The T 47 class were the first destroyers built for the French Navy

French Navy

The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...

 after the Second World War. Twelve ships were built between 1955 and 1957. The ships were modernised in the 1960s and decommissioned in the 1980s when they were replaced by Georges Leygues-class frigate

Georges Leygues class frigate

The Georges Leygues class is a class of anti-submarine frigates of the French Navy. They are polyvalent , due to their Exocet and Crotale missile complement, making them especially suitable for defence of strategic positions, demonstrations, or highseas escorts.The superstructures were built as to...

s

These ships were larger than other contemporary European destroyers and were based on the wartime Hardi-class destroyers but were enlarged and had a dual purpose armament. The ships were designed as fleet escorts rather than for independent operations therefore had a slower speed than their predecessors. The main guns were a French design firing a 127-mm (5-inch) shell, which enabled them to use US ammunition.

Original design

• Displacement: 2750 tons standard, 3740 tons full load
• Length: 128.6 m
• Beam: 12.7 m
• Draught: 5.4 m
• Machinery: 2 shafts, geared steam turbines, 4 boilers, 63,000 hp
• Speed: 34 knots
• Range: 5000 nmi at 18 knots
• Armament:
  • 6 - 127mm guns (3 twin turrets)
  • 6 - 57mm guns (3 twin turrets)
  • 4 - 20mm guns (4x1)
  • 12 - 550mm torpedo tubes (4x3)
• Crew: 347

AAW modernisation

Four ships were modernised as anti air warfare guided missile destroyers in 1962-1965

• Armament: 1 Tartar
  RIM-24 Tartar
  The General Dynamics RIM-24 Tartar was a medium-range naval surface-to-air missile , and was among the earliest surface-to-air missiles to equip United States Navy ships...
  
   missile launcher
  • 6 – 57-mm guns (3 twin turrets)
  • 1 anti-submarine mortar
• Crew 277

Anti-submarine modernisation

Five ships were modernised as anti submarine destroyers in 1968-1970

• Armament
  • 2 - 100mm guns
    French 100 mm naval gun
    Modern French 100 mm naval guns are multipurpose artillery pieces , capable of a high rate of fire. Most modern French warships are equipped with one of its versions.-History:...
    
    
  • 1 - anti-submarine mortar
  • 1 - Malafon
    Malafon
    Malafon was a French ship-launched anti-submarine missile system. Developed in the 1950s and 60s, the weapon was intended to take advantage of the greater detection ranges possible with towed sonar arrays. The missile entered service in 1966 and was manufactured by Groupe LatécoèreThe weapon is...
    
     anti-submarine missile launcher
  • 2 - 20mm guns

Ships

Pennant	Name	Named after	Builder	Commissioned	Modernisation	Fate
D621	Surcouf Surcouf D621 Surcouf was a of the French Navy. She was the fourth French ship named in honour of Robert Surcouf.-Design and construction:Laid down in February 1951 at Lorient and launched in October 1953, Surcouf was commissioned into the French Navy in 1955. She was the first of 18 T 47-class destroyers...	Robert Surcouf Robert Surcouf Robert Surcouf was a famous French corsair. During his legendary career, he captured 47 ships and was renowned for his gallantry and chivalry, earning the nickname of Roi des Corsaires .- Youth :...	Arsenal de Lorient	1 November 1955	None	Accidentally rammed in 1971; surviving aft part sunk as target in 1972.
D622	Kersaint	Armand de Kersaint Armand de Kersaint Armand-Guy-Simon de Coetnempren, comte de Kersaint, in short Armand de Kersaint , was a French sailor and politician. A Girondin, Kersaint held important naval posts during the early stages of the French Revolution...	Arsenal de Lorient	20 March 1956	anti-air	Decommissioned 1983
D623	Cassard	Jacques Cassard Jacques Cassard Jacques Cassard was a French naval officer and privateer.- Biography :Born on 30 September 1679 to a family of merchants of Nantes, Cassard began a career as a sailor at age 14 on the merchantmen owned by his family. In January 1697, he joined the French Navy on bombship Éclatante.In 1700,...	AC Bretagne	14 April 1956	none	Broken up 1974
D624	Bouvet	Jean-Baptiste Charles Bouvet de Lozier Jean-Baptiste Charles Bouvet de Lozier Jean Baptiste Charles Bouvet de Lozier was a French sailor, explorer, and governor of the Mascarene Islands.He was orphaned at the age of seven and after having been educated in Paris, he was sent to Saint Malo to study navigation. He became a lieutenant of the French East India Company in 1731...	Arsenal de Lorient	13 May 1956	anti-air	Decommissioned 1982
D625	Dupetit-Thouars	Aristide Aubert du Petit Thouars Aristide Aubert Du Petit Thouars Aristide Aubert Du Petit Thouars was a French naval officer, and a hero of the Battle of Aboukir, where he died....	Arsenal de Brest	15 September 1956	anti-air	Decommissioned 1988
D626	Chevalier Paul	Chevalier Paul Chevalier Paul Jean-Paul de Saumeur , often called Chevalier Paul was a French admiral who served in several Mediterranean campaigns.Saumeur began sailing at the age of twelve in the navy of the Order of Malta...	FC de la Geronde	22 December 1956	none	Decommissioned 1971
D627	Maillé-Brézé Maillé-Brézé (D627) Maillé-Brézé is a of the French Navy. She was built by Arsenal de Lorient in Lorient, commissioned on 4 May 1957 and named after the French admiral Jean Armand de Maillé-Brézé ....	Jean Armand de Maillé-Brézé Jean Armand de Maillé-Brézé Jean Armand de Maillé-Brézé was a French admiral.He was born in Milly-le-Meugon, in one of the most powerful French families of the time; his father was Urbain de Maillé-Brézé, marquis de Brézé, Marshal of France, his uncle Cardinal Richelieu, King Louis XIII's renowned minister, and his...	Arsenal de Lorient	4 May 1957	anti-submarine	Museum ship 1988
D628	Vauquelin	Moise Vauquelin Moise Vauquelin Moise Vauquelin or Moses Vanclein was a 17th century French buccaneer. During his four-year career as a privateer, he served as an officer under l'Ollonais and formed a brief partnership with Pierre Le Picard...	Arsenal de Lorient	3 November 1956	anti-submarine	Decommissioned 1986
D629	D'Estrées	Jean II d'Estrées Jean II d'Estrées Jean II d'Estrées, , was a Marshal of France, and an important naval commander of Louis XIV.Jean d'Estrées was born in a noble family from Picardie...  and Victor Marie d'Estrées	Arsenal de Brest	19 March 1957	anti-submarine	Decommissioned 1985
D630	Du Chayla	Armand Blanquet du Chayla Armand Blanquet du Chayla Count Armand Blanquet du Chayla was an officer in the French Navy, most famous as second in command of the French fleet during its defeat at the Battle of the Nile.-Early actions:...	Arsenal de Brest	4 June 1957	anti-air	Decommissioned 1991
D631	Casabianca	Luc-Julien-Joseph Casabianca Luc-Julien-Joseph Casabianca See Casabianca for other meaningsLuc-Julien-Joseph Casabianca was a French Navy officer.- Career :...	AC Bretagne	4 May 1957	anti-submarine	Decommissioned 1984
D632	Guépratte	Émile Paul Amable Guépratte Émile Paul Amable Guépratte Émile Paul Aimable Guépratte was a French admiral.Guépratte was born in Granville to a family of naval officers. He studied at the Lycée impérial in Brest from 1868, and joined the École Navale on 1 October 1871.... .	FC de la Géronde	6 June 1957	anti-submarine	Decommissioned 1985