Dunkerque BC Displacement: 26500 std In class: 2 Size Class: A In Service: 1937 Propulsion: Steam Crew: 1431 Weapons: Armor Rtng: 33/15/180 F(4)2 M1931 13 in/50 C P&PQ/A/S&SQ(4)3 M1935 130mm/45 C P/S(2)2 M1932 130mm/45 C 1 Aft catapult -2 Loire 130M B Area AA: (4)3 and (2)2 M1935 130mm/45 (2.7) Light AA: (2)4 M1933 37mm/50, (4)8 13.2mm (0.9) Remarks: Dunkerque, Strasbourg. Strasbourg displacement 27,750 t std, 579 dp, belt armor 39 vice 33. Jul 40: Dunkerque crippled by British during attack on Mers-el-Kebir. Refloated February 1942 and taken to Toulon for repairs. 27 Nov 42: Both units scuttled at Toulon. Damage and Speed Breakdown: Dam Pts (Dunkerque):0 140 279 419 502 558 Dam Pts (Strasbourg):0 145 290 434 521 579 Surf Speed: 30 23 15 8 0 Sinks Suffren CA Displacement: 9938 std In class: 4 Size Class: B In Service: 1930 Propulsion: Steam Crew: 752 Weapons: Armor Rtng: 5/4 F/A(2)4 Mod 24 8 in/50 C P/S(1)8 M1926 90mm/50 C P/S(3)2 550mm TT w/3 23DT Toulon torpedo E 2 Midships catapults -3 Loire 130M B Area AA: (1)8 M1926 90mm/50 (1.4) Light AA: (2)4 M1933 37mm/50, (4)3 13mm (0.6) Remarks: Suffren, Colbert, Foch, Dupleix. Suffren has (1)8 M1927 75mm/50 vice M1926 90mm/50 (Lt AA = 1.2), has (3)4 550mm TT, only 2 aircraft, 1 catapult. Colbert, Foch displacement 10,361t std. Dupleix displacement 10,520t std. 1941 – 1942: AA upgrades. Colbert : (1)6 M1933 37mm/50, (4)4 20mm, (2)2 20mm, (1)4 8mm Foch/Dupleix: (2)4 M1933 37mm/50, (4)4 20mm, (2)2 20mm; Dupleix (1)7 8mm. 1942 Suffren radar added. 1943 Suffren catapult, seaplanes and 2 TT removed, Lt AA replaced by (4)2 40mm, (1)20 20mm, (1)12 13.2mm/76. Suffren interned in Alexandria, Egypt June 1940 – 1943, when joins Allies. Colbert, Foch, Dupleix scuttled in Toulon Nov 27, 1942. Damage and Speed Breakdown: Dam Pts Suffren: 0 69 138 206 248 275 Colbert: 0 71 142 212 255 283 Foch: 0 71 142 212 255 283 Dupleix: 0 72 143 215 257 286 Surf Speed: 31 23 16 8 0 Sinks Algérie CA Displacement: 10000 std In Class: 1 Size Class: B In Service: 1934 Propulsion: Steam turbine Crew: 616 Weapons: Armor Rtng: 9/7 F/A(2)4 M1931 8 in/55 C PB&P/SB&S/P/S/P&PQ/S&SQ(2)6 M1930 100mm/45 C P/S(3)2 550mm TT w/3 23DT Toulon torpedo E 1 Midships catapults — 3 Loire 130M B Area AA: (2)6 M1930 100mm/45 (1.3) Light AA: (1)4 M1925 37mm/50, (4)4 M1929 Hotchkiss 13.2mm/76 (0.5) Remarks: Dec 39 - Jan 40: (1)4 M1925 37mm/50 replaced by (2)2 M1933 37mm/50 (Lt AA = 0.5) Summer 41: 4 13.2mm Browning mg added (Lt AA = 0.8). Jan-Apr 42: Fitted with radar May - Aug 42: Mainmast, catapult removed, aircraft disembarked. (2)2 M1933 37mm, (4)2 Hotchkiss 13.2mm, (1)2 13.2mm Browning added. Total Lt AA fit (2)8 M1933 37mm, (4)4 13.2mm, (1)4 13.2mm Browning (Lt AA = 1.9) 27 Nov 42: Scuttled at Toulon. Damage and Speed Breakdown Dam Pts: 0 69 138 207 248 276 Surf Speed: 32 24 16 8 0 Sinks Vauquelin DD Displacement: 2480 std In Class: 6 Size Class: C In Service: 1932 Propulsion: Steam turbine Crew: 230 Weapons: Armor Rtng: 0 2F/P&S/2A(1)5 M1927 5.5 in/40 C P&S(3)1 M1928 550mm TT w/3 23DT Toulon torpedo E P/S(2)2 M1928 550mm TT w/3 23DT Toulon torpedo E 2 DC Projectors D Light AA: (1)4 M1925 37mm/50, (2)2 13.2mm (.5) Remarks: Cassard, Chevalier Paul, Kersaint, Maillé Brézé, Tartu, Vaquelin.. Also called "2400 tonne class." 1940: AA upgrades. Cassard received (4)1 M1933 37mm/50, all others (1)1 25mm and (1)4 8mm mg. Apr 40: Kersaint received British Type 128 ASDIC. 30 Apr 40: Maillé Brézé blown up by accidental torpedo explo-sion. Dec 40: Vaquelin received British Type 128 ASDIC. 16 Apr 41: Chevalier Paul torpedoed by British aircraft during Syrian campaign. Aug 41: Tartu received British Type 128 ASDIC. Dec 41: Cassard received British Type 128 ASDIC. 27 Nov 42: Cassard, Kersaint, Tartu, Vaquelin scuttled at Toulon. Damage and Speed Breakdown Dam Pts: 0 23 46 69 83 92 Surf Speed: 36 24 18 9 0 Sinks Aigle DD Displacement: 2441 std In Class: 6 Size Class: C In Service: 1931 Propulsion: Steam turbine Crew: 230 Weapons: Armor Rtng: 0 2F/P&S/2A(1)5 M1927 5.5 in/40 C P&S(3)2 M1928 550mm TT w/3 23DT Toulon torpedo E 2 DC rail w/8 DC D Light AA: (1)4 M1925 37m/50m, (2)2 13.2mm (.5) Remarks: Aigle, Vautour, Albatros, Gerfaut, Milan, Epervier. Also called "2400 tonne class." Repeat of Guépard group with newer gun. Last two ( Milan, Epervier) fitted with P&S(1)3 and P/S(2)2 TT vice (3)2. Small (3m) rangefinder fitted to main battery director limited max range of main battery to Long range band. Total of 24 DC carried.  1936: 5m rangefinder fitted to main battery director, main battery usable at all ranges.  Jun 40: Milan, Epervier, Vautour, Albatros received (2)1 M1933 37mm.  1940: Vautor. Gerfaut and Albatros receive Type 128 ASDIC.  1940: Gerfaut AA upgraded with additional (1)2 37mm and (2)3 13.2mm. All others received (1)1 25mm and (1)4 8mm.  27 Nov 42: Aigle, Vautour, and Gerfaut scuttled at Toulon.  9 Nov 42: Epervier badly damaged during engagement with British off Oran and beached..  9 Nov 42: Milan beached at Casablanca during Allied attack.  Nov 42: Albatros seriously damaged at Casablanca and beached. Damage and Speed Breakdown Dam Pts: 0 23 45 68 81 90 Surf Speed: 38 28 19 10 0 Sinks Guépard DD Displacement: 2436 std In Class: 6 Size Class: C In Service: 1929 Propulsion: Steam turbine Crew: 230 Armor Rtng: 0 Size Class: C Weapons: Armor Rtng: 0 2F/P&S/2A(1)5 M1923 5.5 in/40 C P&S(3)2 M1928 550mm TT w/3 23DT Toulon torpedo E 4 DC projectors D 2 DC rail w/8 DC D Light AA: (1)4 M1925 37mm (.5) Remarks: Bison, Guépard, Lion, Valmy, Verdun, Vauban. Also called "2400 tonne class." (2)2 13.2mm Lt AA planned, but not fitted at completion. Small (3m) rangefinder fitted to main battery director limited max range of main battery to Long range band. Total of 24 DC carried. 1932: Depth charge projectors removed. 1937: 5m rangefinder fitted to main battery director, main battery usable at all ranges. Planned (2)2 13.2mm Hotchkiss added (Lt AA = 0.5). 1939-40: DC projectors reinstalled. Early 1940: British Type 128 ASDIC fitted to Bison. 1940: Lt AA increased by (1)1 25mm and (1)4 8mm mg. 3 May 40 Bison sunk by German air attack during Norwegian campaign 1942: Guépard, Vauban, Verdun refitted. Mainmast, 37mm removed, replaced by (2)1 M1933 37mm, (1)2 13.2mm Browning. Guépard lost fwd, TT, Valmy lost after TT, Verdun retained both TT mounts. 27 Nov 42: Survivors of class scuttled at Toulon. Damage and Speed Breakdown Dam Pts: 0 23 45 68 81 90 Surf Speed: 38 28 19 10 0 Sinks Requin SS Displacement: 1441 subm In Class: 9 Size Class: D In Service: 1926 Propulsion: Diesel/Electric Crew: 54 Max Depth: 100 m Btry Rtng: xxx Weapons: Armor Rtng: 0 PB&SB(2)2 550mm TT w/8 1924 Model V torp E PQ&SQ(2)1 550mm TT w/4 1924 Model V torp E F/A(2)2 550mm external revolving TT w/2 1924 Model V torp E F(1)1 M1925 100mm/45 C Area AA: (1)1 M1925 100mm/45 (.1) Light AA: 2 8mm (.1) Sensors: ? Remarks:Requin, Souffleur, Morse, Narval, Caiman, Marsuoin, Phoque, Dauphin, Espadon . External tubes on turntable mounts under deck casing—mounts can be trained to port or starboard; cannot be reloaded at sea. Caiman, Espadon, Phoque carry a total of 32 torpedoes. Operational depth 250 ft/180 m. Cannot crash dive. 1935 - 1937: All ships had hull and machinery refitted. Jul 40: Narval sailed to Malta in July 1940 to join Free French forces. Struck a mine and sank off Tunisia on Dec 15, 1940. 29 Jun 41: Souffleur was sunk by British submarine during Syrian campaign. 10 Jun 42: Morse struck mine and sank off Sfax. Nov 42: Caiman and Marsouin escaped from Algiers in Nov 42 to Toulon. Caiman scuttled in Toulon. Marsouin escaped to North Africa. 8 Dec 42: Requin, Dauphin, Phoque and Espadon seized in Bizerte by Italians. Damage and Speed Breakdown Dam Pts: 0 7 15 22 26 29 Surf Speed: 16 12 8 4 0 Sinks Subm Speed: 10 8 5 3 0 Sinks Cape Spartivento á la Française BT Back to The Naval Sitrep #17 Table of Contents Back to Naval Sitrep List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1999 by Larry Bond and Clash of Arms. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com