home

fighting ships of the world

FRENCH NAVY (FRANCE)

CONVERTED MERCHANT SHIPS

armed merchant cruisers of WWII

Name

Launched // Comm.

Builder

Tonnage, BRT

Dimensions, m

(length pp)

Speed, kts

Engine, Power hp

Armament

Fate
X01 Aramis 1932 // 9.1939 F C de la Méditerranée, La Seyne 17537 165.4ppx21.2x8.7 17 2 diesels, 14700 8 x 1 - 139/45, 2 x 1 - 75/35, 2 x 1 - 37 paid off 8.1940
X04 Koutoubia 1931 // 9.1939 F C de la Méditerranée, La Seyne 8790 135.2ppx17.8x7.3 16.5 2 steam turbines, 8800 8 x 1 - 139/45, 1 x 1 - 37, 2 x 1 - 25 paid off 9.1940
X05 Ville d`Oran 1936 // 9.1939 SPCN, La Ciotat 10172 140.8ppx19.3x6.6 21 2 geared steam turbines, 18000 5 x 1 - 139/45 paid off 10.1940
X06 El Mansour 1933 // 10.1939 F C de la Méditerranée, La Seyne 5818 121.7ppx16.4x5.5 21.5 2 geared steam turbines, 12000 7 x 1 - 139/45, 2 x 1 - 75/35 paid off 10.1940
X07 Victor Schoelcher, 11.1941- Bougainville 1939 // 9.1939 F C de la Méditerranée, La Seyne 4504 114.5ppx15.8x5.9 17 2 diesels, 5200 7 x 1 - 139/45, 2 x 1 - 75/35, 2 x 1 - 37 paid off 10.1940, re-commissioned 11.1941, sunk 6.5.1942
X10 Colombie 1931 // 11.1939 A C de France, Dunkerque 13390 155.2ppx20.4x8.0 16 2 steam turbines, 7400 7 x 1 - 149/45, 2 x 1 - 75/35, 2 x 1 - 37, 35 DC paid off 9.1940
X11 Charles Plumier 1939 // 9.1939 A C de Provence, Port-de-Bouc 4504 114.5ppx15.8x5.9 17 2 diesels, 5200 7 x 1 - 149/45, 2 x 1 - 75/35, 2 x 1 - 37 paid off 10.1940
X17 El Djezair 1934 // 10.1939 F C de la Méditerranée, La Seyne 5818 121.5ppx16.4x5.5 21.5 2 geared steam turbines, 12000 7 x 1 - 139/45, 2 x 1 - 75/35 paid off 10.1940
X18 El Kantara 1932 // 9.1939 Swan Hunter, Low Walker, UK 5079 116.3x16.4x5.7 20.5 2 geared steam turbines, 8000 7 x 1 - 139/45, 2 x 1 - 75/35 paid off 10.1940
X19 Barfleur 1938 // 11.1939 Burmeister & Wain, Copenhagen, Denmark 3259 102.6ppx13.9x5.8 16 1 diesel, 3850 7 x 1 - 149/45, 2 x 1 - 75/35, 2 x 1 - 37 armed transport X2 1944

X20 Quercy

1937 // 9.1939

Burmeister & Wain, Copenhagen, Denmark

3100

98.5ppx13.9x5.7

15.5

1 diesel, 3750

7 x 1 - 139/45, 2 x 1 - 75/35, 2 x 1 - 37

1941: 3 x 1 - 139/45, 4 x 2 - 37

paid off 11.1940, re-commissioned 1941, armed transport 1944
X21 Estérel 1938 // 10.1939 Gotaverken, Gothenburg, Sweden 3100 98.5ppx13.9x5.7 15.5 1 diesel, 3750 7 x 1 - 139/45, 2 x 1 - 75/35, 2 x 1 - 37 paid off 11.1940
X22 Mexique 1915 // 10.1939 A C de Provence, Port-de-Bouc 12000 166.6ppx19.5x 16 steam turbines, 4 boilers   conversion cancelled 11.1939
X1 Cap des Palmes 1935 // 1941 Helsingör Vaerft, Denmark 3081 100.6ppx13.4x5.2 17.5 1 diesel, 4500 2 x 1 - 90/50 returned 1947

Project history: Former passenger liners and fast refrigerators converted to AMCs.

Modernizations: 1941, Quercy: was rearmed with 3 x 1 - 139/40, 8 x 1 - 37/50, 10 x 1 - 13.2/76

1943, Cap des Palmes was rearmed with 2 x 1 - 152/45, 2 x 1 - 76/45, 8 x 1 - 20/70, 2 x 3 - 533 TT, 4 DCT.

1943, Barfleur: - 5 x 1 - 149/45, 2 x 1 - 37/50; + 6 x 1 - 20/70

1943, Quercy: - 2 x 1 - 139/40, 6 x 1 - 37/50, 10 x 1 - 13.2/76; + 8 x 1 - 20/70

Naval service: Aramis was laid up in Indo-China in August, 1940, later captured by Japanese and sunk by USN submarine Rasher. El Mansour was paid off in October, 1940, later captured by Italians, renamed Anagni and scuttled at Marseilles in August, 1944. Bougainville was sunk 6.5.1942 at Diego Suarez by British aircraft. El Djezair was paid off in October, 1940, later captured by Germans, transferred by them to Italians as Cassino, re-captured by Germans in 1943 and sunk 25.6.1944 by Allied aircraft. El Kantara was paid off in October, 1940, later captured by Italians as Aquino and sunk by Allied aircraft 2.4.1943. Estérel was paid off in November, 1940, later captured by Germans and ran aground after being attacked by British submarine Shakespeare.

Koutoubia 1940

Ville d`Oran 1939

Victor Schoelcher 1940

Colombie 1940

Charles Plumier 1940

Quercy 1940

Barfleur 1940

Cap des Palmes 1945

© Ivan Gogin, 2009-15