French troops and sailors on the deck of a destroyer during the evacuation from France, June 1940. IWM HU 104603.
Tag Archives: Marine Nationale
British naval losses at Dunkirk on 30 may 1940
There were fewer losses of major vessels on 30 May compared to the previous day, due in part to the decision of Capt Wm. Tennant, SNO Dunkirk, to only allow one destroyer at a time to enter the harbour. This ensured that there was less congestion and fewer targets were presented to German aircraft.
HMS King Orry (Cdr J. Elliot, RNR), a passenger steamer from the Isle of Man Steam Packet company requisitioned by the Royal Navy for use as an Armed Boarding Vessel (ABV) in both the First and Second World War, attacked and badly damaged by German dive bombers. Scuttled clear of the harbour.
Isle of Man Steam Packet Tynwald passes wreck of sister ship King Orry at Dunkirk.
French destroyer Bourrasque struck a mine off Nieuwpoort, Beligium (ironically, a French-laid minefield). Survivors taken off by French torpedo boat Branlebas, Admiralty drifter Yorkshire Lass, and armed trawler HMT Ut Prosim.
French destroyer Bourrasque mined and sunk off Nieuwpoort on 30 May 1940
French destroyer Bourrasque sunk off Nieuwpoort, Belgium on 30 May 1940 during Operation Dynamo. She had sailed from Dunkirk at 1530 with over 600 troops embarked. She struck a mine 5-miles north of Nieuwpoort and began to sink. Survivors were taken off by the French torpedo boat Branlebas, Admiralty drifter Yorkshire Lass, and the armed trawler HMT Ut Prosim.
French destroyer Bourrasque sunk by mine off Nieuwpoort on 30 May 1940. IWM HU 2280.
Pre-war & post-war frigate strength, 1939-1958
World navies comparative frigate strengths from 1939 to 1958.
| Year | USN | RN | Fr | Ne | USSR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1939 | 43 | 46 | 5 | |||
| 1941 | 22 | |||||
| 1945 | 482 | 598 | 35 | 6 | 48 | |
| 1948 | 13 | |||||
| 1950 | 11 | |||||
| 1951 | 36 | 44 | 16 | |||
| 1952 | 89 | |||||
| 1954 | 33 | |||||
| 1955 | 60 | |||||
| 1957 | 71 | 26 | 61 | |||
| 1952 | 18 |
Source: Friedman, Norman. The Postwar Naval Revolution. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1986.
Pre-war & post-war destroyer strength, 1939-1958
World navies comparative destroyer (DD) strengths from 1939 to 1958.
| Year | USN | RN | Fr | Ne | USSR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1939 | 127 | 100 | 57 | 8 | |
| 1941 | 42 | ||||
| 1945 | 372 | 108 | 15 | 5 | 45 |
| 1948 | 135 | ||||
| 1950 | 109 | ||||
| 1951 | 28 | 11 | 5 | ||
| 1952 | 211 | ||||
| 1954 | 26 | ||||
| 1955 | 140 | ||||
| 1957 | 212 | 19 | 19 | ||
| 1952 | 12 |
Source: Friedman, Norman. The Postwar Naval Revolution. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1986.
VIDEO: Carrier trials of SEPECAT Jaguar M on FS Clemenceau (July 1970)
Carrier trails of the SEPECAT Jaguar “M” prototype aboard the French aircraft carrier Clemenceau in July 1970.
From Wikipedia:
An “M” prototype flew in November 1969. The “M” had a strengthened airframe, an arrestor hook and different undercarriage: twin nosewheel and single mainwheels. After testing in France it went to RAE at Thurleigh for carrier landing trials from their land based catapult. In July 1970 it made real take offs and landings from the French carrier Clemenceau. From these trials there were doubts about the throttle response in case of an aborted landing; the shipboard testing has also revealed problems with the aircraft’s handling when flying on one engine, although planned engine improvements were to have rectified these problems. The “M” was considered a suitable replacement for the Etendard IV but the Aeronavale would only be able to purchase 60 instead of 100 aircraft.
Furthermore, the Jaguar M was expensive, limiting the size of the force the French Navy could afford. In 1971, Dassault proposed the Super Étendard, claiming that it was a simpler and cheap development of the existing Étendard IV, and in 1973, the French Navy agreed to order it instead of the Jaguar, although rising costs of the Super Étendard meant that only 71 of the planned 100 aircraft were purchased. The M was cancelled by the French government in 1973.
Italy’s 3 new frigates at sea together for the first time
Carlo Bergamini (F590) is a general purpose frigate while Virginio Fasan (F591) and Carlo Margottini (F592) are ASW variants. A total of 6 GP and 4 ASW frigates are planned for the Italian Navy. France will take 7 ASW frigates and 2 air-defence frigates. Morocco has accepted a single frigate into service.
“Nuovo successo per la Marina Militare e l’industria italiana” – Le prime tre FREMM prendono il largo
Golfo di La Spezia – Nel corso della mattina del 26 settembre il Golfo dei poeti ha tenuto a battesimo Nave Carlo Margottini che ha effettuato la sua prima uscita in mare. L’ultima “nata” del programma FREMM, strategico ed ambizioso programma di costruzioni navali militari in Europa che vede impegnati Francia ed Italia, rappresenta un successo programmatico nato dalla vincente sinergia tra la cantieristica italiana e la Marina Militare.
Nave Margottini, unitamente alle altre due FREMM (fregate europee multi-missione) italiane, realizzate da Orizzonte Sistemi Navali, la joint-venture fra Fincantieri e Selex ES, hanno lasciato per la prima volta tutte insieme i moli del cantiere del Muggiano per il mare aperto.
La capoclasse nave Carlo Bergamini, consegnata alla Marina Militare lo scorso maggio e le gemelle Virginio Fasan e Carlo Margottini, che dovrebbero essere consegnate rispettivamente entro fine anno ed il prossimo febbraio, hanno effettuato una serie di evoluzioni e prove nel corso della giornata volte a testare l’efficienza dei moderni imbarcati.
Chinese, Russian, and NATO Warships Maneuver Off Syria | World Affairs Journal
France dispatches frigate to join US and British naval forces poised for Syria strike
The French Navy has dispatched the Chevalier Paul (D621) to join multinational naval forces assembling for a possible strike on Syria. The Horizon-class air-defence frigate lacks its own strike capability, but will support the 4 US Navy cruise missile equipped destroyers and Royal Navy attack submarine/s currently on-station in the Eastern Mediterranean.
La frégate : Le Chevalier Paul quitte Toulon pour rejoindre la flotte internationale au large de la Syrie
La France décide d’envoyer au large de la Syrie une frégate, en l’occurence le Chevalier Paul. Elle doit rejoindre rejoindre la flotte internationale qui se trouve actuellement au large des côtes syriennes.
© Photo : Boris Horvat/AFP
Plusieurs bâtiments sont déjà sur place, prêts à intervenir, dès que l’ordre leur en sera donné : 4 frégates lance-missiles de l’US Navy et des sous-marins nucléaires d’attaque américains et britanniques.
© France3 Côte d’Azur
Map of most dangerous areas in the world due to pirate attacks
Map by Control Risks.
Naval Matters 