WARNING.
This is a "work in progress"
Comments welcome
------
US-built Ships and Crafts procured by the MN or obtained through the Lend-Lease.
CVE:
At first two Fleet Oilers were to be converted as aircraft carriers (the AO28 Esso Trenton to become Lafayette and the AO29 Seakay to become Bois Belleau) to replace the lost Bearn. These two conversions, already decided on for the USN on Roosevelt's demand, were to be speeded up for delivery by end 1941. Order cancelled. Ships replaced by four Sun converted freighters as:
Lafayette, Bois-Belleau, Quentin Roosevelt, Dixmude.
The US influence was here less important than the RN one as, by 1944, the French Navy would obtain 2 25-kts light Fleet CV (Colossus-Class). However, but for the use of Swordfish TSR and then ASW planes, French Naval aviation was highly dependent from US equipments.
Destroyers:
By late 1940, the lease of 4 "modern" DD of the Farragut class (Dewey, Dale, Alwyin and Mac-Donough was first discussed. They were to be named respectively Le Corsaire, Le Flibustier, Le Tmraire and L'Aventurier). This project was cancelled as the USN was very short of modern DDs.
I - 8 Benson class DDs were procured, following lengthy negotiations for a much larger order (24) held in 1940. They were built as they could be delivered sooner than DEs (hull numbers FDD1 to
and were delivered from Federal (Kearny) between November 1942 and April 1943. They were named after Bourrasque and LAdroit-class ships lost.
Orage, Bourrasque, Sirocco, lAdroit, Foudroyant, Mistral, Tornade, Fortun
II. Four old US Wilkes class DD were loaned after DE conversion and delivered in May 42 as:
Le Corse, Le Breton, Le Picard, Le Gascon
III. Four old Clemson class DD converted as APD were loaned too and delivered between July 42 and October 42.
Goumier, Tabor, Tirailleur, Legionnaire.
IV. Eight US-type DE of the Modified-TE type (2-5in/38, 4 x 40mm Bofors, 8 x 20mm) built by Norfolk Navy Yard (former DE 153, 154, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 160) with launch dates from February 1943 to July 1943 and completion dates from June 1943 to December 1943. The main modification asked by the MN was the replacement of the 3 x 3in/50 by 2 (2 x I) 5in/38 as on TEV/WGT design.
Name honouring ships lost in action or for the first three torpedo-boats scuttled incomplete in July 1940:
Le Fier, LAgile, Le Farouche, Bombarde, Baliste, La Bayonnaise, La Cordelire, Aconit.
The design provided for 2 21-in TTs, which never were mounted. Aconit was the trial ship of 550mm non-guided ASW torpedoes designed by Ing. L. Kahn (K1 short non-guided torpedoes). She received two triple mounts on each beam as well as racks for 12 reload torpedoes and was equipped with 2 sonar sets. This armament was adopted and fitted to Bombarde, Baliste, La Bayonnaise. The four other ships were equipped with one Hedgehog.
These eight ships were partially funded by the Lend-Lease and for armament modifications by French funds.
The 550mm K1 Short torpedo was the French equivalent to heavy ahead throwing weapons like the RN Limbo. Once the submarine detected and her depth checked through the second sonar-set, a three-torpedoes salvo was fired. The K1 torpedo used the extremely efficient 400mm M26 Alcohol wet-heater engine built by Westinghouse in the USA and had the following characteristics:
Length: 373.8 cm
Diameter 55.0 cm
Weight: 674 kg.
Max speed: 55 kts.
Range: 900m.
Warhead: 152 kg (Torpex).
V. Six Large destroyers based on the D-692 Allen N. Sumner hull were procured from Federal (Kearny) as a follow on to the 8 Benson-class ships already procured. These ships resulted form the improved Le Hardy specification drafted by 1941, but were named as large Contre-torpilleurs because of their impressive size. To cope with the armament fit designed, the hull had to be lengthened and the design was then much closer to a Gearing-class DD than to a Sumner one, even if ships were looking like large Fletcher-class DDs.
The French Admiralty had very precise ideas about the best DD armament fit. Planned with five single 5-in/54 guns (the same ones used in Midway-class CV) but re-bored to fire the French 130mm shell, ships emerged with 5 single mounts, 10 Bofors (2 x Quad and 1 x Twin mounts), 10 (2x5) 21-in long TT, 6 (2x3) 550mm short ASW TT, 10 x 20mm and quite a large electronic suit.
The first ship was commissioned in January 1945 and the next three between March and May 1945. They were all deployed in the Pacific. The last two ships (Bayard and Duguesclin) were towed incomplete to Brest early fall 1945 and were completed there in 1947. It is to be noted that these last two ships were completed with only four 130mm guns.
Names: Kleber, Desaix, Marceau, Hoche, Bayard and Duguesclin
Note: The modified US 127/54 gun became the 130mm 130/53 Mle.44 in French service. The standard French SAP shell weighting 32.1-kg had a 799.7 m/sec mv.
Seaplane tenders and specialised types.
One US Maritime Commission Hog Islander hull was bought by the MN and converted as a seaplane tender to replace the damaged Commandant Teste. The ship was commissioned early 1943 as Berlaimont (honouring the place were many Aeronavale pilots lost their lives when trying to stop German armoured columns).
The French Navy received two US built Barnegat-class seaplane tenders, as these ships were partly considered as surplus as early as 1943.
AVP 21 Humboldt, renamed Charcot and commissioned early 1944.
AVP22 Matagorda, renamed La Perouse, commissioned early 1944.
Both ships deployed in the Pacific, with La Perouse being adapted as MTB base ship.
Coastal escort and Mine-sweeper:
I. - 24 x 173ft PC were procured and delivered between September 41 and June 1942. 8 other 173 ft PC were delivered from December 1942 to March 1943.
1er groupe: L'Eveill, Le Rus, L'Enjou, Le Rsolu, L'Emport, L'Effront, L'Ardent, L'indiscret
2me groupe: Pique, Cimeterre, Dague, Epe, Coutelas, Hache, Pertuisane, Yatagan.
3me groupe: Coutelas, Javelot, Bayonette, Glaive, Epieu, Estoc, Lance, Couteau. (Commissioned on Aug 12th, 1942).
4me groupe: Pistolet, Arquebuse, Mousquet, Carabine, Fusil, Serpentine, Couleuvrine, Revolver.
For a time, the 3rd and 4th group were operating from Fort de France.
II. - 3 large "Raven" class MS/PCE, delivered by early 42:
Sans Reproche, Sans Pareil, Sans Peur.
III. - 12 180ft "Admirable" class MS/PCE, delivered from October 42 to July 43.
(MS) Granit, Mica, Porphyre, Pyrite, Basalte, Lave.
(PCE) Chamois, Chevreuil, Daim, Gazelle, Bouquetin, Okapi.
IV: No less than 36 YMS small coastal minesweepers were obtained through the Lend-Lease from late 1942 to summer 1943 and were mainly used for large amphibious operations of 1943.
Named D200 to D235.
Coastal crafts:
I. Sub-Chasers:
52 US 110ft SC boats delivered from January 1942 to March 1943. Some were converted as beach-support craft with one or two 81-mm mortars. They were named in the CH-100 sries.
II. MTB/MGB
The French Navy set up quickly a combined MTB/MGB flotilla in the Channel, operating alongside similar RN units. For the Mediterranean Theatre of Operations there was no option but to procure US-built MTBs.
After the loss of Corsica and Sardinia the Marine Nationale obtained that Elco 70-ft boats of USN Squadron Two were loaned. The ten boats (former PT-10 to PT-19) arrived by May 1941. In the same time the MN procured 24 x PT boats from Higgins Industries Inc. This company was the main competitor to Elco. After trying to build a Sparkman-Stephens designed boat patterned on the PT-6. Andrew Jackson Higgins, designed and built a boat of his own design during winter 1940/41 under the understanding from the USN that would it proved to be satisfactory the boat would be purchased. French officers soon found the new boat (76-ft type) very satisfactory (if one knot slower than the Elco type, it was more manoeuvrable) and by May 1941 procured 24 of them before any USN order had been given (all boats were procured on French funds and not on LL funds). The French order considerably helped Higgins Industries to set up the MTB production line and helped to start the production much earlier than what would have happened without this order. This was to be beneficial both for the USN and the MN.
The Higgins prototype was also thoroughly tested by the USN and took part to so-called Plywood Derbys or competitions with Elco and Huckins type boats in July and August 1941. The boat was formally accepted, with some modifications, by the USN in a somewhat modified form (Higgins 78-ft type).
Of these 24 Higgins 76-ft boat, 10 were given back to the USN when the MN formally acquired the 10 Elco 70-ft boats. This is how the USN get the type first (and before its own Higgins 78-ft were ready).
The Marine Nationale received its 14 Higgins 76-ft boats from December 1941 to May 1942.
Once the USN had adopted the Higgins 78-ft type (PT-71) as its second standard MTB type, thirty-six of these boats (called Higgins Mk.2) were procured by the MN through the Lend-Lease in two batches (one of 12 boats in March 1942 and a second one of 24 boats in September 1942) and they were delivered from July 1942 to August 1943.
A fourth batch of 20 Elco 80-ft boats was procured through the Lend-Lease by March 1943 to equip a fourth MTB flotilla to be deployed against the Japanese. These boats, delivered between January and October 1944, were mostly converted as gun-boats (with 2x40mm Bofors) for barge-busting. They teamed with the Barnegat-class tender La Prouse.
Higgins 76-ft and 78-ft boats, with survivors of the ten Elco 70-ft boats, were used mostly in the Mediterranean. MN light forces operating in the Channel were using RN type MTBs and MGBs.
Landing ships.
The MN received 12 US-built LST in 1942/43 and 2 LSDs mid-43.
The two LSDs were named Rhin and Rhone
LSTs were first numbered from 21 to 32.
JBFR ships:
The Marine Nationale get several special ships and crafts resulting from the Joint British-French Requirement, issued to the US industry late spring 1941.
The "fast raiding naval vessel" able to carry up to 200men and some packaged cargo. This requirement stemmed from French and British experience of operating in support of islands (Corsica) and in the Aegean. It was to give birth to the LCI(L), with two specific variants, one for fire support and AA defence (LCS(L)) and one for local ASW escort as LCE(L).
The second JFBR was for a tank lighter able to carry 5 medium tanks or up to 160t of cargo and operate with the previous design. It was become the LSM.
The third JFBR was for a "second-rate" destroyer, called DE operating either as an ASW escort (for the RN) or as a combined ASW/AA escort (for the MN). The French staff pushed for something as fast as British "Hunt" class DE but the RN would be happy with a slower design. This design, which was resisted by the US BuShips on grounds that conventional DDs could be built faster was directly approved by Roosevelt and gave birth to the well-known US DE series. It is however interesting to note that the MN got 8 Benson-class DD before it received its own Des, vindicating to some extent BuShips advice that repeat Benson DDs could have been made available sooner than the DE.
A fourth design was also decided on and this was the US copy of the British LCT, for a short-range tank lighter.
Production dates and rates were ambitious. Design of both the LCI (L) and LSM were to be frozen by July 1st, 1941, with deliveries before end 1941. DE production would have to begin before end 1942.
This is a "work in progress"
Comments welcome
------
US-built Ships and Crafts procured by the MN or obtained through the Lend-Lease.
CVE:
At first two Fleet Oilers were to be converted as aircraft carriers (the AO28 Esso Trenton to become Lafayette and the AO29 Seakay to become Bois Belleau) to replace the lost Bearn. These two conversions, already decided on for the USN on Roosevelt's demand, were to be speeded up for delivery by end 1941. Order cancelled. Ships replaced by four Sun converted freighters as:
Lafayette, Bois-Belleau, Quentin Roosevelt, Dixmude.
The US influence was here less important than the RN one as, by 1944, the French Navy would obtain 2 25-kts light Fleet CV (Colossus-Class). However, but for the use of Swordfish TSR and then ASW planes, French Naval aviation was highly dependent from US equipments.
Destroyers:
By late 1940, the lease of 4 "modern" DD of the Farragut class (Dewey, Dale, Alwyin and Mac-Donough was first discussed. They were to be named respectively Le Corsaire, Le Flibustier, Le Tmraire and L'Aventurier). This project was cancelled as the USN was very short of modern DDs.
I - 8 Benson class DDs were procured, following lengthy negotiations for a much larger order (24) held in 1940. They were built as they could be delivered sooner than DEs (hull numbers FDD1 to
Orage, Bourrasque, Sirocco, lAdroit, Foudroyant, Mistral, Tornade, Fortun
II. Four old US Wilkes class DD were loaned after DE conversion and delivered in May 42 as:
Le Corse, Le Breton, Le Picard, Le Gascon
III. Four old Clemson class DD converted as APD were loaned too and delivered between July 42 and October 42.
Goumier, Tabor, Tirailleur, Legionnaire.
IV. Eight US-type DE of the Modified-TE type (2-5in/38, 4 x 40mm Bofors, 8 x 20mm) built by Norfolk Navy Yard (former DE 153, 154, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 160) with launch dates from February 1943 to July 1943 and completion dates from June 1943 to December 1943. The main modification asked by the MN was the replacement of the 3 x 3in/50 by 2 (2 x I) 5in/38 as on TEV/WGT design.
Name honouring ships lost in action or for the first three torpedo-boats scuttled incomplete in July 1940:
Le Fier, LAgile, Le Farouche, Bombarde, Baliste, La Bayonnaise, La Cordelire, Aconit.
The design provided for 2 21-in TTs, which never were mounted. Aconit was the trial ship of 550mm non-guided ASW torpedoes designed by Ing. L. Kahn (K1 short non-guided torpedoes). She received two triple mounts on each beam as well as racks for 12 reload torpedoes and was equipped with 2 sonar sets. This armament was adopted and fitted to Bombarde, Baliste, La Bayonnaise. The four other ships were equipped with one Hedgehog.
These eight ships were partially funded by the Lend-Lease and for armament modifications by French funds.
The 550mm K1 Short torpedo was the French equivalent to heavy ahead throwing weapons like the RN Limbo. Once the submarine detected and her depth checked through the second sonar-set, a three-torpedoes salvo was fired. The K1 torpedo used the extremely efficient 400mm M26 Alcohol wet-heater engine built by Westinghouse in the USA and had the following characteristics:
Length: 373.8 cm
Diameter 55.0 cm
Weight: 674 kg.
Max speed: 55 kts.
Range: 900m.
Warhead: 152 kg (Torpex).
V. Six Large destroyers based on the D-692 Allen N. Sumner hull were procured from Federal (Kearny) as a follow on to the 8 Benson-class ships already procured. These ships resulted form the improved Le Hardy specification drafted by 1941, but were named as large Contre-torpilleurs because of their impressive size. To cope with the armament fit designed, the hull had to be lengthened and the design was then much closer to a Gearing-class DD than to a Sumner one, even if ships were looking like large Fletcher-class DDs.
The French Admiralty had very precise ideas about the best DD armament fit. Planned with five single 5-in/54 guns (the same ones used in Midway-class CV) but re-bored to fire the French 130mm shell, ships emerged with 5 single mounts, 10 Bofors (2 x Quad and 1 x Twin mounts), 10 (2x5) 21-in long TT, 6 (2x3) 550mm short ASW TT, 10 x 20mm and quite a large electronic suit.
The first ship was commissioned in January 1945 and the next three between March and May 1945. They were all deployed in the Pacific. The last two ships (Bayard and Duguesclin) were towed incomplete to Brest early fall 1945 and were completed there in 1947. It is to be noted that these last two ships were completed with only four 130mm guns.
Names: Kleber, Desaix, Marceau, Hoche, Bayard and Duguesclin
Note: The modified US 127/54 gun became the 130mm 130/53 Mle.44 in French service. The standard French SAP shell weighting 32.1-kg had a 799.7 m/sec mv.
Seaplane tenders and specialised types.
One US Maritime Commission Hog Islander hull was bought by the MN and converted as a seaplane tender to replace the damaged Commandant Teste. The ship was commissioned early 1943 as Berlaimont (honouring the place were many Aeronavale pilots lost their lives when trying to stop German armoured columns).
The French Navy received two US built Barnegat-class seaplane tenders, as these ships were partly considered as surplus as early as 1943.
AVP 21 Humboldt, renamed Charcot and commissioned early 1944.
AVP22 Matagorda, renamed La Perouse, commissioned early 1944.
Both ships deployed in the Pacific, with La Perouse being adapted as MTB base ship.
Coastal escort and Mine-sweeper:
I. - 24 x 173ft PC were procured and delivered between September 41 and June 1942. 8 other 173 ft PC were delivered from December 1942 to March 1943.
1er groupe: L'Eveill, Le Rus, L'Enjou, Le Rsolu, L'Emport, L'Effront, L'Ardent, L'indiscret
2me groupe: Pique, Cimeterre, Dague, Epe, Coutelas, Hache, Pertuisane, Yatagan.
3me groupe: Coutelas, Javelot, Bayonette, Glaive, Epieu, Estoc, Lance, Couteau. (Commissioned on Aug 12th, 1942).
4me groupe: Pistolet, Arquebuse, Mousquet, Carabine, Fusil, Serpentine, Couleuvrine, Revolver.
For a time, the 3rd and 4th group were operating from Fort de France.
II. - 3 large "Raven" class MS/PCE, delivered by early 42:
Sans Reproche, Sans Pareil, Sans Peur.
III. - 12 180ft "Admirable" class MS/PCE, delivered from October 42 to July 43.
(MS) Granit, Mica, Porphyre, Pyrite, Basalte, Lave.
(PCE) Chamois, Chevreuil, Daim, Gazelle, Bouquetin, Okapi.
IV: No less than 36 YMS small coastal minesweepers were obtained through the Lend-Lease from late 1942 to summer 1943 and were mainly used for large amphibious operations of 1943.
Named D200 to D235.
Coastal crafts:
I. Sub-Chasers:
52 US 110ft SC boats delivered from January 1942 to March 1943. Some were converted as beach-support craft with one or two 81-mm mortars. They were named in the CH-100 sries.
II. MTB/MGB
The French Navy set up quickly a combined MTB/MGB flotilla in the Channel, operating alongside similar RN units. For the Mediterranean Theatre of Operations there was no option but to procure US-built MTBs.
After the loss of Corsica and Sardinia the Marine Nationale obtained that Elco 70-ft boats of USN Squadron Two were loaned. The ten boats (former PT-10 to PT-19) arrived by May 1941. In the same time the MN procured 24 x PT boats from Higgins Industries Inc. This company was the main competitor to Elco. After trying to build a Sparkman-Stephens designed boat patterned on the PT-6. Andrew Jackson Higgins, designed and built a boat of his own design during winter 1940/41 under the understanding from the USN that would it proved to be satisfactory the boat would be purchased. French officers soon found the new boat (76-ft type) very satisfactory (if one knot slower than the Elco type, it was more manoeuvrable) and by May 1941 procured 24 of them before any USN order had been given (all boats were procured on French funds and not on LL funds). The French order considerably helped Higgins Industries to set up the MTB production line and helped to start the production much earlier than what would have happened without this order. This was to be beneficial both for the USN and the MN.
The Higgins prototype was also thoroughly tested by the USN and took part to so-called Plywood Derbys or competitions with Elco and Huckins type boats in July and August 1941. The boat was formally accepted, with some modifications, by the USN in a somewhat modified form (Higgins 78-ft type).
Of these 24 Higgins 76-ft boat, 10 were given back to the USN when the MN formally acquired the 10 Elco 70-ft boats. This is how the USN get the type first (and before its own Higgins 78-ft were ready).
The Marine Nationale received its 14 Higgins 76-ft boats from December 1941 to May 1942.
Once the USN had adopted the Higgins 78-ft type (PT-71) as its second standard MTB type, thirty-six of these boats (called Higgins Mk.2) were procured by the MN through the Lend-Lease in two batches (one of 12 boats in March 1942 and a second one of 24 boats in September 1942) and they were delivered from July 1942 to August 1943.
A fourth batch of 20 Elco 80-ft boats was procured through the Lend-Lease by March 1943 to equip a fourth MTB flotilla to be deployed against the Japanese. These boats, delivered between January and October 1944, were mostly converted as gun-boats (with 2x40mm Bofors) for barge-busting. They teamed with the Barnegat-class tender La Prouse.
Higgins 76-ft and 78-ft boats, with survivors of the ten Elco 70-ft boats, were used mostly in the Mediterranean. MN light forces operating in the Channel were using RN type MTBs and MGBs.
Landing ships.
The MN received 12 US-built LST in 1942/43 and 2 LSDs mid-43.
The two LSDs were named Rhin and Rhone
LSTs were first numbered from 21 to 32.
JBFR ships:
The Marine Nationale get several special ships and crafts resulting from the Joint British-French Requirement, issued to the US industry late spring 1941.
The "fast raiding naval vessel" able to carry up to 200men and some packaged cargo. This requirement stemmed from French and British experience of operating in support of islands (Corsica) and in the Aegean. It was to give birth to the LCI(L), with two specific variants, one for fire support and AA defence (LCS(L)) and one for local ASW escort as LCE(L).
The second JFBR was for a tank lighter able to carry 5 medium tanks or up to 160t of cargo and operate with the previous design. It was become the LSM.
The third JFBR was for a "second-rate" destroyer, called DE operating either as an ASW escort (for the RN) or as a combined ASW/AA escort (for the MN). The French staff pushed for something as fast as British "Hunt" class DE but the RN would be happy with a slower design. This design, which was resisted by the US BuShips on grounds that conventional DDs could be built faster was directly approved by Roosevelt and gave birth to the well-known US DE series. It is however interesting to note that the MN got 8 Benson-class DD before it received its own Des, vindicating to some extent BuShips advice that repeat Benson DDs could have been made available sooner than the DE.
A fourth design was also decided on and this was the US copy of the British LCT, for a short-range tank lighter.
Production dates and rates were ambitious. Design of both the LCI (L) and LSM were to be frozen by July 1st, 1941, with deliveries before end 1941. DE production would have to begin before end 1942.
