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French destroyer Tartu (1931)

Tartu was one of six Vauquelin-class destroyers (contre-torpilleurs) built for the French Navy during the 1930s. The ship entered service in 1933 and spent most of her career in the Mediterranean. During the Spanish Civil War of 1936–1939, she was one of the ships that helped to enforce the non-intervention agreement. When France declared war on Germany in September 1939, all of the Vauquelins were assigned to the High Sea Forces (Forces de haute mer (FHM)) which was tasked to escort French convoys and support the other commands as needed. Tartu was briefly deployed to Scotland in early 1940 to support the Allied forces in the Norwegian Campaign, but returned to the Mediterranean in time to participate in Operation Vado, a bombardment of Italian coastal facilities after Italy entered the war in June.

Sister ship Vauquelin, about 1934
History
France
NameTartu
NamesakeJean-François Tartu
Ordered1 February 1930
BuilderAteliers et Chantiers de la Loire, Saint-Nazaire
Laid down14 September 1930
Launched7 December 1931
Completed31 December 1932
In service8 February 1933
FateScuttled, 27 November 1942
General characteristics
Class and typeVauquelin-class destroyer
Displacement
Length129.3 m (424 ft 3 in)
Beam11.8 m (38 ft 9 in)
Draft4.97 m (16 ft 4 in)
Installed power
Propulsion2 shafts; 2 geared steam turbines
Speed36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph)
Range3,000 nmi (5,600 km; 3,500 mi) at 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph)
Crew12 officers, 224 crewmen (wartime)
Armament

The Vichy French reformed the FHM after the French surrender in June. The ship was scuttled in Toulon when the Germans occupied Vichy France in November 1942. She was not significantly salvaged during the war and her wreck was broken up in 1956.

Design and description edit

 
Right elevation and plan of the Vauquelin class

The Vauquelin-class ships were designed as improved versions of the preceding Aigle-class destroyers. They had an overall length of 129.3 meters (424 ft 3 in), a beam of 11.8 meters (38 ft 9 in),[1] and a draft of 4.97 meters (16 ft 4 in). The ships displaced 2,441 metric tons (2,402 long tons) at standard[2] and 3,120 metric tons (3,070 long tons) at deep load. They were powered by two geared Zoelly steam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft, using steam provided by four du Temple boilers. The turbines were designed to produce 64,000 metric horsepower (47,000 kW; 63,000 shp), which would propel the ships at 36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph). During her sea trials on 24 August 1932, Tartu's turbines provided 72,790 PS (53,540 kW; 71,790 shp) and she reached 39.9 knots (73.9 km/h; 45.9 mph) for a single hour. The ships carried enough fuel oil to give them a range of 3,000 nautical miles (5,600 km; 3,500 mi) at 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph). Their crew consisted of 10 officers and 201 crewmen in peacetime and 12 officers and 220 enlisted men in wartime.[3]

The main armament of the Vauquelin-class ships consisted of five 138.6-millimeter (5.5 in) Modèle 1927 guns in single shielded mounts, one superfiring pair fore and aft of the superstructure and the fifth gun abaft the aft funnel. Their anti-aircraft armament consisted of four 37-millimeter (1.5 in) Modèle 1927 guns in single mounts positioned amidships and two twin mounts for 13.2-millimeter (0.52 in) Hotchkiss Modèle 1929 anti-aircraft machineguns on the forecastle deck abreast the bridge. The ships carried two above-water twin mounts for 550-millimeter (21.7 in) torpedo tubes, one pair on each broadside between each pair of funnels as well as one triple mount aft of the rear pair of funnels able to traverse to both sides. A pair of depth charge chutes were built into their stern; these housed a total of sixteen 200-kilogram (440 lb) depth charges, with eight more in reserve. They were also fitted with a pair of depth-charge throwers, one on each broadside abreast the aft funnels, for which they carried a dozen 100-kilogram (220 lb) depth charges. The ships could be fitted with rails to drop 40 Breguet B4 530-kilogram (1,170 lb) mines.[4]

Modifications edit

The depth-charge throwers were removed in 1936 and more 200-kilogram depth charges were carried in their place. The Navy reconsidered its anti-submarine warfare tactics after the war began in September and intended to reinstate the depth-charge throwers, although these were an older model than the one previously installed; Tartu had not received her as of early 1942. As an interim measure, a pair of rails were installed on the stern for 35-kilogram (77 lb) depth charges. Each rail could accommodate three depth charges and ten more were stored in the magazine. During the ship's mid-1941 anti-aircraft refit, the mainmast was replaced by a platform for a single 37-millimeter twin-gun mount and two of her single 37-millimeter mounts were transferred to the platform while the other two single mounts were removed. The Hotchkiss machineguns were on new platforms between the funnels and a pair of Browning 13.2-millimeter AA machineguns were installed in front of the bridge. Tartu received a British Alpha 128 ASDIC system in October 1941 that had been taken from another ship.[5][6]

Construction and career edit

 
Elevated view of Tartu (right) and Vauquelin docked in Monte Carlo about 1935

Tartu, named after Jean-François Tartu, was ordered on 1 February 1930 from Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire as part of the 1929 Naval Program. She was laid down at their Saint-Nazaire shipyard on 14 September 1930, launched on 7 December 1931, commissioned on 1 October 1932 and entered service on 8 February 1933. She was the only ship of her class to be completed on schedule.[7]

When the Vauquelins entered service they were assigned to the 5th and the newly formed 6th Light Divisions (Division légère (DL)) which were later redesignated as scout divisions (Division de contre-torpilleurs). Tartu and her sister ships Chevalier Paul and Cassard were assigned to the 5th DL of the group of large destroyers (Groupe de contre-torpilleurs (GCT) of the 3rd Squadron (3e Escadre), based in Toulon. Tartu served as the flagship of the GCT, which reverted to its previous designation of the 3rd Light Squadron on 15 September 1936, until relieved by her sister Maillé Brézé on 12 October 1938. On 27 June 1935, all of the Vauquelins, except Cassard, participated in a naval review conducted by the Navy Minister (Ministre de la Marine) François Piétri in the Baie de Douarnenez after combined maneuvers by the 1st and 2nd Squadrons.[8]

After the start of the Spanish Civil War in July 1936, the contre-torpilleurs and destroyers in the Mediterranean were assigned to assist French citizens in Spain and to patrol the surveillance zones assigned to France on a monthly rotation beginning on 24 September as part of the non-intervention agreement. As of 1 October Tartu was the flagship of Rear Admiral (Contre-amiral) Emmanuel Ollive while still assigned to the 5th Light Division together with her sisters Chevalier Paul and Vauquelin. Her other sisters Kersaint, Maillé Brézé and Cassard belonged to the 9th Light Division, both of which were assigned to the Mediterranean Squadron. In May–June 1938 the Mediterranean Squadron cruised the Eastern Mediterranean; the squadron was redesignated at the Mediterranean Fleet (Flotte de la Méditerranée) on 1 July 1939.[9]

World War II edit

On 27 August 1939, in anticipation of war with Nazi Germany, the French Navy planned to reorganize the Mediterranean Squadron into the FHM of three squadrons. When France declared war on 3 September, the reorganization was ordered and the 3rd Light Squadron, which included the 5th and 9th Scout Divisions with all of the Vauquelin-class ships, was assigned to the 3rd Squadron which was transferred to Oran, French Algeria, on 3 September. On 5 April 1940, the 5th Scout Division with Chevalier Paul, Tartu and Maillé Brézé was assigned to Force Z in anticipation of an Allied invasion of Norway; their mission was to escort convoys between Scotland and Norway. The German invasion on 9 April preempted the Allies and Tartu did not begin her escort duties until mid-April when she covered Convoy FP-1 transporting the 5th Demi-Brigade of Mountain Infantry (5e Demi-Brigade de Chasseurs alpins) to participate in the Namsos Campaign on 19 April. On 24–27 April, the ship escorted Convoy FP-2 conveying the 27th Demi-Brigade of Mountain Infantry to Harstad, Norway, to join the Battle of Narvik. On 3–4 May she joined Chevalier Paul, the destroyer Milan and the British destroyers HMS Sikh and HMS Tartar in an unsuccessful attempt to intercept a German convoy. The 5th Scout Division returned to Toulon on 27 May as the Mediterranean Fleet was developing plans to attack the Italians in case they decided to join the war. After the Italians declared war on 10 June, the fleet planned to bombard installations on the Italian coast. Tartu and the rest of the 5th Scout Division were among the ships ordered to attack targets in Vado Ligure. The destroyer was tasked to bombard the Nafta oil tanks. Two Italian MAS boats on patrol attempted to attack the French ships, but only one was able to launch a torpedo before they were driven off with light damage by the French defensive fire. Damage assessments afterward revealed that little damage had been inflicted despite expending over 1,600 rounds of all calibers during the bombardment.[10]

 
Tartu after she had been scuttled

After the French surrender on 22 June, the Royal Navy attacked the ships in Mers-el-Kébir, French Algeria, on 3 July to prevent them from being turned over to the Germans. To avoid an attack on the ships based nearby in Oran, they steamed for Toulon and Tartu was one of the ships that rendezvoused with them en route and escorted them to Toulon. The Vichy French reformed the FHM on 25 September after it negotiated rules limiting the force's activities and numbers with the Italian and German Armistice Commissions. Tartu was in reserve until she was assigned to it on 15 November. After the Allies invaded French Lebanon and Syria in June 1941, Tartu, Cassard and the heavy cruiser Foch transported a battalion of infantry from Algiers, French Algeria, to Marseilles that was intended to reinforce the Levant between 30 June and 1 July. Shortly afterwards, Tartu began a refit that lasted from 4 July to 4 August. The ship was transferred to Algiers, French Algeria, in early December to prepare to escort the damaged battleship Dunkerque back to Toulon in February 1942. After the Allies invaded French North Africa on 8 November, the Germans attempted to capture the French ships in Toulon intact on 27 November, but the ship was scuttled by her crew. Tartu settled to the harbor bottom and took on a list; salvage attempts were abandoned on 11 December 1943. Her wreck was struck by bombs during three Allied air raids in March–April 1944 during the war and her wreck was broken up in 1956.[11]

Notes edit

  1. ^ Jordan & Moulin, p. 112
  2. ^ Chesneau, p. 268
  3. ^ Jordan & Moulin, pp. 112, 116
  4. ^ Jordan & Moulin, pp. 112, 120
  5. ^ Jordan & Moulin, pp. 123–128
  6. ^ Whitley, p. 41
  7. ^ Jordan & Moulin, pp. 109–110
  8. ^ Jordan & Moulin, pp. 206–208, 213–215
  9. ^ Jordan & Moulin, pp. 206–208, 213–214
  10. ^ Jordan & Moulin, pp. 222, 226–227, 229–230; Rohwer, p. 21–22, 28
  11. ^ Jordan & Moulin, pp. 236–237, 247

References edit

  • Chesneau, Roger, ed. (1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Greenwich, UK: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-146-7.
  • Jordan, John & Moulin, Jean (2015). French Destroyers: Torpilleurs d'Escadre & Contre-Torpilleurs 1922–1956. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-198-4.
  • Rohwer, Jürgen (2005). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two (Third Revised ed.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-59114-119-2.
  • Whitley, M. J. (1988). Destroyers of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-326-1.

french, destroyer, tartu, 1931, other, ships, with, same, name, french, ship, tartu, tartu, vauquelin, class, destroyers, contre, torpilleurs, built, french, navy, during, 1930s, ship, entered, service, 1933, spent, most, career, mediterranean, during, spanish. For other ships with the same name see French ship Tartu Tartu was one of six Vauquelin class destroyers contre torpilleurs built for the French Navy during the 1930s The ship entered service in 1933 and spent most of her career in the Mediterranean During the Spanish Civil War of 1936 1939 she was one of the ships that helped to enforce the non intervention agreement When France declared war on Germany in September 1939 all of the Vauquelins were assigned to the High Sea Forces Forces de haute mer FHM which was tasked to escort French convoys and support the other commands as needed Tartu was briefly deployed to Scotland in early 1940 to support the Allied forces in the Norwegian Campaign but returned to the Mediterranean in time to participate in Operation Vado a bombardment of Italian coastal facilities after Italy entered the war in June Sister ship Vauquelin about 1934History France NameTartu NamesakeJean Francois Tartu Ordered1 February 1930 BuilderAteliers et Chantiers de la Loire Saint Nazaire Laid down14 September 1930 Launched7 December 1931 Completed31 December 1932 In service8 February 1933 FateScuttled 27 November 1942 General characteristics Class and typeVauquelin class destroyer Displacement2 441 t 2 402 long tons standard 3 120 t 3 070 long tons deep load Length129 3 m 424 ft 3 in Beam11 8 m 38 ft 9 in Draft4 97 m 16 ft 4 in Installed power4 du Temple boilers 64 000 PS 47 000 kW 63 000 shp Propulsion2 shafts 2 geared steam turbines Speed36 knots 67 km h 41 mph Range3 000 nmi 5 600 km 3 500 mi at 14 knots 26 km h 16 mph Crew12 officers 224 crewmen wartime Armament5 single 138 6 mm 5 5 in guns 4 single 37 mm 1 5 in anti aircraft guns 2 twin 13 2 mm 0 52 in anti aircraft machineguns 1 triple 2 twin 550 mm 21 7 in torpedo tubes 2 chutes and 2 throwers for 36 depth charges 40 mines The Vichy French reformed the FHM after the French surrender in June The ship was scuttled in Toulon when the Germans occupied Vichy France in November 1942 She was not significantly salvaged during the war and her wreck was broken up in 1956 Contents 1 Design and description 1 1 Modifications 2 Construction and career 2 1 World War II 3 Notes 4 ReferencesDesign and description edit nbsp Right elevation and plan of the Vauquelin class The Vauquelin class ships were designed as improved versions of the preceding Aigle class destroyers They had an overall length of 129 3 meters 424 ft 3 in a beam of 11 8 meters 38 ft 9 in 1 and a draft of 4 97 meters 16 ft 4 in The ships displaced 2 441 metric tons 2 402 long tons at standard 2 and 3 120 metric tons 3 070 long tons at deep load They were powered by two geared Zoelly steam turbines each driving one propeller shaft using steam provided by four du Temple boilers The turbines were designed to produce 64 000 metric horsepower 47 000 kW 63 000 shp which would propel the ships at 36 knots 67 km h 41 mph During her sea trials on 24 August 1932 Tartu s turbines provided 72 790 PS 53 540 kW 71 790 shp and she reached 39 9 knots 73 9 km h 45 9 mph for a single hour The ships carried enough fuel oil to give them a range of 3 000 nautical miles 5 600 km 3 500 mi at 14 knots 26 km h 16 mph Their crew consisted of 10 officers and 201 crewmen in peacetime and 12 officers and 220 enlisted men in wartime 3 The main armament of the Vauquelin class ships consisted of five 138 6 millimeter 5 5 in Modele 1927 guns in single shielded mounts one superfiring pair fore and aft of the superstructure and the fifth gun abaft the aft funnel Their anti aircraft armament consisted of four 37 millimeter 1 5 in Modele 1927 guns in single mounts positioned amidships and two twin mounts for 13 2 millimeter 0 52 in Hotchkiss Modele 1929 anti aircraft machineguns on the forecastle deck abreast the bridge The ships carried two above water twin mounts for 550 millimeter 21 7 in torpedo tubes one pair on each broadside between each pair of funnels as well as one triple mount aft of the rear pair of funnels able to traverse to both sides A pair of depth charge chutes were built into their stern these housed a total of sixteen 200 kilogram 440 lb depth charges with eight more in reserve They were also fitted with a pair of depth charge throwers one on each broadside abreast the aft funnels for which they carried a dozen 100 kilogram 220 lb depth charges The ships could be fitted with rails to drop 40 Breguet B4 530 kilogram 1 170 lb mines 4 Modifications edit The depth charge throwers were removed in 1936 and more 200 kilogram depth charges were carried in their place The Navy reconsidered its anti submarine warfare tactics after the war began in September and intended to reinstate the depth charge throwers although these were an older model than the one previously installed Tartu had not received her as of early 1942 As an interim measure a pair of rails were installed on the stern for 35 kilogram 77 lb depth charges Each rail could accommodate three depth charges and ten more were stored in the magazine During the ship s mid 1941 anti aircraft refit the mainmast was replaced by a platform for a single 37 millimeter twin gun mount and two of her single 37 millimeter mounts were transferred to the platform while the other two single mounts were removed The Hotchkiss machineguns were on new platforms between the funnels and a pair of Browning 13 2 millimeter AA machineguns were installed in front of the bridge Tartu received a British Alpha 128 ASDIC system in October 1941 that had been taken from another ship 5 6 Construction and career edit nbsp Elevated view of Tartu right and Vauquelin docked in Monte Carlo about 1935 Tartu named after Jean Francois Tartu was ordered on 1 February 1930 from Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire as part of the 1929 Naval Program She was laid down at their Saint Nazaire shipyard on 14 September 1930 launched on 7 December 1931 commissioned on 1 October 1932 and entered service on 8 February 1933 She was the only ship of her class to be completed on schedule 7 When the Vauquelins entered service they were assigned to the 5th and the newly formed 6th Light Divisions Division legere DL which were later redesignated as scout divisions Division de contre torpilleurs Tartu and her sister ships Chevalier Paul and Cassard were assigned to the 5th DL of the group of large destroyers Groupe de contre torpilleurs GCT of the 3rd Squadron 3e Escadre based in Toulon Tartu served as the flagship of the GCT which reverted to its previous designation of the 3rd Light Squadron on 15 September 1936 until relieved by her sister Maille Breze on 12 October 1938 On 27 June 1935 all of the Vauquelins except Cassard participated in a naval review conducted by the Navy Minister Ministre de la Marine Francois Pietri in the Baie de Douarnenez after combined maneuvers by the 1st and 2nd Squadrons 8 After the start of the Spanish Civil War in July 1936 the contre torpilleurs and destroyers in the Mediterranean were assigned to assist French citizens in Spain and to patrol the surveillance zones assigned to France on a monthly rotation beginning on 24 September as part of the non intervention agreement As of 1 October Tartu was the flagship of Rear Admiral Contre amiral Emmanuel Ollive while still assigned to the 5th Light Division together with her sisters Chevalier Paul and Vauquelin Her other sisters Kersaint Maille Breze and Cassard belonged to the 9th Light Division both of which were assigned to the Mediterranean Squadron In May June 1938 the Mediterranean Squadron cruised the Eastern Mediterranean the squadron was redesignated at the Mediterranean Fleet Flotte de la Mediterranee on 1 July 1939 9 World War II edit On 27 August 1939 in anticipation of war with Nazi Germany the French Navy planned to reorganize the Mediterranean Squadron into the FHM of three squadrons When France declared war on 3 September the reorganization was ordered and the 3rd Light Squadron which included the 5th and 9th Scout Divisions with all of the Vauquelin class ships was assigned to the 3rd Squadron which was transferred to Oran French Algeria on 3 September On 5 April 1940 the 5th Scout Division with Chevalier Paul Tartu and Maille Breze was assigned to Force Z in anticipation of an Allied invasion of Norway their mission was to escort convoys between Scotland and Norway The German invasion on 9 April preempted the Allies and Tartu did not begin her escort duties until mid April when she covered Convoy FP 1 transporting the 5th Demi Brigade of Mountain Infantry 5e Demi Brigade de Chasseurs alpins to participate in the Namsos Campaign on 19 April On 24 27 April the ship escorted Convoy FP 2 conveying the 27th Demi Brigade of Mountain Infantry to Harstad Norway to join the Battle of Narvik On 3 4 May she joined Chevalier Paul the destroyer Milan and the British destroyers HMS Sikh and HMS Tartar in an unsuccessful attempt to intercept a German convoy The 5th Scout Division returned to Toulon on 27 May as the Mediterranean Fleet was developing plans to attack the Italians in case they decided to join the war After the Italians declared war on 10 June the fleet planned to bombard installations on the Italian coast Tartu and the rest of the 5th Scout Division were among the ships ordered to attack targets in Vado Ligure The destroyer was tasked to bombard the Nafta oil tanks Two Italian MAS boats on patrol attempted to attack the French ships but only one was able to launch a torpedo before they were driven off with light damage by the French defensive fire Damage assessments afterward revealed that little damage had been inflicted despite expending over 1 600 rounds of all calibers during the bombardment 10 nbsp Tartu after she had been scuttled After the French surrender on 22 June the Royal Navy attacked the ships in Mers el Kebir French Algeria on 3 July to prevent them from being turned over to the Germans To avoid an attack on the ships based nearby in Oran they steamed for Toulon and Tartu was one of the ships that rendezvoused with them en route and escorted them to Toulon The Vichy French reformed the FHM on 25 September after it negotiated rules limiting the force s activities and numbers with the Italian and German Armistice Commissions Tartu was in reserve until she was assigned to it on 15 November After the Allies invaded French Lebanon and Syria in June 1941 Tartu Cassard and the heavy cruiser Foch transported a battalion of infantry from Algiers French Algeria to Marseilles that was intended to reinforce the Levant between 30 June and 1 July Shortly afterwards Tartu began a refit that lasted from 4 July to 4 August The ship was transferred to Algiers French Algeria in early December to prepare to escort the damaged battleship Dunkerque back to Toulon in February 1942 After the Allies invaded French North Africa on 8 November the Germans attempted to capture the French ships in Toulon intact on 27 November but the ship was scuttled by her crew Tartu settled to the harbor bottom and took on a list salvage attempts were abandoned on 11 December 1943 Her wreck was struck by bombs during three Allied air raids in March April 1944 during the war and her wreck was broken up in 1956 11 Notes edit Jordan amp Moulin p 112 Chesneau p 268 Jordan amp Moulin pp 112 116 Jordan amp Moulin pp 112 120 Jordan amp Moulin pp 123 128 Whitley p 41 Jordan amp Moulin pp 109 110 Jordan amp Moulin pp 206 208 213 215 Jordan amp Moulin pp 206 208 213 214 Jordan amp Moulin pp 222 226 227 229 230 Rohwer p 21 22 28 Jordan amp Moulin pp 236 237 247References editChesneau Roger ed 1980 Conway s All the World s Fighting Ships 1922 1946 Greenwich UK Conway Maritime Press ISBN 0 85177 146 7 Jordan John amp Moulin Jean 2015 French Destroyers Torpilleurs d Escadre amp Contre Torpilleurs 1922 1956 Barnsley UK Seaforth Publishing ISBN 978 1 84832 198 4 Rohwer Jurgen 2005 Chronology of the War at Sea 1939 1945 The Naval History of World War Two Third Revised ed Annapolis Maryland Naval Institute Press ISBN 1 59114 119 2 Whitley M J 1988 Destroyers of World War Two An International Encyclopedia Annapolis Maryland Naval Institute Press ISBN 0 87021 326 1 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title French destroyer Tartu 1931 amp oldid 1151041290, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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