French submarine Gymnote (Q1)

For the 1960s trials submarine, see French submarine Gymnote (S655).
Gymnote in 1889.
History
France
NameGymnote
NamesakeGymnotus
Laid down20 April 1887
Launched24 September 1888
Decommissioned1908
FateScrapped 1911
General characteristics
TypeSubmarine
Displacement30 tonnes (33 tons)
Length17.8 m (58 ft)
PropulsionElectric engine 41 kW (55 hp)
Speed
  • 7.3 knots (13.5 km/h; 8.4 mph) surfaced
  • 4.3 knots (8.0 km/h; 4.9 mph) submerged
Range
  • 65 nmi (120 km; 75 mi) at 5.0 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) surfaced
  • 25 nmi (46 km; 29 mi) at 4.3 knots (8.0 km/h; 4.9 mph) submerged
Complement5

Gymnote was one of the world's first all-electric submarines and the first functional submarine equipped with torpedoes.[1]

Launched on 24 September 1888, she was developed in France following early experiments by Henri Dupuy de Lôme, and, after his death, by Gustave Zédé (1825–1891) and Arthur Krebs, who completed the project. For Gymnote, Arthur Krebs developed the electric engine, the first naval periscope and the first naval electric gyrocompass. The name "Gymnote" refers to the Gymnotids, the "electric eels".

The submarine was built with a steel single hull, a detachable lead keel, and three hydroplanes on each side. She made over 2,000 dives, using 204 cell batteries. She was armed with two 355 mm (14 in) torpedoes.

Gymnote was partly inspired by the earlier development of the submarine Plongeur, the world's first mechanically powered submarine.

  1. ^ "Rue Gustave Zédé at v2asp.paris.fr". Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2016-03-06.