French submarine Cugnot (Q76)

French submarine Cugnot (Q76) was a Laubeuf type submarine of the of Pluviôse class, built for the French Navy prior to World War I.

Design and construction
Cugnot was ordered by the French Navy as part of its 1905 programme and was laid down at the Rochefort Naval Yard in October the following year. She was launched on 12 October 1909 and commissioned 10 September 1910. Cugnot was equipped with Du Temple boilers and reciprocating steam engines for surface propulsion, and CGE Nancy electric motors for power while submerged. She carried eight torpedoes, two internally and six externally. Cugnot was named for Joseph Cugnot, the 18th century French engineer.

Service history
At the outbreak of the First World War Cugnot was part of the French Mediterranean Fleet, and sailed with that force to the Adriatic tasked with bringing the Austro-Hungarian Fleet to battle or blockading it in its home ports.

On 29 November 1914, under the command of Lt. Henri Fournier, Cugnot attacked the naval base at Cattaro, one of a series of raids by French submarines on Austro-Hungarian ports. She was successful in penetrating the net defences at the entrance of Cattaro bay; however, once in she was unable to find a target before being detected and driven off by three Austrian torpedo boats. For this exploit Fournier was honoured by having a submarine named after him.

Cugnot remained in service throughout the war, and was stricken in December 1919.