Albatros (ship, 1930)

Albatross

Great destroyer Albatros in Casablanca (1942)

Ship data flag  France other ship names 3, 2, 5, 72, X73, X77, F762, D614 Ship type Large Destroyer class Aigle class Shipyard Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire, Nantes Keel laying February 21, 1929 Launch June 27, 1930 Commissioning December 25, 1931 Whereabouts Decommissioned September 9, 1959 and canceled

Ship dimensions and crew length 128.5 m ( Lüa ) width 11.8 m Draft Max. 4.4 m displacement Standard : 2,441 ts maximum: 3,140 ts   crew 217-227 men

Machine system machine 4 × Penhoët boiler, 2 × Parsons turbine Machine performance 64,000 PS (47,072 kW) Top speed 36 kn (67 km / h) propeller 2

Armament 5 × Sk 13.86 cm L / 40 model 1923 (5 × 1) 4 × Flak 3.7 cm L / 60 model 1925 (4 × 1) 6 × torpedo tube ⌀ 55.0 cm (2 × 3) 44 depth charges , 4 launchers, 2 dropping racks

The Albatros was a large destroyer ( French Contre-Torpilleurs) of the Aigle class of the French Navy . On November 8, 1942, the ship was severely damaged and stranded during the Battle of Casablanca as part of Operation Torch . After the war, the Albatros was recovered, repaired and put back into service. On September 9, 1959, it was decommissioned and canceled.

Machine system

The drive system of the Albatros consisted of four Penhoët boilers and two Parsons turbines . These drove the two screws via two drive shafts. The machines performed 64,000 WPS . This enabled a top speed of 36 kn (about 67 km / h) to be achieved.

Armament

The main artillery of the Albatros consisted of five 13.86 cm L / 40 guns of the 1927 model in individual installation. This cannon could fire a 40.4 kilogram grenade over a maximum distance of 19,000 m. As anti-aircraft armament, the destroyer had four 3.7 cm anti-aircraft guns (L / 60) of the 1925 model in stand-alone installation when it was commissioned. As a torpedo armament, the Albatros had six torpedo tubes in two groups of three for the 23DT torpedo, Toulon. For anti-submarine defense, the ship had four depth charges at the stern with a total of 44 depth charges.

Missions in World War II and whereabouts

The stranded Albatross in November 1942

On June 14, 1940, the Albatros took part in "Operation Vado". Land targets near Genoa and Savona were attacked. She was hit by a 152 mm shell from the Mameli coastal battery , killing twelve crew members. After the defeat of France, she was in service for Vichy France. During Operation Torch, the Albatros was in Casablanca. During the Battle of Casablanca on November 8, 1942, the Albatros was attacked and badly damaged by the heavy cruisers Augusta , Wichita , Tuscaloosa and aircraft from the escort aircraft carrier Suwannee . To prevent the sinking, the albatross ran aground on the beach.

After the war it was salvaged, repaired and put back into service. On September 9, 1959, the Albatros was decommissioned and canceled.

literature

• Vincent P. O'Hara: Struggle for the Middle Sea . Institute Press, New York 2013. ISBN 9781612514086 .
• Mike J. Whitley: Destroyer in World War II. Technology, classes, types . Motorbuchverlag, Stuttgart 1991, ISBN 3-613-01426-2 .
• John Jordan, Jean Moulin: French Destroyers: Torpilleurs d'Escadre & Contre-Torpilleurs 1922–1956 . Seaforth Publishing, Barnsley ISBN 978-1-84832-198-4 .

Web links

Commons : Albatros  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Information about the Albatros at uboat.net (English).

Footnotes

1. ↑ 138.6 mm / 40 (5.46 ") Model 1927 gun data from navweaps.com. Accessed October 22, 2019. (English)
2. ↑ 23 DT, Toulon torpedo data on navweaps.com. Retrieved October 22, 2019.