Surcouf
Sunk
French Navy, then Free French Naval Forces
| Type | Submarine |
|---|---|
| War | Second World War |
| Main guns | 2 × 8″ guns in 1 twin turret |
Service
| to 1940 | Surcouf | |
| from 1940 | Surcouf Seized by the British and manned by the Free French |
The largest submarine in the world when built, with two 8-inch guns and a seaplane hangar. Seized by the British at Plymouth in July 1940 and manned by the Free French; helped take the islands of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon in December 1941. Lost with all 130 aboard in the Caribbean on 18 February 1942, probably in a collision with a freighter.
Armament and specifications
Armament
- 2 × 203 mm (8 in) guns (1 × 2)
- 2 × 37 mm (1.5 in) anti-aircraft guns (2 × 1)
- 4 × 13.2 mm (0.52 in) anti-aircraft machine guns (2 × 2)
- 6 × 550 mm (22 in) torpedo tubes
- 4 × 400 mm (16 in) torpedo tubes
| Builder | Cherbourg Arsenal |
|---|---|
| Laid down | 1 July 1927 |
| Launched | 18 November 1929 |
| Commissioned | 16 April 1934 |
| Displacement | 3,250 long tons (3,302 t) (surfaced) 4,304 long tons (4,373 t) (submerged) 2,880 long tons (2,926 t) (dead) |
| Length | 110 m (361 ft) |
| Speed | 18.5 knots (34.3 km/h; 21.3 mph) (surfaced) 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph) (submerged) |
| Complement | 8 officers and 110 men |
As built, from the ship's Wikipedia article. Figures there may cover later refits too.
Career
Launched
18 November 1929
3 July 1940
Her crew fought the boarding party; four killed
Joined the Free French Naval Forces
July 1940 · Seized by the British and manned by the Free French
Fate
Sunk
Disappeared, 18 February 1942