T 53-class destroyer explained

The T 53 class were the second group of destroyers built for the French Navy after World War II. These ships were a modified version of the s. The main difference with the preceding ships was the provision of improved air warning and tracking radars as well as an anti-submarine mortar. The ships were built between 1957 and 1958 and were decommissioned in the late 1970s or early 1980s. A single modified ship La Galissonnière was built as a trials ship for a new generation of French weapons. This ship was designated as the T 56 class.

Modifications

In 1972–73 two of the class were substantially modified:

• Duperré was completely rearmed with a Model 1968 1000NaN0 main gun, four Exocet MM38 missiles, two quadruple L5 torpedo launchers, and two 20 mm AA cannon. She was also fitted with a helipad to carry a Lynx WG13 helicopter.^[1]
• Forbin had her forward 57 mm turret removed, and her aft 127 mm turret was replaced by a helipad. She was then principally used as a naval aviation training ship alongside the helicopter cruiser .^[2]

La Galissonnière

La Galissonnière differed slightly in specification from the rest of the class as she was built specifically to test the Malafon anti-submarine missile.^[3]

• Length : 128m (420feet)
• Beam : 12m (39feet)
• Draught : 5m (16feet)
• Complement: 272
• 2 × Model 1953 1000NaN0 guns (2×1)
• 1 × Malafon anti-submarine missile launcher (13 missiles)
• 6 × 5501NaN1 torpedo tubes (2×3)
• 1 × quadruple 3050NaN0 anti-submarine mortar
• 2 × 20 mm AA cannon
• 1 × Alouette II or Alouette III helicopter

Ships

Pennant	Name	Named after	Builder	Commissioned	Fate
D633	[4]	Guy-Victor Duperré	Arsenal de Lorient	8 October 1957	Trials ship for Cormoran I sonar, 1967–71 Rearmed 1972 Decommissioned 1 June 1992. As of 2012 at Landévennec awaiting demolition.
D634	[5]	Bertrand-François Mahé de La Bourdonnais	Arsenal de Brest	3 March 1958	Decommissioned July 1976 Sunk by an Exocet SM39 from the submarine Ouessant, May 1992
D635	[6]	Claude de Forbin	Arsenal de Brest	1 February 1958	Converted to helicopter training ship, 1973 Decommissioned 1 June 1981 Sunk as a target off Brest, 17 May 1999
D636	[7]	Jean-François Tartu	AC Bretagne	5 February 1958	Decommissioned December 1979 Sunk, 80 miles off Lorient, 9 December 1998
D637	[8]	Bernard Jauréguiberry	FC de la Gironde	15 July 1958	Decommissioned 16 September 1977 Sunk by Exocet MM40 missile off the Île du Levant, 30 May 1986
D638	[9]	Roland-Michel Barrin de La Galissonière	Arsenal de Lorient	11 July 1962	Decommissioned 20 April 1990 Scrapped in Ghent, Belgium in 2015.

See also

• List of Escorteurs of the French Navy

Bibliography

• Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995
• Book: Jordan . John . Jordan . John . Warship 2021 . 2021 . Osprey Publishing . Oxford, UK . 978-1-4728-4779-9 . T 53 Duperré. 180–182.

External links

• ex-Duperre at anchorage in Brest, France 2004

Notes and References

1. Web site: Duperré : Caractéristiques principales . Jean-Michel . Roche . netmarine.net . 2012 . 26 March 2013. fr.
2. Web site: Forbin : Caractéristiques principales . Jean-Michel . Roche . netmarine.net . 2012 . 26 March 2013. fr.
3. Web site: La Galissonnière : Caractéristiques principales . Jean-Michel . Roche . netmarine.net . 2012 . 26 March 2013. fr.
4. Web site: Duperré . Jean-Michel . Roche . netmarine.net . 2012 . 26 March 2013. fr.
5. Web site: La Bourdonnais . Jean-Michel . Roche . netmarine.net . 2012 . 26 March 2013. fr.
6. Web site: Forbin . Jean-Michel . Roche . netmarine.net . 2012 . 26 March 2013. fr.
7. Web site: Tartu . Jean-Michel . Roche . netmarine.net . 2012 . 26 March 2013. fr.
8. Web site: Jauréguiberry . Jean-Michel . Roche . netmarine.net . 2012 . 26 March 2013. fr.
9. Web site: La Galissonnière . Jean-Michel . Roche . netmarine.net . 2012 . 26 March 2013. fr.