Bouclier counter torpedo boat class, Bouclier

Mathll · February 26, 2026, 8:02pm

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Hello everyone and welcome to this new suggestion.

Today I’m presenting a new class of French destroyer, the Bouclier class, and more specifically, the first ship of the class, the Bouclier.

Laid down in Le Havre in 1909, the Bouclier was the first ship of its class to join the French operational forces in 1911. This class of 12 ships represented a renewal for the French fleet, featuring an innovative design and more advanced armament than previous classes. It was quickly assigned to the First Naval Army in the Mediterranean, which it joined in 1904. There, it was integrated as a fleet destroyer, a type of ship tasked with escorting and protecting larger vessels from attacks by smaller torpedo boats and submarines.

During the First World War, the Bouclier primarily served as an escort vessel, participating in the French forces at the Battle of Antivari and subsequently escorting transport and cargo ships throughout the war in the Mediterranean. Indeed, following the torpedoing of the Jean Bart, the French Admiralty was forced to change its strategy, withdrawing its battleships and other heavy warships to protect them from submarine attacks and instead deploying its faster and more maneuverable destroyers to the front lines. Seeing combat on several occasions, the ship notably participated in the siege of Lastovo Island, supporting the Italian land offensive. The ship also sustained damage, for example, being hit by a German torpedo boat in 1917.

After the war, the Bouclier continued its career in the French Navy during the interwar period. Its longevity was remarkable: it was officially struck from the fleet lists on February 15, 1933, after more than twenty years of service.

Characteristics

Length : 72.3 m

Width : 7.6 m

Draft : 2.9 m

Mass : 703 tons

The ship is powered by a group of steam turbines fed by four boilers, giving it a total power of 13,000 hp, which allows the Bouclier to reach a speed of 30 knots. Its estimated range is 1,200 nautical miles at 12 knots. Its crew consists of 80 sailors.

Weapons

The ship’s armament is similar to that of its successor classes; however, being much smaller, this armament is far more concentrated.

Guns:

2 x 100mm Mle1893
4 x 65mm Mle1902

Torpedoes:

2 x 450mm Torpedo Tubes

In the game, this ship would provide a vessel capable of facing a number of threats and complementing a ship particularly well-suited to the tech tree.

Pictures

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