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fighting ships of the world

FRENCH NAVY (FRANCE)

SUBMARINES

AURORE submarines (1940-1954)

Aurore 1940

L'Andromède 1954

La Créole 1954

L'Andromède 1963

La Créole 1963

Name No Yard No Builder Laid down Launched Comp Fate
Aurore Q192   Arsenal de Toulon 12.1935 26.7.1939 6.1940 scuttled 27.11.1942
La Créole Q193, 1950- S606   A C Augustin-Normand, Le Havre 12.1937 8.6.1940, 8.5.1946 (2nd time) 1949 BU 1961
La Bayadère Q194   A C Augustin-Normand, Le Havre 12.1937 --- --- BU on slip 6.1940
La Favorite Q195 88 A C de la Seine-Maritime, Le Trait 12.1937 5.11.1942 11.1942 // --- incomplete to Germany (UF2)
L`Africaine Q196, 1950- S607 89 A C de la Seine-Maritime, Le Trait 12.1937 7.12.1946 10.1949 BU 1963
L`Astrée Q200, 1950- S608   A C Dubigeon, Nantes 11.1938 3.5.1946 4.1949 BU 1966
L`Andromède Q201, 1950- S601   A C Dubigeon, Nantes 11.1938 17.11.1949 4.1953 BU 1966
L`Antigone Q202   Schneider, Chalon-sur-Saône 11.1938 --- --- abandoned 1940
L`Andromaque Q203 96 A C de la Seine-Maritime, Le Trait 11.1938 --- --- abandoned 1940
L`Artémise Q206, 1950- S603   A C Augustin-Normand, Le Havre 5.1939 28.6.1942 2.1954 BU 1967
L`Armide Q207 98 A C de la Seine-Maritime, Le Trait 5.1939 --- --- abandoned 1940
L`Hermione Q211   A C Augustin-Normand, Le Havre 2.1940 --- --- abandoned 1940
La Gorgone Q212   A C Augustin-Normand, Le Havre 3.1940 --- --- abandoned 1940
La Clorinde Q213   A C Dubigeon, Nantes 3.1940 8.7.1943 --- cancelled 1940
La Cornélie Q214   A C Dubigeon, Nantes 5/1940 --- --- cancelled 1940

 

Data variant Aurore

Displacement standard, t

 

Displacement normal, t

893 / 1170

Length, m

71.8 pp 73.5 oa

Breadth, m

6.50

Draught, m

4.20

No of shafts

2

Machinery

2 Sulzer or Schneider diesels / 2 electric motors

Power, h. p.

3000 / 1400

Max speed, kts

14.5 / 9

Fuel, t

diesel oil 101

Endurance, nm(kts) 5600(10) / 80(5)

Armament

1 x 1 - 100/34 M1936, 2 x 1 - 13.2/76, 9 - 550 TT (4 bow, 2 aft, 1 x 3 ext, 10 - 11)

Electronic equipment hydrophone
Complement 44
Diving depth operational, m 100

 

Data variant postwar completion

Displacement standard, t

 

Displacement normal, t

970 / 1250

Length, m

71.8 pp 73.5 oa

Breadth, m

6.50

Draught, m

4.20

No of shafts

2

Machinery

2 Sulzer diesels / 2 electric motors

L`Africaine: 2 Schneider diesels / 2 electric motors

Power, h. p.

3000 / 1400

Max speed, kts

15.5 / 9.3

S601, 603: 15.5 / 10.3

Fuel, t

diesel oil 101

Endurance, nm(kts) 8800(10) / 80(5)

Armament

10 - 550 TT (4 bow, 4 amidships, 2 aft, 10 - 11)

S606 - 608: 1 x 1 - 88/45 SK C/35, 2 x 1 - 20/65 C/38, 10 - 550 TT (4 bow, 4 amidships, 2 aft, 10 - 11)

Electronic equipment radar, sonar
Complement 62
Diving depth operational, m 100

Project history: Project "Y3". 1934 (lead ship), 1937 (4 boats) and 1938 (10 boats) programmes. One more design developing "630ton" type. The basic differences consisted in increase in a diving depth to 100m and strenghtened armament. It is necessary to mark transition to uniform torpedo calibre.

Only lead Aurore was commissioned before armistice. Incomplete La Créole was towed to Britain. L`Andromède was captured by Germans. Both boats were completed only after war. L`Africaine, La Favorite and L`Astré also were captured by Germans; they received names UF1, UF2 and UF3 respectively. Only UF2 was commissioned, served as training submarine and sunk by Allied aircraft at Gdynia 5.7.1944.

Remaining incomplete submarines were blown up on slipways in June, 1940.

After war 5 incomplete submarines were completed to a modified design. 3 submarines (La Créole, L`Africaine and L`Astrée) received  German 88mm gun and 10 TT instead of original 9. Submarines had 4 internal bow and two internal stern tubes and also external tubes installed in pairs fwd and aft of the fin. L`Andromède and L`Artémise were more redesigned, they received also newly designed fin with snorkel. L`Artémise was commissioned with new fire control system destined for new Narval class.

Modernizations: Early 1950s, La Créole, L`Africaine and L`Astrée: received snorkel.

Naval service: Aurore was scuttled by crew at Toulon 27.11.1942.

Aurore

Many thanks to Wolfgang Stöhr for additional information on this page.

© Ivan Gogin, 2008-15