Toulon arsenal

Toulon arsenal
Toulon arsenal
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Location
Location	France
Coordinates	43°7′10″N 5°54′59″E / 43.11944°N 5.91639°E / 43.11944; 5.91639

The military port of Toulon (

The word rade comes from the old English term '

The Arsenal port was enlarged still further in the 19th century and the 20th century. The construction of the arsenal du Mourillon began at the start of the 18th century, as an extension of the major Toulon arsenal on the roadstead's east coast. Until the 20th century this extension held stores for the wood to build the French Navy. From the late 19th century it was this shipyard that built France's first ironclad frigates then the world's first modern submarines.

Rather than joining the Free French forces in North Africa and to avoid capture by the Germans, the French fleet based at Toulon

The Arsenal is not open to the public, but the Naval Museum at its entrance has a collection of enormous ship models from the 18th century, used to train the heir to the throne in seamanship, as well as other naval memorabilia. The building of the Corderie can be seen beside the road nearby. Boat tours depart regularly from the waterfront, and allow visitors to have a good look at ships of the French fleet.[6]

Main infrastructures

The military base is divided into four main zones, each with their own access to the sea. From east to west these are:

• Castigneau ;
• Malbousquet ;
• Missiessy ;
• Milhaud.

The first has two main entrances :

• next to the civilian port - the main gate, adjoining the
  musée de la marine whose façade, classed as a monument historique
  , is the predecessor to this new gate. The new gate is located next to the arsenal's quai d'honneur and the monumental façade of the Mediterranean maritime préfecture, flanked by cannons and gilding.
• at the west entrance to Toulon town-centre - more practical than the other entrance (it is less than 200m from an autoroute exit onto four roads), it ensures freight and civil and military convoys from the base can flow freely.

The three other gates are secondary and little used, though still heavily guarded. To the extreme west in the communes of La Seyne-sur-Mer and Ollioules the military base is in contact with the commercial port of Brégaillon, connected to national and regional networks for the supply of artillery munitions and other supplies.

The arsenal du Mourillon, next to the roadstead, is directly accessible via the north arsenal which housed a submarine base until 1945. The south arsenal is accessed by the small slipway of Le Mourillon beside the now-disappeared torpedo factory.

Roads and railways

The military bases possesses more than 30 km of roads, railway level crossings, traffic lights, signs, etc.. It also has an SNCF rail line running from the station at La Seyne-sur-Mer to the docks via its storage sheds.

Naval installations

The naval installations of Toulon harbour are, from East to West:

The honour quay

Used to harbour foreign ships, or large ships. Traditionally, this quay was used to honour distinguished ships by putting them into view from the merchant harbour.

The four dry docks and the Vauban dock

The four dry docks are fit for repairs on medium to large craft. The Vaudan dock is used as a mooring for small ships (diver support, mine warfare, tugs, patrol boats) and elder ships.

Missiessy quay and Malbousquet quay

Harbour the nuclear attack submarines. The quays are fitted with mobile roofs that cover the submarines when their nuclear equipment is being refitted. These quays also comprise a number of dry docks.

Milhaud quays

The main mooring stations of the harbour, where frigates, aircraft carriers, fleet tankers and landing ships are stationed.

Land infrastructure of the base

Installations next to the base

See also

• Fort Balaguier

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Toulon naval base.

• Ships based at Toulon
• Composition of the high command of the maritime arrondissement of Toulon
• Article on Netmarine
• Dossier on the port of Toulon Archived 24 March 2010 at the Wayback Machine
• History of the arsenal du Mourillon at Toulon