French battleship Suffren
Encyclopedia : F : FR : FRE : French battleship Suffren
| |
| Warship | |
|---|---|
| Shipyard: | Brest, France |
| Laid down: | 5 January 1899 |
| Launched: | 25 July 1899 |
| Commissioned: | 1903 |
| Fate: | Torpedoed by U-52, 26 November 1916 |
| General Characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 12,750 tons |
| Length: | 422½ ft (128.8 m) |
| Beam: | 70 ft (21.3 m) |
| Draft: | 28¼ ft (8.6 m) |
| Propulsion: | 3 screws |
| Speed: | 18 knots at 16,000 hp |
| Complement: | 730 |
| Armament: | 4 × 12-in/45-cal guns 10 × 6.4-in/45-cal guns 8 × 4-in guns 22 × 3-pounder guns 4 × 18-in torpedo tubes |
In 1915, Suffren was the flagship of the squadron of four French battleships, commanded by Rear-Admiral Émile Guépratte, which took part in the naval operations in the Dardanelles Campaign. During the attack on the Narrows of the Dardanelles on 18 March 1915, Suffren suffered heavy damage from Turkish shore-based artillery which flooded compartments and disabled a number of guns. Suffren underwent repairs at Malta.
Having supported operations at Gallipoli and Salonika, Suffren was returning to Lorient for a refit when, on 26 November 1916, off the Portuguese coast near Lisbon, she was torpedoed by U-52. Accumulated damage meant she could only manage 10 knots but heavy seas meant she was only travelling at 9 knots, and without an escort, when attacked. The torpedo detonated a magazine and Suffren sank within seconds, taking the crew of 648 with her.
See French ship Suffren for other ships of this name.
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