600-630 ton type

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600/630 ton type p1
Ship data
country FranceFrance (national flag of the sea) France
Ship type Submarine
Shipyard A. Chantier de la Loire, St. Nazaire
Chantier Augustin Normand, Le Havre
Chantiers Schneider et Cie, Chalon-sur-Saône
A & Chantier Dubigeon, Nantes
Chantier de la Seine, Rouen
Construction period 1923 to 1935
Units built 28
period of service 1927 to 1946
Ship dimensions and crew
600 ton type A
length
64.0 m ( Lüa )
width 5.2 m
Draft Max. 4.3 m
displacement above water: 609 ts
under water: 757 ts
 
crew 41 men
Machine system
machine Diesel engine
Machine
performance 		1,300 PS (956 kW)
Machine system
machine Electric motor
Machine
performance 		1,000 PS (735 kW)
Mission data submarine
Radius of action over water 3,500 nm at 7.5 kn
under water 75 nm at 5 kn nm
Immersion depth, max. 80 m
Top
speed
submerged 		7.5 kn (14 km / h)
Top
speed
surfaced 		13.5 kn (25 km / h)
Armament

The 600/630-ton Type had an average U-boat - ship class of the French Navy . In the French type classification of the time, it was a question of 2nd class boats. Between 1923 and 1935, 28 boats were built in six lots. During the Second World War , the submarines were used by the Vichy-French and from 1943 also by the Free French Navy. The Royal Navy and the Italian Navy were each able to capture two boats of the class. In addition, the Italians lifted several sunken submarines of the type and partially deployed them.

Constructive features

The ship class is divided into two main types and three construction lots each. The boats were built at five different shipyards and varied within the type in size, armament and external shape. However, all constructions were based on common technical specifications. The boats proved to be very maneuverable and had good torpedo armament, which was, however, very complicated.

The 600-tonne type built first had a number of shortcomings which were eliminated with the 630-tonne type built later. The first construction lots had problems with lateral stability during diving trips and the living conditions of the crew were very poor. Furthermore, the 630-ton type had a greater range both above and below water.

Between 1937 and 1938 the boats of the 600-ton type were modernized.

drive

The boats were two-hulled boats with classic propulsion by two diesel engines for surface travel and two electric motors for diving travel . The diesel engines came from Schneider , Sulzer or Vickers . The total output of the diesel engines varied between 1,200 PS (895 kW ) for the 600-ton type B and 1,420 PS (1056 kW) for the 630-ton type E. The total output of the electric motors was 1,000 PS (746 kW) for all construction lots.

The 600-ton boats reached a distance of 3,500 nm (6482 km ) over water at 7.5 kn (14 km / h ) and could go under water at 5 kn (9.3 km / h) up to 75 nm (139 km).

The 630-ton boats could travel over water at 10 kn (18.5 km / h) up to 4,000 nm (7408 km). Under water they reached up to 82 nm (152 km) at 5 kn.

Armament

With the exception of Type B, all boats were armed with a 76mm L / 35 deck gun. The four type B boats had a 100 mm L / 40 gun .

All 600 ton boats were equipped with two 8 mm machine guns for anti-aircraft defense . The 630-ton boats only carried an 8-mm MG.

The 600-ton boats carried a total of seven torpedo tubes with a diameter of 550 mm. Three were arranged in the bow, two of which were mounted outside the pressure hull. Two more torpedo tubes were arranged at the stern outside and a pivoting twin set amidships outside. A total of 13 torpedoes were carried.

The 630-ton boats were armed with six torpedo tubes with a diameter of 550 mm. Three were arranged in the bow (one inside, two outside). There was a swiveling twin set amidships and a swiveling outer tube in the stern. There were also two swiveling, externally located 400 mm tubes in the rear. A total of nine torpedoes were carried.

The external pivoting torpedo tubes that could not be reloaded during use were considered to be very complicated and prone to failure. In addition, the unfolded tubes impaired the steering and trimming of the boats. In addition, there was the high flow resistance when underwater. However, since the control of the French torpedoes was very unreliable at that time, the swiveling tubes could not be dispensed with.

Mission history

Two submarines of the class were lost in peacetime. The first ondine from the Sirène class collided with a merchant ship in 1928 and the nymph was scrapped in 1938.

When the war began on September 1, 1939, the 600/630 tonne type boats made up the largest proportion of French medium-range submarines. Until the surrender of France in June 1940, the boats took part in far-reaching operations. On May 9, 1940 there was the first loss in combat when Doris was sunk by U 9 . Orion and Ondine were in Great Britain in July 1940, where they were captured by the Royal Navy . The Royal Navy only used the two boats in reserve and decommissioned them in 1943. The remaining boats remained under the command of Vichy France. Some boats were taken out of service.

During Operation Torch in November 1942, six boats were lost in combat with Anglo-American forces. The Italian Navy captured two submarines in Bizerta , but never used them. When the Vichy French fleet on November 27, 1942 as a result of the German invasion of southern France in Toulon scuttled , also went five submarines of the 600/630-ton type below. Three sank themselves in North Africa. The seven remaining boats were used by the Free French Navy from 1943 and decommissioned in 1946.

Boats of the type

600 ton type

The twelve boats of the 600 ton type were built between 1923 and 1930 at three different shipyards.

Type A ( Sirène class)

The Sirène class was built between 1923 and 1927 at A. Chantier de la Loire in Saint-Nazaire . Type A has four boats. The design came from Loire-Simonot.

  boat   Keel laying Launch Start of duty End of service comment
Galatée 1924 1925 1942 sunk in Toulon
Naïade 1923 1925 1942 sunk in Toulon
Ondine 1928 sunk in collision
Siren 1923 1925 1942 sunk in Toulon

Type B ( Ariane class)

The Ariane class was built between 1923 and 1929 at Chantier Augustin Normand in Le Havre . Type B has four boats. The design came from Normand-Fenaux.

  boat   Keel laying Launch Start of duty End of service comment
Ariane 1923 1925 1929 1942 Sunk in front of Oran ( Algeria )
Danaé 1924 1927 1942 Sunk in front of Oran (Algeria)
Eurydicé 1924 1927 1929 1942 sunk in Toulon
nymph 1938 scrapped

Type C ( Circé class)

The Circé class was built between 1923 and 1930 at Chantiers Schneider et Cie in Chalon-sur-Saône . Type C has four boats. The design came from Schneider-Labeuf.

  boat   Keel laying Launch Start of duty End of service comment
Calypso 1924 1926 1928 1942 Captured by Italian units in Bizerta ( Tunisia )
Circé 1924 1925 1927 1942 Captured by Italian units in Bizerta (Tunisia)
Doris 1924 1927 1928 1940 Sunk by a German submarine off the Dutch coast
Thétis 1924 1927 1928 1942 sunk in Toulon

630 ton type

The 16 boats of the 630 ton type were built between 1927 and 1935 at five different shipyards.

Type D ( Argonaute class)

The Argonaute class was built by Chantiers Schneider et Cie in Chalon-sur-Saône from 1927 to 1935. Type D has five boats. The design came from Schneider-Labeuf.

  boat   Keel laying Launch Start of duty End of service comment
Aréthuse 1928 1929 1933 1946 1942 to the Free French Navy
Argonaute 1927 1929 1932 1942 Sunk by British destroyers off Oran (Algeria)
Atalante 1928 1929 1933 1946 1942 to the Free French Navy
La Sultans 1931 1932 1935 1946 1942 to the Free French Navy
La Vestale 1931 1932 1934 1946 1942 to the Free French Navy

Type E ( Orion class)

The Orion- class was built between 1929 and 1932 at two shipyards. Type E has two boats. The design came from Loire-Simonot.

  boat   Shipyard Keel laying Launch Start of duty End of service comment
Ondine A & Chantier Dubigeon, Nantes 1929 1931 1932 1943 Confiscated by the British in 1940, scrapped in 1943
Orion A. Chantier de la Loire, Saint-Nazaire 1929 1931 1932 1943 Confiscated by the British in 1940, scrapped in 1943

Type F ( Diane class)

The Diane- class was built at two shipyards between 1927 and 1934. Type F has nine boats. The design came from Normand-Fernaux.

  • Built by Chantier Augustin Normand in Le Havre between 1927 and 1933:
  boat   Keel laying Launch Start of duty End of service comment
Amphitrite 1928 1930 1933 1942 Sunk by the US Navy off Casablanca ( Morocco ) .
Diane 1928 1930 1932 1942 Sunk in front of Oran (Algeria)
La Psyché 1930 1932 1933 1942 Sunk by US aircraft off Casablanca (Morocco).
Méduse 1928 1930 1932 1942 Sunk by US aircraft off Casablanca (Morocco).
Orphée 1929 1931 1933 1946 1942 to the Free French Navy.
  • Built at Chantier de la Seine in Rouen between 1928 and 1934:
  boat   Keel laying Launch Start of duty End of service comment
Amazon 1929 1931 1933 1946 1942 to the Free French Navy.
Antiope 1928 1930 1933 1946 1942 to the Free French Navy.
La Sibylle 1931 1933 1934 1942 sunk off Casablanca (Morocco) under unexplained circumstances.
Oréade 1929 1932 1933 1942 Sunk by US plane off Casablanca.

literature

  • Erminio Bagnasco: Submarines in World War II. 5th edition. Motorbuchverlag, Stuttgart 1996, ISBN 3-613-01252-9 .

Web links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ a b uboat.net states that the shipyard is Ch. Worms in Rouen . Erminio Bagnasco mentions Chantier de la Seine in Rouen as the shipyard in submarines during World War II .
  2. ↑ The French Navy distinguished three classes of submarines: 1st class boats were deep-sea boats. 2nd class boats were smaller coastal boats. 3rd class boats were mine layers .
  3. ↑ a b c uboat.net assigns Ondine to the Ariane class. Erminio Bagnasco indicates the ondine as a Sirène class boat in submarines during World War II . Both sources confirm the loss of the Ondine in 1928 and that an Orion- class boat received the same name.
  4. ↑ a b uboat.net assigns nymph to the Sirène class . Erminio Bagnasco names the nymph in submarines in World War II as the Ariane class boat. Both sources confirm the scrapping of the nymph in 1938.