Gymnote
Gymnote in 1889.
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| History | |
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 France
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| Name: | Gymnote |
| Namesake: | Gymnotus |
| Laid down: | 20 April 1887 |
| Launched: | 24 September 1888 |
| Decommissioned: | 1908 |
| Fate: | Scrapped |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Submarine |
| Displacement: | 30 tonnes (33 tons) |
| Length: | 17.8 m (58 ft) |
| Propulsion: | Electric engine 41 kW (55 hp) |
| Speed: |
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| Range: |
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| Complement: | 5 |
Gymnote was one of the world's first all-electric submarines and the first functional submarine equipped with torpedoes.
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.
Gymnote was an experimental design and so was subject to continuous changes through its lifetime. The original design was commissioned by Admiral Aube, commenced by Dupuy de Lôme before his death and completed by Gustave Zédé before his. Construction work then fell to Romazotti. The keel was laid on 20 April 1887 at Mourillon Arsenal at Toulon operated by La Société des Forges et chantiers, of which company Zédé was a director. Trials began on 17 November 1888.
The boat was designed to operate underwater with a small positive buoyancy, so that without power and rudders driving it downwards it would tend to float to the surface. There were three ballast tanks, one in the centre and one either end. water could be ejected either using compressed air or electrical pumps. Continuous adjustment was needed during a dive. It was originally equipped only with a stern rudder, which gave poor control. At speeds greater than 6 knots (11 km/h; 6.9 mph) the boat would become unstable. At this speed the boat would be angled down 3-5° to maintain depth, so that the bow would be 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) lower than the stern. Further rudders were added at the centre of the boat in 1893, which as well as improving stability meant that she remained more level as it dived.
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