For the 145th Anniversary of the birth of the French aviator Louis Blériot https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Bl%C3%A9riot the Solomon Islands issued a set of stamps and a miniature sheet which shows on the MS the airplane he used in the first air crossing of the English Channel. Also is depict a destroyer of the French Pertuisane class. The French destroyer which escorted the flight was the ESCOPETTE.
January 1900 laid down on the Arsenal de Rochefort for the French Navy.
20 December 1900 launched as the ESCOPETTE, three sisters all built on the Arsenal de Rochefort. She was named after an arquebus rifle used by the French cavalry from Charles VIII to Louis XII.
Displacement 306 ton, dim. 57.64 x 6.3 x 3.2m. (draught), length bpp.56.0m.
Powered by two triple expansion steam engines, 4,800 ihp, (3,579 kW). Speed 26 knots.
Range by a speed of 10 knots, 2,300 mile.
Armament 1 – 63mm, 6 – 47mm guns, 2 – 380mm torpedo tubes.
Crew 52.
June 1902 till January 1903 trials at Rochefort.
26 January 1903 commissioned.
07 February 1903 sailed from Rochefort to Brest.
02 – 11 July 1903 escorted the President of the Republic of France for an official visit to England.
July – September a unit of the Northern 2e destroyer squadron.
September 1903 till May 1907 a unit of the defense of Brest and 1st ocean destroyer squadron.
June 1907 based at Dunkirk.
July 1907 till November 1912 a unit of the 2nd Channel destroyer squadron at Brest.
July 1909 escorted the French aviator Blériot during the first flight across the English Channel.
1911 Assisted torpedo boat 257 who was severely damaged and had to be condemned.
1913 till 1914 in 2e squadron Légére then in it 2e squadron of the submarines in Calais during the French – English operations of patrols in the English Channel.
During the First World War based in Dunkirk and Cherbourg.
16 November 1915 a torpedo exploded in a tube, which demolished the complete stern section, she was towed back to Dunkirk.
16 October 1916 in a collision with the guard vessel BALEINE in the Pass of Cherbourg.
04 April 1921 stricken.
10 July 1922 the hull was sold in Cherbourg for scrapping.
https://forum.pages14-18.com/viewtopic.php?t=43652 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pertuisan ... _destroyer Mr. Erhard Jung.
Solomon Islands 2017 $40.00 sgMS?, scott?