- Yes
- No
Hello and welcome to this new suggestion.
Today we’re looking at one of the variants of the French Navy’s T47-class destroyers. I’m talking about the Malafon refit, which is present on the escort ship Maillé Brézé (D622).
The Maillé-Brézé (D627) is a Type T 47 escort ship, built for the French Navy in the 1950s. It was laid down in 1953 at the Brest shipyards, launched in 1955, and commissioned in 1957. Named in tribute to Jean Armand de Maillé, Marquis de Brézé, a naval officer and brother-in-law of Richelieu who died in naval combat in 1646, the ship was initially designed for anti-aircraft warfare in a context marked by the Cold War. The Maillé-Brézé is one of a series of 18 escort ships intended to accompany major French naval units, while ensuring defense against air and submarine threats. In the 1960s, it was modernized to become a missile escort ship, receiving in particular Malafon missile ramps and modernized electronic equipment.
During its 25 years of service, the Maillé-Brézé participated in numerous escort, training, and maritime presence missions, both in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. It played an active role in the French fleet during the Cold War, as an anti-submarine warfare platform and naval group protection. Decommissioned in 1988, it was saved from dismantling thanks to a heritage initiative and in 1991 became a floating museum in Nantes, classified as a historic monument. Today, it is the only surviving escort ship in France, and one of the rare examples of post-war French warships accessible to the public. A true witness to the evolution of the French Navy in the second half of the 20th century, the Maillé-Brézé also served as a film set, notably for Christopher Nolan’s film Dunkirk.
Characteristics
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Length : 132 m
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Width : 12 m
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Draft : 5 m
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Mass : 3900 tons
The ship is powered by a 63,000 hp Parsons turbine, driving two propeller shafts, which allows the ship to reach a speed of 32 knots. The estimated range is 4,100 nautical miles at a speed of 15 knots, or 11 days at sea.
Equipment
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Radar :
- DRBV22 air surveillance radar
- DRBV50 sea surveillance radar
- DRBN32 navigation radar
- DRBC32A fire control radar
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Sonar :
- DUBV 23 hull sonar
- DUBV 43 towed sonar
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Decoys :
- ARBR/ARBA 10C radar detector (RWR)
Weapons
- Before 1967 :
- 2 x 3 127mm mle 1948 canons
- 2 x 3 57mm mle 1951 canons
- 4 x 20mm canons
- 4 x 3 torpedo tube (2x3 short for anti sub and 2x3 long for anti ship)
After the Malafon refit between 1967 and 1968, the Maillé Brézé became a combat ship focused on anti-submarine hunting missions, receiving new weapons to improve its capabilities in this area and losing some anti-aircraft warfare equipment.
- After 1968 :
- 2 x 100mm Mod 53 canons
- 1 x 1 x 375mm Mod 1972 x 6 anti-submarine rocket launcher (turret on front platform)
- 1 x Malafon launcher
- 2 x 20mm canons
- 2 x 3 torpedo tube (short tube for anti sub torpedo)
The Malafon launcher allows the launch of a “glider” directed by the ship and initially propelled by a powder charge (maximum speed of 800 km/h allowing a maximum range of 13 kilometers). This glider carries a 553 mm L4 torpedo which it releases at the desired moment in order to hit a target more precisely. The firing coordinates and the release distance are provided by the launcher ship’s sonar.
The version of the ship that I am proposing is the one after the redesign, in fact the “standard” version is present on many other ships, having this version would therefore allow us to bring some variants to the T47 destroyers.
In game this ship (in its post 1968 version) would be the best that the French tree could have in terms of submarine hunter, allowing long distance shots via the ceiling or closer with rocket launchers and torpedoes, all while defending itself from aviation and light boats with its 100m guns. This ship would therefore be in conclusion a very good addition for France, allowing to diversify the tree with an easily balanced ship.
