière in 1983.

Ships

Pennant	Name	Named after	Builder	Commissioned	Fate
D633	Duperré[4]	Guy-Victor Duperré	Arsenal de Lorient	8 October 1957	Trials ship for Cormoran I sonar, 1967–71 Rearmed 1972 Decommissioned 1 June 1992. As of 2012 at Landévennec awaiting demolition.
D634	La Bourdonnais[5]	Bertrand-François Mahé de La Bourdonnais	Arsenal de Brest	3 March 1958	Decommissioned July 1976 Sunk by an Exocet SM39 from the submarine Ouessant, May 1992
D635	Forbin[6]	Claude de Forbin	Arsenal de Brest	1 February 1958	Converted to helicopter training ship, 1973 Decommissioned 1 June 1981 Sunk as a target off Brest, 17 May 1999
D636	Tartu[7]	Jean-François Tartu	AC Bretagne	5 February 1958	Decommissioned December 1979 Sunk, 80 miles off Lorient, 9 December 1998
D637	Jauréguiberry[8]	Bernard Jauréguiberry	FC de la Gironde	15 July 1958	Decommissioned 16 September 1977 Sunk by Exocet MM40 missile off the Île du Levant, 30 May 1986
D638	La Galissonnière[9]	Roland-Michel Barrin de La Galissonière	Arsenal de Lorient	11 July 1962	Decommissioned 20 April 1990 Scrapped in Ghent, Belgium in 2015.

See also

• List of Escorteurs of the French Navy