Le Hardi-class destroyer
 Hardi class destroyer
| |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Hardi |
| Succeeded by | T 47 class destroyer |
| Completed | 12 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Destroyer |
| Displacement | 1772 tons |
| Length | 117.20 m |
| Beam | 11.10 m |
| Draught | 4.20 m |
| Propulsion | 2 shaft Geared turbines, 4 boilers giving 58000 SHP |
| Speed | 37 knots |
| Range | 2760 nmi at 20 knots |
| Complement | 187 officers and men |
| Armament | 6 130mm (5.1in) guns (3 twin mounts)
2 37mm AA guns (2x1) 7 13.2mm machine guns 7 21in torpedo tubes (1x3, 2x2) |
The Hardi class was a group of twelve French navy destroyers (torpilleurs) laid down in 1936 to 1938 and eight ships were commissioned in 1940, with four ships never finished. They were the lighter counterparts to the very fast larger destroyers of the Mogador class, and the successors of Adroit class.
The ships of the Hardi class were significantly heavier than the Adroit's, carrying two additional 130mm guns in enclosed turrets and an extra torpedo tube. They were also 4kts faster being designed to operate with the new French fast battleships Dunkerque and Strasbourg.
Some of the eight ships of the class were renamed in 1941, taking the names of destroyers previously sunk during the war.
Ships
The ships of the class were:
| Ship | Builder | Launched | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardi | Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire, Nantes | 4 May 1938 | Scuttled 27 November 1942, raised as FR37, scuttled Genoa 24 April 1945 |
| Fleuret (later, Foudroyant) | Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée, La Seyne-sur-Mer | 28 July 1938 | Scuttled 27 November 1942, raised as FR35, Scuttled August 1944 |
| Épée (later renamed to Adroit) | Forges et Chantiers de la Gironde, Bordeaux | 26 October 1938 | Scuttled 27 November 1942, raised as FR33, returned to France in a non repairable condition |
| Mameluk | Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire, Nantes | 18 Feb 1939 | Scuttled 27 November 1942 |
| Casque | Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée, La Seyne-sur-Mer | 2 November 1938 | Scuttled 27 November 1942 |
| Flibustier | Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée, La Seyne-sur-Mer | 14 December 1949 | Scuttled 27 November 1942 |
| Lansequenet | Forges et Chantiers de la Gironde, Bordeaux | 20 May 1939 | Scuttled 27 November 1942,raised as FR34, scuttled Genoa 24 April 1945 |
| Corsaire (later renamed to Sirocco). | Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée, La Seyne-sur-Mer | 14 November 1939 | Scuttled 27 November 1942,raised as FR32, Scuttled in Genoa 1943 |
| Intrépide | Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée, La Seyne-sur-Mer | 26 June 1941 | Not completed, Scrapped post war |
| Téméraire | Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée, La Seyne-sur-Mer | 7 November 1941 | Not completed, Scrapped post war |
| Opiniâtre | Forges et Chantiers de la Gironde, Bordeaux | not launched | Intended for completion by the Germans, as the ZF2, never finished |
| Aventurier | Forges et Chantiers de la Gironde, Bordeaux | 20 April 1947 | Used as an experimental hulk post war, BU 1971 |
The entire class was scuttled in Toulon harbour in November 1942 to prevent them falling into German hands.
Three ships – Épée/Adroit, Fleuret/Foudroyant and Lansequenet, were raised, repaired and commissioned into the Italian navy during 1943 as FR33, FR36 and FR35 respectively. When Italy switched sides, all three were captured by the Germans. Épée was captured in turn by the Allies and the other two scuttled once more to prevent capture.
ZF2
The Hull of the Opiniâtre was captured intact and 16% complete in Bordeaux and the Kriegsmarine intended to complete her for service. Since French armament was not available and for standardisation with the rest of the German Navy, 12.7 cm guns and German pattern torpedo tubes were ordered. Work proceeded tardily until all progress was abandoned in July 1943. The hull was eventually broken up on the slip Ref
References
- Hardi class on uboat.net
- Whitley, M.H. (1988). Destroyers of World War 2. Cassell Publishing. ISBN 1-85409-521-8.