The Guêpe-class submarines, designed by Emmanuel Petithomme and built under French Minister of Marine Camille Pelletan's ministry, were solely intended for use in harbor defense.[1] [2] Although ten were projected, only two of the class were laid down in Cherbourg.[2] [3] Neither of these were completed before Camille Pelletan was replaced as Minister of Marine and his successor cancelled their construction.[2] [4] The class-name, "guêpe", is French for wasp.
With a single-hull design, the Guêpe-class submarines were planned to have a surfaced displacement of 44 tons,[1] and were 20.5m (67.3feet) in length, with a beam of 2.1m (06.9feet).[2] If built, the Guêpe submarines would have been powered by one Schneider diesel engine driving a single shaft, which would have provided a top speed of 10.5kn when surfaced and 9kn when submerged. Each vessel would have had a range of 128nmi at, while surfaced, and 80nmi at 6kn when submerged, and had a crew of seven. Guêpe-class submarines had a maximum depth of 20m (70feet). The vessels' armament would have consisted solely of two 4501NaN1 Drzewiecki drop collar torpedo launchers.
Ordered in 1904, Guêpe 1 and Guêpe 2 were laid down in 1906 at the Cherbourg Naval Base.[2] [3] Eight more boats, Guêpe 3 to 10, were planned to be built in Cherbourg, Rochefort, and Brest. Only the first two submarines were ordered on 8 October 1904 and laid down. Construction stopped in March 1908. The pennant numbers Q 51 to 58, reserved for Guêpe 3 to Guêpe 10, were assigned the following year to Pluviôse-class submarines.
| Guêpe-class submarines | |||
| Name | Ordered | Laid down | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guêpe 1 | 1904 | 1906 | Construction stopped in 1908 |
| Guêpe 2 | Construction stopped in 1908 | ||
| Guêpe 3 | Cancelled in 1908 | ||
| Guêpe 4 | Cancelled in 1908 | ||
| Guêpe 5 | Cancelled in 1908 | ||
| Guêpe 6 | Cancelled in 1908 | ||
| Guêpe 7 | Cancelled in 1908 | ||
| Guêpe 8 | Cancelled in 1908 | ||
| Guêpe 9 | Cancelled in 1908 | ||
| Guêpe 10 | Cancelled in 1908 |