The Claymore and Branlebas contre-torpilleurs increased displacement and adopted 450 mm torpedo tubes while retaining the familiar 65 mm and 47 mm gun battery. The Branlebas ships also carried a 20 mm waterline belt over their boilers and machinery, trading roughly 200 nautical miles of range for limited protection. These were capable seaboats, yet their modest size made them look weak beside contemporary Italian, British, and German destroyers. Larger foreign destroyers gained room for speed and power while providing a more stable platform for their guns. France was expanding its flotilla while continuing to design around facilities built for torpedo boats. That pattern preserved the Jeune Ecole preference for small craft even as rival destroyers grew.
Chapter · 11:02-18:30
Claymore and Branlebas expose Jeune Ecole legacy
Claymore and Branlebas add displacement, 450 mm torpedoes, and limited machinery protection, yet remain smaller than foreign destroyers as Jeune Ecole habits persist.