French submarine Astrée (1915)
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 A colorized postcard of sister ship Andromaque | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 France | |
| Name | Astrée |
| Ordered | 8 January 1912 |
| Builder | Arsenal de Rochefort |
| Laid down | 25 November 1912 |
| Launched | 6 December 1915 |
| Commissioned | 11 June 1918 |
| Stricken | 9 November 1928 |
| Identification | Budget number: Q95 |
| Fate | Sold for scrap, 26 November 1930 |
| General characteristics (as built) | |
| Class & type | Amphitrite-class submarine |
| Displacement | |
| Length | 54 m (177 ft 2 in) (p/p) |
| Beam | 5.83 m (19 ft 2 in) (deep) |
| Draft | 3.46 m (11 ft 4 in) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion | 2 shafts |
| Speed |
|
| Range |
|
| Complement | 29 |
| Armament |
|
The French submarine Astrée was one of eight Amphitrite-class submarines built for the French Navy during the 1910s and completed during World War I. She was converted into a minelayer while under construction and completed in 1918. The boat saw little action during her deployment to the Adriatic Sea before the end of the war.
The Amphitrite class was built as part of the French Navy's 1909 building program,[1] intended as improved versions of the Clorinde class. Astrée and her sister Amarante were modified while building into minelayers. The minelayers displaced 452 metric tons (445 long tons) surfaced and 609 t (599 long tons) submerged. They had a length between perpendiculars of 54 meters (177 ft 2 in), a beam of 5.83 meters (19 ft 2 in), and a draft of 3.46 meters (11 ft 4 in). The crew of the boats numbered 29 officers and crewmen.[2]
For surface running, the minelayers were powered by a pair of two-cycle diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. The MAN-Loire engines were intended to produce a total of 1,300 metric horsepower (1,282 bhp; 956 kW), but were generally only capable of about 800 PS (789 bhp; 588 kW){{}}. During Astrée's sea trials on 28 March 1918, her eight-cylinder engines only produced 846 PS (834 bhp; 622 kW), enough for a speed of 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) rather than the designed 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph). The boats were generally capable of 12–13 knots (22–24 km/h; 14–15 mph) on the surface in service.[2] When submerged each shaft was driven by a 700-metric-horsepower (690 bhp; 515 kW) electric motor.[1] The designed speed underwater was 9.5 knots (17.6 km/h; 10.9 mph) although Astrée only reached a speed of 7.9 knots (14.6 km/h; 9.1 mph) from 624 PS (615 bhp; 459 kW) during her trials on 5 April. The minelayers carried enough kerosene to give them a surface endurance of 1,747 nautical miles (3,235 km; 2,010 mi) at 7.5 knots (13.9 km/h; 8.6 mph). Their submerged endurance was 108 nmi (200 km; 124 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph).[2]
Astrée and her sister were armed with two external bow 450-millimeter (17.7 in) torpedo tubes. Astrée's tubes were angled outwards 6° 34'. The pair were equipped with 10 vertical mine tubes, each holding one mine.[1][2][3]