Jaguar class Destroyer (1923)

French Navy – Contre-Torpilleurs de 2100 tonnes. 6 built 1922-1925, in service until 1943: Jaguar, Lynx, Tigre, Chacal, Leopard, Panthere

French Destroyers WW2

Bourrasque class | L'Adroit class | Le Hardi class | La Melpomène class* | Le Fier class*

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Jaguar class | Guepard class | Aigle class | Vauquelin class | Le Fantasque class | Mogador class

The Jaguar class destroyers marked the start of French endeavour toward a new type of destroyer, unlike anything France had built in the past. First off, the last classes in wartime were much smaller such as the Enseigne Roux (1915, 850t), Aventurier (950t), or Enseigne Gabolde (835t). It should be added that French naval construction stopped altogether due to manpower, material and resources being redirected exlusively to the land front. However studying after the end of hostilities in 1919, a study of the British V-W class and of flotilla leaders such as the Scott class pointed out towards two new standard, as resumed by the general staff on its reports of new contre-torpilleurs (“Counter-Torpedo Boats”)

This led to define two standards to completely renew the Marine Nationale’s fleet with modern assets: The 1500 (standard) and the 2500 tonnes (flotilla leaders). This framework pretty much defined the entire landscape of French destroyer from 1920 up to WW2. The Washington Treaty signed in Feb. 1922 only confirmed the individual tonnage to reach and defined what a standard and what a leader could be. France was in a very different situation than Britain regarding destroyers however: As said above, construction of new destroyers was put on hold. The early interwar saw the retention of 1910s 440 and 850 tonners, including the 675t Japanese Kaba class purchased by France in 1917 for a total of 38 vessels plus 9 war prize destroyers. They were gradually discarded 1927-1936. Thus left time to built four classes of leaders (The Chacals, seen here, Guepard, Aigle and Vauquelin) and two classes of standards, Bourrasque and L’Adroit class.

The French flotilla leaders not called as such, “conducteurs de flottille” (the litteral translation) being seldom referenced, but “contre-torpilleurs de 2100 tonnes”. They did not appeared from the blue. During the war, the French Navy was active in the Mediterranean and Atlantic, took part in many campaigns (such as the Dardanelles) and operations and lost ships. The naval staff had the occasion to see French destroyers in action in the Adriatic against their Austrian adversaries. In 1917 a project specified a 35 knots, 3500 nm range destroyer armed with four 4.5 inches guns and six torpedo tubes, no displacement precised. Due to the conditions described above, none was laid down. However the study of Admiral Senes, a former 2500t German S113 flotilla leader certainly gave insight into these new designs.
In 1919 so, the Naval General Staff (NGS) decided to split the role of the destroyer: Smaller “torpilleur d’escadre” (squadron torpedo boats) would have to attack a battleline with torpedoes and defending the French line from enemy torpedo craft while the larger”contre-torpilleur” were instead scouting (replacing light cruisers) first and foremost. This required high speed in all weather, good endurance and a powerful armament to defend themselves against enemy scout cruisers.
In 1921, just as the naval treaty was discussed, the naval staff relaunched a study for a 35 knots, 3500 nm destroyer, which was to have this time five main guns and six torpedo tubes. This was the start of the “2100 tonnes” new lineage, which was approved in 1922, and a first keel laid up on 24 August 1922 (lead vessel, Jaguar) at Lorient Arsenal.

Jaguar-class destroyers: predators of the seas. The Chacal-class destroyers were technological feats for their time. Built for the French Navy in the 1920s, they epitomized French naval power during the interwar period. A groundbreaking design: The Chacals were designed to be “destroyer killers,” fast, heavily armed ships capable of engaging and sinking enemy ships of similar size. Their design was groundbreaking, with a sleek hull and powerful propulsion that allowed them to reach high speeds.
Their armament was particularly impressive for their time. They were equipped with five 130 mm guns, capable of delivering precise and powerful salvos over long distances. These guns gave them superior firepower over most opposing destroyers.
A tragic fate: Unfortunately, the fate of the Chacals was marked by World War II. Several of them were sunk or damaged during the war. Chacal herself was sunk in 1940, after being severely damaged by German bombers.

Career of the Jaguar class

Note, most authors class these as the “Chacal class”, neither because of their laying down or launch date but alphabetical order. In france they always had been named the Jaguar class.

Jaguar Arsenal de Lorient 24 August 1922 17 November 1923 24 July 1926 Beached and wrecked after torpedoed by a German E-boat near Dunkirk, 23 May 1940[4]

Lynx 14 January 1924 25 February 1925 Scuttled at Toulon, 27 November 1942.

Tigre Ateliers et Chantiers de Bretagne, Nantes 28 September 1923 2 August 1924 1 February 1926 Scrapped, 1955[20]

Chacal Ateliers et Chantiers de Penhoët, Saint-Nazaire 18 September 1923 27 September 1924 12 June 1926 Sunk off Boulogne-sur-Mer by German aircraft, 24 May 1940[4]

Léopard Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire, Saint-Nazaire 14 August 1923 29 September 1924 10 October 1927 Run aground and wrecked, 27 May 1943[4]

Panthère Arsenal de Lorient 23 December 1923 27 October 1924 10 October 1926 Scuttled by Italy, 9 September 1943[4]

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