De Grasse was an anti-aircraft cruiser of the French Navy. She was the first French vessel named in honour of François Joseph Paul, Marquis de Grasse Tilly, Comte de Grasse. From 1965 to 1971, she was involved in the nuclear test campaigns in the Pacific.
De Grasse
De Grasse at the International Fleet Review in Hampton Roads, United States on 26 June 1957.
The unfinished ship (some 28% complete) was captured in June 1940 by the invading Germans during the Second World War. In April 1942 the Germans began planning to convert De Grasse to a light aircraft carrier, provisionally named II. On 3 December 1942 Hitler ordered that De Grasse was to be built as an aircraft carrier for Germany but the work was stopped in February 1943 for several reasons, including a lack of materials and manpower and the threat of air attacks in Lorient.[2]
Post-warEdit
After the war the hull was eventually launched in 1946. The construction was halted again between 1946 and 1951, when she was towed to the Brest Navy yard to be completed, to a significantly modified design as an anti-aircraft cruiser.
Displacement: 9380 tons standard, 12,350 tons full load
Dimensions: Length 188.4 m (o.a.), beam 18.6 m (w.l.) ; 21.5 m, draught 5.5 m (standard) ; 6.3 m full load
Machinery: two-shaft steam turbine, 4 boilers, 105,000 hp (78,000 kW) (120,000 hp (89,000 kW) during trials)
Speed: 33.8 knots (62.6 km/h)
Armament:
16 × 127 mm guns (8 twin turrets)
20 × 57 mm guns (10 twin turrets)
No more aircraft and no more torpedo
The trials began on 17 August 1954 and she was commissioned on 10 September 1956.
Nuclear testing flagshipEdit
She was used as an anti-aircraft cruiser and flagship within the Mediterranean squadron, until she was selected to join the Pacific Experimentation Centre to participate in the first nuclear tests in French Polynesia. She undertook some modification in from May 1964 until February 1966, with the bridge being doubled, a 50-meter (160 ft)-high quadripod mast mounted on the aft roof and half the armament removed. The ship was also made gas-tight and fitted with washdown facilities. The equipment was modernised and the crew was downsized to 560 men, to make accommodation available for 160 engineers and technicians.
The ship was used for six testing campaigns between 1966 and 1972. She was decommissioned in 1973 and was sold for scrap on 25 January 1974. Scrapping took place in La Spezia during 1975.
Gröner, Erich (1990). German Warships: 1815–1945. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. ISBN0870217909.
John Jordan and Bruno Guire, The Cruiser de Grasse in Warship 2008, Conway's Maritime Press.
Jordan, John & Moulin, Jean (2013). French Cruisers 1922–1956. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN978-1-84832-133-5.
External linksEdit
NetMarine.net
October 21, 2023
french, cruiser, grasse, other, ships, with, same, name, french, ship, grasse, grasse, anti, aircraft, cruiser, french, navy, first, french, vessel, named, honour, françois, joseph, paul, marquis, grasse, tilly, comte, grasse, from, 1965, 1971, involved, nucle. For other ships with the same name see French ship De Grasse De Grasse was an anti aircraft cruiser of the French Navy She was the first French vessel named in honour of Francois Joseph Paul Marquis de Grasse Tilly Comte de Grasse From 1965 to 1971 she was involved in the nuclear test campaigns in the Pacific De Grasse De Grasse at the International Fleet Review in Hampton Roads United States on 26 June 1957 HistoryFranceNameDe GrasseNamesakeFrancois Joseph Paul de GrasseBuilderLorientLaid down1939Launched11 September 1946Commissioned10 September 1956Decommissioned1973Stricken25 January 1974FateScrapped 1974General characteristicsTypeCruiserDisplacement9 389 t 9 241 long tons standard 12 350 t 12 155 long tons full loadLength188 3 m 617 ft 9 in Beam21 5 m 70 ft 6 in 18 6 m 61 ft 0 in w lDraft5 54 m 18 ft 2 in Propulsion2 Rateau turbine groups from Chantiers de Bretagne 52 500 hp 39 149 kW each 4 boilersSpeed33 8 knots 62 6 km h 38 9 mph Complement70 officers 160 warrant officers 750 menArmament8 twin turrets 127 mm AA 10 twin turrets 57mm 60 mle 51 later removed ArmourBelt 100 mm 3 9 in Deck 38 mm 1 5 in Bulkheads 20 60 mm 0 79 2 36 in Torpedo bulkhead 20 mm 0 79 in Contents 1 Design and description 2 World War II capture 3 Post war 3 1 Nuclear testing flagship 4 Notes 5 References 6 External linksDesign and description EditThe De Grasse class was designed as an enlarged and improved version of the preceding La Galissonniere class The ships would have had an overall length of 188 meters 616 ft 10 in a beam of 18 6 meters 61 ft and a draft of 5 5 meters 18 ft 1 in They would have displaced 8 128 metric tons 8 000 long tons at standard load and 11 431 t 11 250 long tons at deep load The hull was divided by 15 bulkheads into 16 watertight compartments 1 World War II capture EditMain article German aircraft carrier II The unfinished ship some 28 complete was captured in June 1940 by the invading Germans during the Second World War In April 1942 the Germans began planning to convert De Grasse to a light aircraft carrier provisionally named II On 3 December 1942 Hitler ordered that De Grasse was to be built as an aircraft carrier for Germany but the work was stopped in February 1943 for several reasons including a lack of materials and manpower and the threat of air attacks in Lorient 2 Post war EditAfter the war the hull was eventually launched in 1946 The construction was halted again between 1946 and 1951 when she was towed to the Brest Navy yard to be completed to a significantly modified design as an anti aircraft cruiser Displacement 9380 tons standard 12 350 tons full load Dimensions Length 188 4 m o a beam 18 6 m w l 21 5 m draught 5 5 m standard 6 3 m full load Machinery two shaft steam turbine 4 boilers 105 000 hp 78 000 kW 120 000 hp 89 000 kW during trials Speed 33 8 knots 62 6 km h Armament 16 127 mm guns 8 twin turrets 20 57 mm guns 10 twin turrets No more aircraft and no more torpedoThe trials began on 17 August 1954 and she was commissioned on 10 September 1956 Nuclear testing flagship Edit She was used as an anti aircraft cruiser and flagship within the Mediterranean squadron until she was selected to join the Pacific Experimentation Centre to participate in the first nuclear tests in French Polynesia She undertook some modification in from May 1964 until February 1966 with the bridge being doubled a 50 meter 160 ft high quadripod mast mounted on the aft roof and half the armament removed The ship was also made gas tight and fitted with washdown facilities The equipment was modernised and the crew was downsized to 560 men to make accommodation available for 160 engineers and technicians The ship was used for six testing campaigns between 1966 and 1972 She was decommissioned in 1973 and was sold for scrap on 25 January 1974 Scrapping took place in La Spezia during 1975 Notes Edit Jordan amp Moulin pp 147 153 Groner p 77References EditGroner Erich 1990 German Warships 1815 1945 Annapolis MD Naval Institute Press ISBN 0870217909 John Jordan and Bruno Guire The Cruiser de Grasse in Warship 2008 Conway s Maritime Press Jordan John amp Moulin Jean 2013 French Cruisers 1922 1956 Barnsley UK Seaforth Publishing ISBN 978 1 84832 133 5 External links EditNetMarine net Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title French cruiser De Grasse amp oldid 1136902233, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
