T53 destroyer La Bourdonnais (D634)

Mathll · February 24, 2026, 12:57am

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Hello everyone, and welcome to this new proposal.

Today I present to you a new ship of the T53 class, the Bourdonnais (D634).

Wishing to acquire anti-aircraft escorts with good combat capabilities to strengthen its fleet, decimated by the Second World War, France launched a major construction project for this type of ship in the late 1940s and early 1950s, thus giving rise to the three major classes of anti-aircraft escorts: the T47, T53, and T56 classes. The 14th of these ships and second in the T53 class, the Bourdonnais features all the characteristic features of these ships: high speed, decent anti-aircraft armament, and modern equipment such as radar.

Laid down in 1954 in Brest, the Bourdonnais was launched in 1955 and entered the French armed forces in 1958. Attached to “Force Alpha” between 1966 and 1968 (a French unit dedicated to conducting and securing nuclear tests on the Mururoa Atoll in the Pacific Ocean, this unit comprised military, logistics, and scientific vessels and was one of the main French forces of the time). The ship was decommissioned in 1976 and had the same end of its career as many other vessels of the era, initially serving as a breakwater before being used as a target for naval exercises. The Bourdonnais was subsequently sunk by an Exocet missile.

The Bourdonnais is named in honor of Bertrand François Mahé de la Bourdonnais, a sailor from Saint-Malo who was appointed Governor General of the islands of France and Bourbon. A ship captain in the Royal Navy, he is known for numerous feats of arms (occupation of the Seychelles, capture of Madras) as well as for his rivalry with Dupleix.

Characteristics

Length : 128.60 m
Width : 12.71 m
Draft : 5 m
Mass : 3750 tons

The ship is powered by a set of four boilers and three steam turbines connected to two fixed four-blade propellers, producing a power output of 63,000 hp, capable of reaching 34 knots under normal conditions (the maximum speed reached during trials was 38 knots). The ship has a range of 5,000 nautical miles at an average speed of 18 knots. Two turbo-generators and two alternators generate the electrical power required by the ship.

The crew consists of approximately 350 sailors.

Equipment

Before 1970 :
- Radar :
  - DRBV-22A air surveillance radar
  - DRBV-31 sea surveillance and navigation radar
  - DRBI-10B altimetry radar
  - 2 x DRBC-30 fire control radar (front one for the 127mm guns and back one for 57mm guns)
- Sonar :
  - DUBV-1B sonar
  - DUBA-1B sonar
After 1970 :
- Radar :
  - DRBV-22A air surveillance radar
  - DRBV-31 sea surveillance and navigation radar
  - DRBI-10B altimetry radar
  - 2 x DRBC-30 fire control radar (front one for the 127mm guns and back one for 57mm guns)
- Sonar :
  - DUBV-1B sonar
  - DUBA-1B sonar
- Tactical system :**
  - Senit 2 tactical information system

Weapons

3 x 2 127mm mle 1948 canons
3 x 2 57mm mle 1951 canons
2 x 1 20mm canons
1 x 375mm Mod 1972 x 6 anti-submarine rocket launcher
2 x 3 550mm torpedo tube

In-game, this ship would be an interesting addition to the French tree, providing a ship capable of combating all types of threats, whether naval or airborne. Thus, bringing a versatile and particularly interesting ship to the French bluewater tree.

Pictures

Video

Escorteur d’Escadre LA BOURDONNAIS

Sources