The ''Le Normand'' class (or E52 Type) was a
class
Class or The Class may refer to:
Common uses not otherwise categorized
* Class (biology), a taxonomic rank
* Class (knowledge representation), a collection of individuals or objects
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of 14 fast
frigate
A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat.
The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and ...
s (''Escorteurs Rapide'') built for the
French Navy
The French Navy (french: Marine nationale, lit=National Navy), informally , is the maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the five military service branches of France. It is among the largest and most powerful naval forces in t ...
in the late 1950s. They were an immediate follow-on from the earlier
Le Corse-class (or E50 Type) frigates, and like them, were long-range convoy escorts capable of high speed.
The first seven ships, paid for by the United States under the
Mutual Defense Assistance Act
The Mutual Defense Assistance Act was a United States Act of Congress signed by President Harry S. Truman on 6 October 1949. For US Foreign policy, it was the first U.S. military foreign aid legislation of the Cold War era, and initially to Eur ...
were ordered in 1952. The remaining seven ships were paid for by France and ordered between 1953 and 1955.
The E52 type shared a flush-decked layout with the E50 class, and had a similar armament of three twin 57mm turrets) (one forward and two aft) and an anti-submarine armament consisting of a battery of heavyweight guided torpedoes and a 375mm Bofors six-barrel rocket launcher. The major difference was the layout of the armament, with the torpedo tubes moving from forwards to amidships, and the Bofors launcher moving from amidships to forward of the bow gun, thus reducing topweight and improving the arc of fire for the Bofors launcher.
The last three ships were completed as a modified version, the Type E52B. This replaced the amidships turret and the Bofors rocket launcher with a new 305mm anti-submarine mortar mounted amidships.
Two more of this type were ordered in 1957, but were cancelled
owing to financial problems.
[Blackman 1962, p.88.]
Ships
See also
*
List of Escorteurs of the French Navy
The ''escorteurs'' of the French Navy were light naval warships used for convoy protection during and after the Second World War.
The earliest escorteurs in the French Navy were purchased from the British Royal Navy and the United States Navy. A ...
Notes
References
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External links
Description générale des escorteurs
{{Le Normand class frigate
Frigate classes
Cold War frigates of France
Ship classes of the French Navy