French destroyer Framée

Framée was the name ship of her class of four destroyers built for the French Navy around the beginning of the 20th century. Completed in mid-1900, she was sunk in a collision with the predreadnought battleship two months later with the loss of 47 men.

Design and description

The Framées used the same hull design as the preceding, but had a more powerful propulsion plant. The ships had an overall length of, a beam of, and a maximum draft of. They displaced at normal load. They were powered by a pair of triple-expansion steam engines, each driving one propeller shaft using steam provided by four Normand boilers. The engines were designed to produce a total of to give the ships a speed of. During her sea trials in early 1900, Framée reached a speed of. The ships carried enough coal to give them a range of at. Their complement consisted of 4 officers and 57 enlisted men.
The Framée-class ships were armed with a single gun forward of the bridge and six [QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss|] Hotchkiss guns, three on each broadside. They were fitted with two single rotating torpedo tubes, one between the funnels and the other on the stern.

Construction and career

Framée was ordered from Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire on 27 October 1897 and the ship was laid down later that year at its shipyard in Nantes as the name ship of her class. She was launched on 29 June 1899 and arrived at Lorient on 25 January 1900 for fitting out and to conduct her sea trials that lasted through June. Although Framée was assigned to the Mediterranean Squadron on 29 June, she was temporarily assigned to the Northern Squadron while awaiting her sailing orders. On the night of 10/11 August 1900, while returning from exercises in the English Channel, she collided with Brennus off Cape St. Vincent. Framée sank quickly, with 47 of her crew of 61 killed. The ship was struck from the navy list on 26 October.