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FIGHTING SHIPS OF THE WORLD
FRANCE
TORPEDO SHIPS
NO29 small torpedo boats (1879 - 1882)


Ships


Names Builders Completed Losses Transfers Discarding

N°29; 30

N° 56-59

Thornycroft, Chiswick, UK: N°29, 30, 58, 59

F C de la Méditerranée, La Seyne: N°56, 57

1879: N°29, 30

1881: N°58, 59

1882: N°56, 57

none

none

1897-1904: N°29, 30, 57-59

1910: N°56



Technical data


Displacement normal, t

N°29, 30, 58, 59: 9

N°56, 57: 11

Displacement full, t 
Length, m

18.3

Breadth, m

2.28

Draught, m

0.58

No of shafts

1

Machinery

1 CR, 1 locomotive boiler

Power, h. p. 
Max speed, kts

12

Fuel, t

coal

Endurance, nm(kts) 
Armament

N°29, 30, 58, 59: 2 - 350 TC

N°56, 57: 1 - 350 TT (bow)

Complement12


Project history

The first pair were ordered 1.4.1878, 58 and 59 on 16.8.1880 and the remainder on 15.2.1881. 56 and 57 were built to a modified design at La Seyne, and had a ram bow; they proved to be a full 2kts slower on trials than the straight-stemmed Thornycroft boats (14.6kts as opposed to 16.2-16.9kts). The French-built boats were fitted with two 'impulse-tubes' which fired the torpedo using an explosive charge whereas the others had the usual torpedo 'frame' dropping gear.

Modernizations

None.

Naval service

They spent most of their careers aboard the TB transport Japon and later aboard the cruiser-like La Foudre until replaced by the specially-built 'alphabetical' TBs. They were stricken or sold between 1897 and 1904, although 56 survived until 1910.