French submarine Achéron
History | |
---|---|
France | |
Name | Achéron |
Namesake | The underworld |
Operator | French Navy |
Builder | Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire, Saint-Nazaire, France |
Laid down | 4 or 24 September 1927 |
Launched | 6 August 1929 |
Commissioned | 22 February 1932 |
Homeport | Brest, France |
Fate |
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Italy | |
Acquired | On or after 27 November 1942 |
Fate |
|
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Redoutable-class submarine |
Displacement |
|
Length | 92.3 m (302 ft 10 in) |
Beam | 8.1 m (26 ft 7 in)[1] |
Draft | 4.4 m (14 ft 5 in) (surfaced) |
Propulsion |
|
Speed |
|
Range |
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Test depth | 80 m (262 ft) |
Complement |
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Armament |
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Achéron was a French Navy Redoutable-class submarine of the M6 series commissioned in 1932. She participated in World War II, first on the side of the Allies from 1939 to June 1940, then in the navy of Vichy France. She was scuttled in November 1942.
Characteristics
Achéron was part of a fairly homogeneous series of 31 deep-sea patrol submarines also called "1,500-tonners" because of their displacement. All entered service between 1931 and 1939.
The Redoutable-class submarines were 92.3 metres (302 ft 10 in) long and 8.1 metres (26 ft 7 in) in
Construction and commissioning
Service history
In 1937, Achéron received orders to make a cruise to Argentina in company with her sister ships Agosta, Bévéziers, and Fresnel.[3]
World War II
At the start of World War II in September 1939, Achéron was assigned to the 3rd Submarine Division in the 2nd Squadron — a component of the 1st Flotilla — based at Toulon, France.[3] Her sister ships Actéon, Fresnel, and Protée made up the rest of the division.[3][4] In December 1939, Achéron joined Fresnel and their sister ships Le Héros and Redoutable in searching the central Atlantic Ocean for the German supply ship Altmark.[3][5] Agosta and Béveziers, which were returning to France from the French West Indies, also joined in the search.[3]
At the beginning of February 1940, the 3rd Submarine Division transferred briefly to
On 12 April 1940, the 3rd Submarine Division was transferred to the
German ground forces advanced into France on 10 May 1940, beginning the
The Battle of France ended in France's defeat and an armistice with Germany and Italy, which went into effect on 25 June 1940. Achéron — by then assigned to the 3rd Submarine Division in the 3rd Squadron in the 1st Flotilla[3] — was recalled to Beirut.[7]
Vichy France
After France's surrender, served in the naval forces of Vichy France. Her batteries and those of her sister ship Actéon — which also was at Beirut — were in poor condition, but repairing or replacing them was impossible at Beirut.[8] Escorted by the netlayer Le Gladiateur, the two submarines departed Beirut on 16 October 1940 bound for Toulon, which they reached on 24 October 1940.[3][8] At Toulon, Achéron was placed under guard and maintained in a disarmed and unfueled state in accordance with the terms of the Armistice of 22 June 1940.[9] By 1 November 1942, still in this status at Toulon, Achéron had been assigned to the 1st Submarine Group along with her sister ships L'Espoir, Le Glorieux, and Vengeur.[3]
Loss
Achéron was at Toulon when Germany and Italy occupied the Free Zone (French: Zone libre) of Vichy France on 27 November 1942, and she was among the French vessels scuttled at Toulon to prevent their seizure by Germany when German forces entered the naval base that day,[2][10] sinking in Dock No. 3 of the Vauban Grand Docks.[3]
The Germans seized Achéron and handed her over to the Italians for scrapping.
References
Citations
- ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "FR Ajax of the French Navy – French Submarine of the Redoutable class – Allied Warships of WWII". uboat.net. Retrieved 30 March 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f Allied Warships: FR Actéon, uboat.net Accessed 18 July 2022
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r u-boote.fr ACHÉRON (in French) Accessed 5 August 2022
- ^ Huan, p. 49.
- ^ Picard, p. 38.
- ^ Huan, p. 74.
- ^ Picard, p. 62.
- ^ a b Sous-Marins Français Disparus & Accidents: Sous-Marin Actéon (in French) Accessed 5 August 2022
- ^ Huan, p. 96.
- ^ Huan, pp. 138–141.
- ^ Huan, p. 208.
- ^ Huan, p. 209.
Bibliography
- Fontenoy, Paul E. (2007). Submarines: An Illustrated History of Their Impact (Weapons and Warfare). Santa Barbara, California. ISBN 978-1-85367-623-9.]
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)[verification needed - Gardiner, Robert; Chesneau, Roger (1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-146-7.
- Huan, Claude (2004). Les Sous-marins français 1918–1945 (in French). Rennes: Marines Éditions. ISBN 9782915379075.
- Picard, Claude (2006). Les Sous-marins de 1 500 tonnes (in French). Rennes: Marines Éditions. ISBN 2-915379-55-6.