WWII - French submarine “Surcouf”....a boat I never knew existed!

pics via M4A1 Shermayne Tumblr Page.

WWII - French submarine “Surcouf”

Before the Second World War, the Surcouf was the largest submarine in the world. Not only was she armed with torpedoes, she also had two 8 inch (203m) cannons mounted in a turret forward of her conning tower and a airplane housed in a watertight, pressure resistant hanger behind the conning tower. Having avoided falling into German hands by escaping to the United Kingdom , the Surcouf fought along side the Free French Forces During the Second World War. On February 18th, 1942 she sank with all hands lost following a collision with a US merchant man in the vicinity of the Panama Canal.

Specifications and Info:

Launched: November 18th, 1929.

Commissioned: December 15th, 1932.

Fate: Sank as the result of a collision on February 18th,1942.

Displacement: 2,880 tons/4,304 tons submerged.

Engines: Two diesel engines delivering 7,600 horsepower and two electric motors delivering 3,400 horsepower.

Maximum Speed: 18.5 Knots(10 Knots Submerged)

Range: 12,000 Nautical Miles at 10 Knots.

Crew: 150.

Armament: 6 x 22 inch Torpedo Tubes (10 Torpedoes). 4 x 16 inch Torpedo Tubes (4 Torpedoes), 2 x 8 inch guns, 2 x 1.5 inch anti-aircraft guns, 4 x 0.5 inch anti-aircraft guns, 1 Aircraft.

Diving Depth: 330 feet.

Length/Beam/draft: 360 ft, 11 in /29 ft, 6in /23 ft 7 in.