"Diderot" ( Fr. Diderot ) - squadron battleship of the naval forces of France . the fourth in a series of 6 units (Danton, Condorcet, Didro, Voltaire, Mirabeau, Vernio). Named in honor of the famous French writer, philosopher, enlightener and playwright Denis Diderot .
| "Didro" | |
|---|---|
| Diderot (1909) | |
 Battleship "Didro" | |
| Service | |
 | |
| Ship class and type | squadron battleship |
| Organization | French Navy |
| Manufacturer | ACh de la Loire , Saint-Nazaire |
| Construction started | Founded October 20, 1907 |
| Launched | April 19, 1909 |
| Commissioned | August 1, 1911 |
| Removed from the fleet | 1927 reclassified to training ship |
| Status | Removed from the fleet in 1936 , sold for cutting into metal in 1937 . |
| Main characteristics | |
| Displacement | 19,763 tons (full); 18,318 t (standard) |
| Length | 144.9 m (in / l) |
| Width | 25.8 m |
| Draft | 9.2 m |
| Booking | main belt 270–150 mm, top. deck 48 mm; bottom 45 mm deck towers GK 300 mm, 240 mm towers 200 mm, cutting 300 mm |
| Engines | 4 Parsons steam turbines, 26 boilers of Nikloss or Belleville on coal |
| Power | 22 500 l. with. |
| Travel speed | 19.2 knots |
| Navigation range | 13,800 miles |
| Crew | 923 people |
| Armament | |
| Artillery | 2 × 2 - 305/45 mm, 6 × 2 - 240/50 mm, 16 × 75/65 mm; 10 × 47 mm |
| Mine-torpedo armament | 2 × 450 mm TA (M12D) |
Construction
On December 26, 1906, the order for the construction of Diderot was received by Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire at Saint-Nazaire . Battleship was laid October 20, 1907 . Launched on April 19, 1909, and before August 1, 1911, completed completion afloat.
Service
After entry into service, the Diderot was assigned to the First Division of the First Division of the Mediterranean Fleet of France. In May-June 1913, the vessel participated in joint maneuvers held between Provence and Tunisia . After that, on June 7, 1913, the battleship participated in a naval review conducted by French President Raymond Poincaré .
In October-December 1913, Didro was included in the president’s escort for a tour of the Eastern Mediterranean. In May 1914, participated in a hike in the Mediterranean.
When World War I began in August 1914, the Diderot participated in the sinking of the Austro-Hungarian cruiser Zenta in the Adriatic Sea . For most of the war, the ship blocked the Straits of Otranto and the Dardanelles , preventing the German, Austro-Hungarian and Turkish warships from entering the Mediterranean .
Upgrade
During the war, 75 mm anti-aircraft guns were installed on the roofs of the two advanced 240-mm gun turrets of the ship. During 1918, the mainmast was shortened to allow the ship to fly a balloon; the elevation of the 240-millimeter cannons was increased, thanks to which their firing range increased to 18,000 meters.
Further service
After the end of the war "Didro" participated in the occupation of Constantinople. In 1922-1925, the Didro was modernized and later became a training ship. Decommissioned in 1936, and sold for cutting into metal in 1937 .
Literature
- Conway's All the Worlds Fighting Ships: 1906–1921. - Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1984. - ISBN 0-85177-245-5 .
- Gille, Eric. Cent ans de cuirassés français. - Nantes: Marines, 1999. - ISBN 2-909675-50-5 .
- Meirat, Jean. French Battleships Vernigaud and Condorcet (Neopr.) // FPDS Newsletter. - Akron, Ohio: FPDS, 1978. - T. VI , No. 1 . - p . 5-6 .
- Silverstone, Paul H. Directory of the World's Capital Ships. - New York: Hippocrene Books, 1984. - ISBN 0-88254-979-0 .