Redoutable was the lead ship of the Redoutable-classsubmarines of the French Navy launched in 1928 at Cherbourg, France. It participated in the Second World War, first on the side of the Allies from 1939 to 1940, then on the side of the Axis for the rest of the war. She was scuttled by the French on 27 November 1942 to prevent her capture by the Germans during their advance on Toulon, but was then refloated by the Italians in 1943. On 11 March 1944 she was sunk by bombs from Allied aircraft.
The Washington Naval Treaty of 1922 sought to prevent a future naval arms race by imposing limits on the number and size of certain types of warships that each great power could possess. France sought to expand its submarine forces – which were not limited by the treaty – as an essential tool to defend its coastline and empire.[2] The 1100-ton Requin-class submarines, designed in 1922, was the initial attempt to meet these requirements; however, the speed of the submarines was notably insufficient[3] and the design overall was considered inferior to the last German submarines launched in 1918.[4]
The design for the Requin class's successor was commissioned from general engineer of maritime engineering Léon Roquebert. Roquebert was tasked with creating a "grand cruiser" type of submarine, with the role of carrying out surveillance of an adversary's bases, destroying their communications by attacking their ships, while protecting French colonies. They were operate with a surface squadron and provide clearance of enemy vessels for it.[5]
Construction of the Type I project submarines, starting with Redoutable, was approved by the superior council of the navy on 1 July 1924. The building programme was expanded the following year with the Type II submarines.[3]
CharacteristicsEdit
92.3 m (302 ft 10 in) long, with a beam of 8.2 m (26 ft 11 in) and a draught of 4.9 m (16 ft 1 in), Redoutable could dive up to 80 m (260 ft). The submarine had a surfaced displacement of 1,572 tonnes (1,547 long tons) and a submerged displacement of 2,082 tonnes (2,049 long tons). Propulsion while surfaced was provided by two 6,000 hp (4,474 kW) diesel motors built by the Swiss manufacturer Sulzer. The submarines' electrical propulsion allowed it to attain speeds of 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) while submerged.[6] Designated as "grand cruise submarines" (French: « sous-marins de grande croisière »), their surfaced range was 10,000 nautical miles (20,000 km) at 10 knots (20 km/h), and 14,000 nautical miles (30,000 km) at 7 knots (10 km/h), with a submerged range of 100 nautical miles (0 km) at 5 knots (10 km/h).[7] Radio communication was through wireless antenna.[1]
Development plan of Redoutable
Redoutable had significant firepower.[8] She was equipped with eleven torpedo tubes: four 550 mm (22 in) tubes in fixed positions in the bow, a orientable platform for three 550 mm tubes behind the conning tower, and another orientable platform on the stern composed of two 550 mm and two 400 mm (16 in) tubes. The 550 mm torpedoes were intended for use against large ships, with the 400 mm torpedoes for smaller boats. Torpedoes were propelled by compressed air at a speed of 44 knots (80 km/h), exploding on impact.[9] Torpedoes left a trail on the surface,[10] which allowed the target to see and avoid the torpedo, as well as trace the torpedo back to its origin. The submarines were also fitted with a 100 mm (4 in) deck gun, mounted in front of the conning tower and from 1929, dual anti-aerial 13.2 mm (0.52 in) machine guns.[citation needed]
Another view of Redoutable's profile
Redoutable had a quick diving speed, submerging in between 30 and 40 seconds. She had a reputation of handling well while at sea, both at the surface and while diving.[5] Her motors were relatively noisy, as was auxiliary propulsion while submerged, and this constituted the principal criticism of that submarine, despite their reliability.[11] Their speed and powerful armament was balanced against their ability to detect targets, which was essentially by visual sight.[12] She was equipped with three periscopes – an attack periscope, a surveillance periscope, and an auxiliary periscope – and a hydrophone for passive sonar.[citation needed]
HistoryEdit
ConstructionEdit
French PresidentGaston Doumergue lays the first rivet of Redoutable on 17 July 1925 at Cherbourg, in the presence of military and civilian personnel.
Redoutable was the first of 31 Redoutable-class submarines, also designated as the 1500 ton boats because of their displacement. The class entered service between 1931 and 1939.[13][14]
Ordered in 1924, Redoutable was laid down on 1 July 1925 at the Arsenal de Cherbourg. She was launched on 24 February 1928 and was commissioned 10 July 1931. In 1932, she encountered problems with her diving systems and returned to Cherbourg for repairs.[12]
Second World WarEdit
The scuttling of the French fleet at Toulon. Redoutable is on the right.
At the start of World War II, she was assigned to the seventh submarine division, based at Cherbourg, along with Vengeur.[15] From 12 October to 2 November 1939, Redoutable carried out a surveillance mission to the Azores, where a part of the German commercial fleet, suspected of supplying German U-boats in fuel, was located. On the night of November 1 she encountered a cargo ship that was sailing all lights off. As the cargo refused to stop in accordance with the submarine's summons, the submarine fired warning shots with its 100 mm cannon, to which the cargo responded by further firing at the submarine. At that moment, Redoutable captured a message from the British freighter Egba who reported being attacked by a U-boat; The French submarine, understanding that she was attacking an ally, ceased fire and withdrew.[5] In December 1939, he was sent to search for the German supply ship Altmark (10 000 barrels) in the centre of the Atlantic with Fresnel, Heron and Héros.[16]
In June 1940, she was patrolling along the Tunisian coast to prevent a possible Italian landing.[17] She was located in Bizerte when the armistice was signed on 25 June and was placed on guard in Toulon.[18]
On 9 November 1942, the day after the Allied landing in North Africa, Redoutable was allowed to rearm. It was not completed when the Germans entered Toulon on 27 November and the submarine scuttled with the French fleet.[19] The ship was refloated on 16 May 1943 to be repaired by the Italians. It was finally sunk by a bombardment on 11 March 1944 with the Pascal and Fresnel.[20][21][22][23]
ReferencesEdit
CitationsEdit
^ ab"FR Redoutable of the French Navy – French Submarine of the Redoutable class – Allied Warships of WWII". uboat.net. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
^Helgason, Guðmundur. "FR Ajax of the French Navy – French Submarine of the Redoutable class – Allied Warships of WWII". uboat.net. Retrieved 30 March 2018.
^"RF Sidi Ferruch of the French Navy – French Submarineof the Agosta class – Allied Warships of WWII". uboat.net. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
^"Redoutable Class French Submarines". worldnavalships.com. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
^"Submarines of World War II". woldnavalships.com. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
^. sous-marin.france.pagesperso-orange.fr. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
SourcesEdit
Aboulker, Axel (2010). Marines Éditions (ed.). Le Sous-marin Archimède. Rennes. ISBN978-2357430587.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
Huan, Claude (2004). Les Sous-marins français 1918-1945. Rennes: Marines Éditions. ISBN9782915379075.
Picard, Claude (2006). Les Sous-marins de 1 500 tonnes. Rennes: Marines Éditions. ISBN2-915379-55-6.
August 25, 2023
french, submarine, redoutable, 1928, other, ships, with, same, name, french, ship, redoutable, redoutable, lead, ship, redoutable, class, submarines, french, navy, launched, 1928, cherbourg, france, participated, second, world, first, side, allies, from, 1939,. For other ships with the same name see French ship Redoutable Redoutable was the lead ship of the Redoutable class submarines of the French Navy launched in 1928 at Cherbourg France It participated in the Second World War first on the side of the Allies from 1939 to 1940 then on the side of the Axis for the rest of the war She was scuttled by the French on 27 November 1942 to prevent her capture by the Germans during their advance on Toulon but was then refloated by the Italians in 1943 On 11 March 1944 she was sunk by bombs from Allied aircraft Redoutable Redoutable under way in ToulonHistoryFranceOperatorFrench NavyBuilderArsenal de CherbourgLaid down1 July 1925Launched24 February 1928Commissioned10 July 1931FateScuttled at Toulon on 27 November 1942 to prevent her capture by the Germans Refloated by the Italians in 1943 Sunk 11 March 1944 by Allied aircraft General characteristicsClass and typeRedoutable class submarineDisplacement1572 tonnes surfaced 2082 tonnes submerged Length92 30 m 302 8 ft Beam8 10 m 26 6 ft 1 Propulsion2 diesels of 6 000 hp 2 electric engines of 2 250 hpSpeed17 5 knots 32 4 km h 20 1 mph surfaced 10 knots submerged Range14 000 nautical miles 26 000 km at 7 knots 13 km h 8 1 mph 10 000 nautical miles 20 000 km at 10 knots 19 km h 12 mph 4 000 nautical miles 7 000 km at 17 knots 31 km h 20 mph 100 nautical miles 190 km at 5 knots submerged Test depth80 metresComplement5 officers 6 in operations 66 menArmament11 torpedo tubes 1 100 mm gun 1 13 2 mm machine gun Contents 1 Development 1 1 Context 1 2 Characteristics 2 History 2 1 Construction 2 2 Second World War 3 References 3 1 Citations 4 SourcesDevelopment EditContext Edit The Washington Naval Treaty of 1922 sought to prevent a future naval arms race by imposing limits on the number and size of certain types of warships that each great power could possess France sought to expand its submarine forces which were not limited by the treaty as an essential tool to defend its coastline and empire 2 The 1100 ton Requin class submarines designed in 1922 was the initial attempt to meet these requirements however the speed of the submarines was notably insufficient 3 and the design overall was considered inferior to the last German submarines launched in 1918 4 The design for the Requin class s successor was commissioned from general engineer of maritime engineering Leon Roquebert Roquebert was tasked with creating a grand cruiser type of submarine with the role of carrying out surveillance of an adversary s bases destroying their communications by attacking their ships while protecting French colonies They were operate with a surface squadron and provide clearance of enemy vessels for it 5 Construction of the Type I project submarines starting with Redoutable was approved by the superior council of the navy on 1 July 1924 The building programme was expanded the following year with the Type II submarines 3 Characteristics Edit 92 3 m 302 ft 10 in long with a beam of 8 2 m 26 ft 11 in and a draught of 4 9 m 16 ft 1 in Redoutable could dive up to 80 m 260 ft The submarine had a surfaced displacement of 1 572 tonnes 1 547 long tons and a submerged displacement of 2 082 tonnes 2 049 long tons Propulsion while surfaced was provided by two 6 000 hp 4 474 kW diesel motors built by the Swiss manufacturer Sulzer The submarines electrical propulsion allowed it to attain speeds of 10 knots 19 km h 12 mph while submerged 6 Designated as grand cruise submarines French sous marins de grande croisiere their surfaced range was 10 000 nautical miles 20 000 km at 10 knots 20 km h and 14 000 nautical miles 30 000 km at 7 knots 10 km h with a submerged range of 100 nautical miles 0 km at 5 knots 10 km h 7 Radio communication was through wireless antenna 1 Development plan of RedoutableRedoutable had significant firepower 8 She was equipped with eleven torpedo tubes four 550 mm 22 in tubes in fixed positions in the bow a orientable platform for three 550 mm tubes behind the conning tower and another orientable platform on the stern composed of two 550 mm and two 400 mm 16 in tubes The 550 mm torpedoes were intended for use against large ships with the 400 mm torpedoes for smaller boats Torpedoes were propelled by compressed air at a speed of 44 knots 80 km h exploding on impact 9 Torpedoes left a trail on the surface 10 which allowed the target to see and avoid the torpedo as well as trace the torpedo back to its origin The submarines were also fitted with a 100 mm 4 in deck gun mounted in front of the conning tower and from 1929 dual anti aerial 13 2 mm 0 52 in machine guns citation needed Another view of Redoutable s profileRedoutable had a quick diving speed submerging in between 30 and 40 seconds She had a reputation of handling well while at sea both at the surface and while diving 5 Her motors were relatively noisy as was auxiliary propulsion while submerged and this constituted the principal criticism of that submarine despite their reliability 11 Their speed and powerful armament was balanced against their ability to detect targets which was essentially by visual sight 12 She was equipped with three periscopes an attack periscope a surveillance periscope and an auxiliary periscope and a hydrophone for passive sonar citation needed History EditConstruction Edit French President Gaston Doumergue lays the first rivet of Redoutable on 17 July 1925 at Cherbourg in the presence of military and civilian personnel Redoutable was the first of 31 Redoutable class submarines also designated as the 1500 ton boats because of their displacement The class entered service between 1931 and 1939 13 14 Ordered in 1924 Redoutable was laid down on 1 July 1925 at the Arsenal de Cherbourg She was launched on 24 February 1928 and was commissioned 10 July 1931 In 1932 she encountered problems with her diving systems and returned to Cherbourg for repairs 12 Second World War Edit The scuttling of the French fleet at Toulon Redoutable is on the right At the start of World War II she was assigned to the seventh submarine division based at Cherbourg along with Vengeur 15 From 12 October to 2 November 1939 Redoutable carried out a surveillance mission to the Azores where a part of the German commercial fleet suspected of supplying German U boats in fuel was located On the night of November 1 she encountered a cargo ship that was sailing all lights off As the cargo refused to stop in accordance with the submarine s summons the submarine fired warning shots with its 100 mm cannon to which the cargo responded by further firing at the submarine At that moment Redoutable captured a message from the British freighter Egba who reported being attacked by a U boat The French submarine understanding that she was attacking an ally ceased fire and withdrew 5 In December 1939 he was sent to search for the German supply ship Altmark 10 000 barrels in the centre of the Atlantic with Fresnel Heron and Heros 16 In June 1940 she was patrolling along the Tunisian coast to prevent a possible Italian landing 17 She was located in Bizerte when the armistice was signed on 25 June and was placed on guard in Toulon 18 On 9 November 1942 the day after the Allied landing in North Africa Redoutable was allowed to rearm It was not completed when the Germans entered Toulon on 27 November and the submarine scuttled with the French fleet 19 The ship was refloated on 16 May 1943 to be repaired by the Italians It was finally sunk by a bombardment on 11 March 1944 with the Pascal and Fresnel 20 21 22 23 References EditCitations Edit a b FR Redoutable of the French Navy French Submarine of the Redoutable class Allied Warships of WWII uboat net Retrieved 31 March 2018 Huan 2004 p 22 a b Huan 2004 p 26 Picard 2006 p 20 a b c Picard 2006 p 21 Aboulker 2010 p 8 Huan 2004 p 52 Aboulker 2010 p 9 Huan 2004 p 56 Aboulker 2010 p 10 Aboulker 2010 pp 10 11 a b Huan 2004 p 31 Helgason Gudmundur FR Ajax of the French Navy French Submarine of the Redoutable class Allied Warships of WWII uboat net Retrieved 30 March 2018 RF Sidi Ferruch of the French Navy French Submarineof the Agosta class Allied Warships of WWII uboat net Retrieved 2 April 2018 Huan 2004 p 49 Picard 2006 p 38 Picard 2006 p 35 Picard 2006 p 36 Huan 2004 p 138 141 Huan 2004 p 209 Redoutable Class French Submarines worldnavalships com Retrieved 31 March 2018 Submarines of World War II woldnavalships com Retrieved 31 March 2018 Q 136 sous marin france pagesperso orange fr Archived from the original on 6 March 2016 Retrieved 12 January 2022 Sources EditAboulker Axel 2010 Marines Editions ed Le Sous marinArchimede Rennes ISBN 978 2357430587 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint location missing publisher link Huan Claude 2004 Les Sous marins francais 1918 1945 Rennes Marines Editions ISBN 9782915379075 Picard Claude 2006 Les Sous marins de 1 500 tonnes Rennes Marines Editions ISBN 2 915379 55 6 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title French submarine Redoutable 1928 amp oldid 1122420943, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
