Émeraude-class submarine (1906)

Émeraude in Cherbourg harbour, 31 July 1909
Class overview
Name	Émeraude-class
Operators	French Navy
Preceded by	Oméga
Succeeded by	Circé class
Built	1903–10
In commission	1908–21
Completed	6
Lost	2
Scrapped	4
General characteristics (as built)
Type	Submarine
Displacement	394 t (388 long tons) (surfaced) 427 t (420 long tons) (submerged)
Length	44.9 m (147 ft 4 in) (o/a)
Beam	3.9 m (12 ft 10 in)
Draft	3.8 m (12 ft 6 in)
Installed power	600 PS (440 kW; 590 bhp) (diesels) 600 PS (electric motors)
Propulsion	2 × shafts; 2 × diesel engines 2 × electric motors
Speed	11.25 knots (20.84 km/h; 12.95 mph) (surfaced) 8.5 knots (15.7 km/h; 9.8 mph) (submerged)
Range	2,000 nmi (3,700 km; 2,300 mi) at 7.3 knots (13.5 km/h; 8.4 mph) surfaced 100 nmi (190 km; 120 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) submerged
Test depth	40 m (130 ft)
Complement	2 officers and 23 crewmen
Armament	6 × 450 mm (17.7 in) torpedo tubes (4 × bow, 2 × stern)

The Émeraude-class submarines was a group of six submarines built for the French Navy during the first decade of the 20th century. One boat was sunk and another captured during the First World War and the survivors were scrapped after the war.

General characteristics

The Émeraude class were built as part of the French Navy's 1903 building programme to a Maugas design. They had a single hull, and a displacement of 392 tons surfaced (425 tons submerged). For surface propulsion the Émeraude class had petrol engines, and electric motors for when submerged, giving an surface endurance of 200 miles at 7.3 knots and a submerged endurance of 100 miles at 5 knots, with a maximum surface speed of 11.5 knots, and a submerged speed of 9.2 knots. Their armament was six torpedo tubes (4 forward and 2 aft). Topaze and Turquoise had a single 37mm gun, and were manned by crews of 21 men (later increased to 23 men).

Ships

Émeraude class submarines

Name	Pennant number	Commissioned	Fate
Émeraude	(Q41)	6 August 1906	scrapped in November 1919.
Opale	(Q42)	20 November 1906	scrapped in November 1919.
Rubis	(Q43)	26 June 1907	scrapped in November 1919.
Saphir	(Q44)	6 February 1908	sunk 15 January 1915 during the Gallipoli Campaign.
Topaze	(Q45)	2 July 1908	scrapped in November 1919.
Turquoise	(Q46)	3 August 1908	damaged by Turkish gunfire and beached on 30 October 1915. Re-floated and repaired by Turkish forces; renamed Mustadieh Ombashi but never commissioned. Returned to France in 1919 and was scrapped in November 1919.

Bibliography

• Couhat, Jean Labayle (1974). French Warships of World War I. London: Ian Allen. ISBN 0-7110-0445-5.
• Gardiner, Robert; Gray, Randal (1985). Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-245-5. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |lastauthoramp= ignored (|name-list-style= suggested) (help)
• Garier, Gérard (2002). A l'épreuve de la Grande Guerre. L'odyssée technique et humaine du sous-marin en France (in French). Vol. 3–2. Bourg-en-Bresse, France: Marines édition. ISBN 2-909675-81-5.
• Garier, Gérard (1998). Des Émeraude (1905-1906) au Charles Brun (1908–1933). L'odyssée technique et humaine du sous-marin en France (in French). Vol. 2. Bourg-en-Bresse, France: Marines édition. ISBN 2-909675-34-3.
• Moore, J: Jane’s Fighting Ships of World War I (1919, reprinted 2003) ISBN 1 85170 378 0
• Roche, Jean-Michel (2005). "Classement par types". Dictionnaire des bâtiments de la flotte de guerre française de Colbert à nos jours 2, 1870 - 2006. Toulon: Roche. ISBN 978-2-9525917-0-6. OCLC 165892922.

External links

• The Émeraude class on navypedia.org
• French Submarines: 1863 - Now
• Sous-marins Français 1863 - (French)