One of the less well-known facts of World War II is that the French Navy expended more effort in combat against the British and Americans than against Axis forces. This article will examine the development, composition, and performance of the French Navy through 1945, and will describe some of the most controversial and tragic naval actions of the war.

Prelude to War

The combined effects of the First World War and the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922 cost the French fleet 40% of its fighting strength. However, the navy was considerably rejuvenated prior to 1939 with the construction of 705,000 tons of new combat vessels. In 1938 and 1939, the French Navy, under the command of Admiral Francois Darlan, ordered an additional 44 major warships, but few of these were ever completed.

By the outbreak of hostilities France had developed the fourth largest naval force in the world, behind Great Britain, Japan, and the United States. Darlan commanded a group of mostly new, wellbuilt ships outfitted with modern communications equipment. The crews were thoroughly trained in both day and night squadron operations, and they demonstrated excellent gunnery performance. The major weakness of the French Navy was in the category of air power. France lagged far behind the other major powers in aircraft carrier development.

The pre-war fleet air arm comprised only 350 aircraft, none of which were dive bombers. Most surface vessels mounted inadequate anti-aircraft batteries, with no radar capabilities and a major absence of light AA weapons.

Table 1 (page 26) presents some important characteristics of the major classes of warships in the French fleet during the war years. The only aircraft carriers were Beam (destined to be used only as an aircraft transport except during the three years she was inactive at Fort de France, Martinique) and the old seaplane carrier Commandant Teste. Besides the five (Ocean was demilitarized in 1938) old Courbet and Provence class battleships, the well-designed battlecruisers Dunkerque and Strasbourg were in service, while the modern battleships Richelieu and Jean Bart were still under construction at the start of the war. The fleet boasted a well-balanced force of seven heavy and twelve light cruisers, of which the CL Pluton was used only for minelaying and Jeanne DArc was a slow training vessel.

The French destroyer force had some interesting characteristics. In addition to a selection of ordinary destroyers (classes Simoun, Le Hardi, and L'Alcyon) or torpilleurs, the French had constructed many much larger "super-destroyers", or contre-torpilleurs. These ships were big, very fast, and well-armed.

In historical accounts they are often referred to as destroyer leaders or even light cruisers, although they were designed to be "destroyer destroyers", as opposed to the original concept of the "torpedo boat destroyer". A total of 71 destroyers of all types was in commission on 1 January 1939, with eight more being built.

France also possessed a respectable collection of submarines. Most impressive was the Surcouf, which sported a pair of 8- inch guns and, at nearly 3000 tons surface displacement, was the world's largest submarine. Eighty-six submarines were in commission or under construction at the beginnning of 1939, including several classes of fleet and coastal boats and the ten Saphir minelayers.

Portions of the French fleet were based in North Africa, the Caribbean, Indochina, and the northern, western, and southern coasts of France herself. Table 2 (page 26) indicates the admirals commanding French naval forces in each of these theaters.

At the opening of hostilities, the First Squadron, consisting of the battlecruisers Strasbourg and Dunkerque, Beam, three light cruisers, and eight destroyers, was based at Brest. The other main battle forces were stationed at Toulon on France's southern coast (six heavy cruisers plus nine destroyers), and at the twin harbors of Oran and Mers-el-Kebir in Algeria (the three Provence battleships and nine destroyers). A total of thirteen naval air squadrons were located near Dunkerque, Brest, Toulon, Bizerte (in Tunisia), and in Morocco.

Table 1. Major Classes of French Warships
Type	Class Name	Ships in Class	Displacementt (tons)	Speed (knots)	Main Armament
CV [1]	Beam	1	21,800	21.5	40 aircraft 8 x 6.1"
CV(S) [2]	Commandant Teste	1	10,000	20.5	26 aircraft 12 x 3.9"
BB [3]	Courbet	3	23,500	21	12 x 12" 4TT [4]
BB	Provence	3	23,200	21	10 x 13.4"
BC [5]	Dunkerque	2	26,500	30	8 x 13"
BB	Richelieu	2	42,800	32	8 x 15"
CA [6]	Suffren	4	9,940	31	8 x 8" 6TT
CA	Tourville	2	10,000	33	8 x 8"; 6TT
CA	Algerie	1	10,000	31	8 x 8"; 6TT
CL [7]	La Galissonniere	6	7,600	31	6 x 6"; 4TT
CL	Duguay-Trouin	3	7,250	33	8 x 6.1"; 12TT
CL	Emile Bertin	1	5,890	34	9 x 6"; 6TT
CL	Pluton	1	??	??	??
CL	Jeanne D'Arc	1	6,500	25	8 x 6.1 2TT
DD [8]	Tigre	6	2,130	35.5	5 x 5.1 6TT
DD	Mogador	2	2,880	38	8 x 5.5"; 1 OTT
DD	Aigle	10	2,440	36.5	5 x 5.5"; 6TT
DD	Guepard	5	2,440	36	5 x 5.5"; 6TT
DD	Le Fantasque	6	2,570	37	5 x 5.5"; 9TT
DD	L'Alcyon	14	1,380	33	4 x 5.1 6TT
DD	Simoun	12	1,319	33	4 x 5.1 6TT
DD	Le Hardi	8	1,770	37	6 x 5.1 7TT
SS [9]	Surcouf	1	2,880 [10]	18 [11]	2 x 8"; 1 OTT
SS	Aurore	16	893	17	9TT
SS	Redoubtable	29	1,380	18	11TT
SS	Saphir	10	669	12	5TT; 32 mines
SS	Requin	9	974	16	10TT
SS	Diane	22	570	14	8TT
SS	Sirene	8	548	14	7TT

Notes:

1 . aircraft carrier; 2. seaplane carrier; 3. battleship; 4. almost all torpedo tubes on surface ships and submarines were 21.7", although some subs carried 15.7" tubes; 5. battlecruiser; 6. heavy cruiser; 7. light cruiser; 8. destroyer; 9. submarine; 10. surface displacement; 11. surface speed.

Table 2. French Naval Commands
Location	Commander in 1940	Headquarters
North (English Channel and North Sea)	Admiral J. Abrial	Dunkerque
West (Atlantic Ocean)	Admiral J. de Laborde	Brest
South (Mediterranean Sea)	Admiral J.P. Esteva	Toulon
Africa	Admiral E. Ollive	Casablanca
Antilles	Admiral G. Robert	Martinique
Far East	Admiral J. Decoux	Saigon

More French Navy of WWII

Introduction and Ship Specs
War: 1939 to 1942
Free French Navy and Conclusion