Sirène-class submarine (1925)

The Sirène-class submarines were a sub-class of the 600 Series built for the French Navy prior to World War II. There were four vessels in the class, built to a Loire-Simonot design. They were ordered in 1925 and completed by 1927.[1][2] Three of the four boats of the Sirène class saw action during the Second World War, from September 1939 until the French armistice in June 1940.

Not to be confused with Sirène-class submarine (1901).
Galatée at Oran, 1932
Class overview
NameSirène class
BuildersAteliers et Chantiers de la Loire, Nantes
Operators French Navy
Built1925–1927
In commission1927–1944
Completed4
Lost3
Retired1
General characteristics
TypeSubmarine
Displacement
  • 609 tonnes (599 long tons) surfaced
  • 757 tonnes (745 long tons) submerged
Length64m (212ft)
Beam5.2m (17ft)
Draught4.3m (14ft)
Speed
  • 13.5 knots (25.0 km/h; 15.5 mph) surfaced
  • 7.5 knots (13.9 km/h; 8.6 mph) submerged
Range3,500 nmi (6,500 km) at 7.5 kn (13.9 km/h; 8.6 mph)
Complement41
Armament

General characteristics

The Sirènes had a displacement of 609 tonnes (599 long tons) surfaced and 757 tonnes (745 long tons) submerged. They had an endurance of 3,500 nautical miles (6,500 km; 4,000 mi) at 7.5 knots (13.9 km/h; 8.6 mph), with a maximum surface speed of 13.5 knots (25.0 km/h; 15.5 mph), and a submerged speed of 7.5 knots (13.9 km/h; 8.6 mph). Their armament was seven torpedo tubes (3 forward, 2 midships, and 2 aft) with an outfit of 13 torpedoes. As with all French submarines of this period, the midships torpedo tubes were fitted externally in trainable mounts. They had a single 75 mm (3 in) and two 8 mm machine guns, and were manned by crews of 41 men.

Ships
  • Sirène, scuttled November 1942 Toulon; raised, sunk in air raid June 1944.
  • Naïade, (Q124) scuttled November 1942 Toulon; raised, sunk in air raid twice; April 1943, November 1943.
  • Galatée, scuttled November 1942 Toulon; raised, sunk in air raid June 1944.
  • Nymphe, decommissioned in 1938.

See also

Notes
  1. Bagnasco p.44
  2. Conway, p.272

References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sirene class submarine.
  • Bagnasco, E :Submarines of World War Two (1977) ISBN 0-85368-331-X
  • Conway : Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946 (1980) ISBN 978-0-85177-146-5
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