O'Byrne and her two sister ships (Henri Fournier and Louis Dupetit-Thouars) were ordered by the Romanian Government from the Schneider Shipyard in Chalon-sur-Saône, being laid down in April 1917. However France seized the submarines for its navy during World War I. The three submarines were subsequently completed for the French Navy, with larger bridges and conning towers. O'Byrne was the first to be launched (22 May 1919), followed by Henri Fournier (30 September 1919) and Louis Dupetit-Thouars (12 May 1920). They were completed and commissioned in 1921.
Each of the three submarines had a surfaced displacement of 342 tons, measuring 52.4m (171.9feet) in length, with a beam of 4.7m (15.4feet) and a draught of 2.7m (08.9feet). The power plant consisted of two Schneider diesel engines and two electric motors powering two shafts, resulting in a surfaced top speed of 14kn. Each vessel had a range of 1850nmi at and a crew of 25. Armament consisted of four 450 mm torpedo tubes and one 47 mm deck gun.[1] [2]
The three boats incorporated lessons from the French war experience, and thus proved to be reasonably successful.[2] They served in the Mediterranean after World War I, but their careers were uneventful, and they were taken out of service before the start of World War II.[1] Louis Dupetit-Thouars was stricken in November 1928 and her two sister ships in August 1935.[1]
The O'Byrne-class submarines were originally ordered by the Romanian Navy, but were confiscated by the French government while still under construction. Had O'Byrne been delivered to Romania upon completion, she would have become the first Romanian submarine.[3] This role would be fulfilled by the Italian-built in 1936.[3]
| O'Byrne-class submarines[4] | ||||
| Name | Laid down | Launched | Completed | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 1917 | 22 May 1919 | 1921 | Sold for scrap in 1935. | |
| 30 September 1919 | 1921 | Sold for scrap in 1935 | ||
| 12 May 1920 | 1921 | Sold for scrap in 1928 |