- Yes
- No
Hello everyone, and welcome to this new suggestion.
Today, I am presenting a new class of French destroyers from the First World War: the Claymore class. To begin, let me introduce the lead ship of the class, Claymore.
The Claymore class was the fifth class of destroyers developed for the French Navy and represented an attempt to improve upon the preceding Arquebuse class. A total of 13 vessels were built during the early 1900s, forming an important part of the pre-war French destroyer fleet.
The lead ship, Claymore, was laid down in 1904 at Le Havre. She entered active service with the French Navy in 1906 and was assigned to the Mediterranean Squadron. She spent the following years operating in the Mediterranean before being transferred to northern France in 1910, making Brest her new operational base.
When the First World War broke out in 1914, Claymore was still stationed off the coast of Brittany. She was deployed alongside other French destroyers to patrol the area and search for German submarines and surface vessels.
Despite these missions, Claymore never saw direct combat during the war. German surface forces rarely ventured into the open waters of the region, while enemy submarines proved difficult to locate and engage. As a result, much of her wartime career consisted of patrol and surveillance duties rather than direct engagements.
Following the end of the war, Claymore was deployed to the Baltic Sea as part of the French naval presence in the region. During this period, she also served for a time as a command ship.
In 1925, after more than two decades of service, Claymore was finally decommissioned and placed in reserve. Rather than being immediately scrapped, she was given a new role as a training vessel, helping prepare future naval engineers. The destroyer remained in this secondary role for several years before finally being sold and scrapped in 1928, bringing an end to the career of the lead ship of the Claymore class.
Characteristics
Length : 58.00 m
Width : 6.53 m
Draught : 2.95 m
Mass : 356 tons
The ship is powered by two steam engines fed by Normand boilers, delivering a total output of 6,800 hp. This allows the Claymore to reach a top speed of 28 knots and cover a range of 2,300 nautical miles at 10 knots.
Its crew consists of 60 sailors.
Weapons
The ship’s armament is very similar to that found on other destroyers of the era, centered around two torpedo tubes and supplemented by several small-caliber guns.
Guns:
- 1 x 65mm Model 1891 gun (bow)
- 6 x 47mm Hotchkiss guns (side-mounted)
Torpedoes:
- 2 x 450mm torpedo tubes (one amidships, one aft)
In-game, this ship would be an interesting addition to the French tech tree, offering a fast, lightly armed combat vessel with a versatile armament capable of engaging various threats—making it a welcome addition to the lineup.
Pictures
