La Galissonnière class cruiser
Encyclopedia
The La Galissonnière cruiser class was a group of six warships admitted in active service in the French Navy
French Navy
The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
in the 1930s. They were the last French cruisers completed after 1935, until the completion of De Grasse in 1956. They are considered as fast, reliable and successful ships. Two cruisers of this class, Georges Leygues
French cruiser Georges Leygues
The Georges Leygues was a French light cruiser of the La Galissonnière class. During World War II, she served with both the Vichy France and Allies. She was named for the prominent 19th and 20th century French politician Georges Leygues....
and Montcalm
French cruiser Montcalm
The Montcalm was a French light cruiser of the La Galissonnière class, named in honour of Louis-Joseph de Montcalm. During World War II, she served with both Vichy France and the Allies.-Pre-war:...
, took part, on late September, 1940, to the defence of Dakar
Battle of Dakar
The Battle of Dakar, also known as Operation Menace, was an unsuccessful attempt in September 1940 by the Allies to capture the strategic port of Dakar in French West Africa , which was under Vichy French control, and to install the Free French under General Charles de Gaulle there.-Background:At...
against a vain attempt of British and Free French
Free French Forces
The Free French Forces were French partisans in World War II who decided to continue fighting against the forces of the Axis powers after the surrender of France and subsequent German occupation and, in the case of Vichy France, collaboration with the Germans.-Definition:In many sources, Free...
Forces to occupy this important naval base of French West Africa, under the Vichy
Vichy France
Vichy France, Vichy Regime, or Vichy Government, are common terms used to describe the government of France that collaborated with the Axis powers from July 1940 to August 1944. This government succeeded the Third Republic and preceded the Provisional Government of the French Republic...
control. With the cruiser Gloire
French cruiser Gloire
The Gloire was a French light cruiser of the La Galissonnière class.After completing trials, Gloire arrived in Brest on 18 November 1937, then left for French Indochina on 1 December, returning to Brest on 16 April 1938. Gloire joined the 4th Cruiser Division in January 1939, with which she visited...
, they joined the Allied forces, after the successful Allied landings in North Africa, on November 1942.
The three other cruisers of La Galissoniere class, staying under Vichy
Vichy France
Vichy France, Vichy Regime, or Vichy Government, are common terms used to describe the government of France that collaborated with the Axis powers from July 1940 to August 1944. This government succeeded the Third Republic and preceded the Provisional Government of the French Republic...
control in Toulon, have been scuttled
Scuttling of the French fleet in Toulon
The French fleet in Toulon was scuttled on 27 November 1942 on the order of the Admiralty of Vichy France to avoid capture by Nazi German forces during Operation Lila of the Case Anton takeover of Vichy France.- Context :...
on November 27, 1942.
After refit with American help, Georges Leygues
French cruiser Georges Leygues
The Georges Leygues was a French light cruiser of the La Galissonnière class. During World War II, she served with both the Vichy France and Allies. She was named for the prominent 19th and 20th century French politician Georges Leygues....
, Montcalm
French cruiser Montcalm
The Montcalm was a French light cruiser of the La Galissonnière class, named in honour of Louis-Joseph de Montcalm. During World War II, she served with both Vichy France and the Allies.-Pre-war:...
and Gloire
French cruiser Gloire
The Gloire was a French light cruiser of the La Galissonnière class.After completing trials, Gloire arrived in Brest on 18 November 1937, then left for French Indochina on 1 December, returning to Brest on 16 April 1938. Gloire joined the 4th Cruiser Division in January 1939, with which she visited...
took part to various Allied operations, as covering the D-Day Normandy landings in 1944. Postwar they were flagship of the French Mediterranean Squadron, and carried out several operations off Indo China coasts, till 1954, and afterwars off Algeria coasts, or off Egypt, during the Suez
Suez Crisis
The Suez Crisis, also referred to as the Tripartite Aggression, Suez War was an offensive war fought by France, the United Kingdom, and Israel against Egypt beginning on 29 October 1956. Less than a day after Israel invaded Egypt, Britain and France issued a joint ultimatum to Egypt and Israel,...
crisis.
They were scrapped between 1958 and 1970.
Background
The French Navy, emerged from W W I with light cruisers, in very small number, aging (built at the turn of the 20th Century), and exhausted by war service. One Austrian (SMS Novara) and four German light cruisers (SMS KolbergSMS Kolberg
SMS Kolberg was a light cruiser of the German Navy during the First World War.It took part in the raid on Yarmouth and the raid on Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby in 1914, and the Battle of the Gulf of Riga in 1915.- References :...
, SMS Stralsund, SMS Regensburg
SMS Regensburg
SMS Regensburg"SMS" stands for "Seiner Majestät Schiff", or "His Majesty's Ship" in German. was a light cruiser built for the German Imperial Navy by AG Weser in Bremen shortly before World War I. She was laid down in 1912, launched on 25 April 1914, and completed by 3 January 1915. Regensburg...
, SMS Königsberg
SMS Königsberg (1915)
SMS Königsberg was the lead ship of the Königsberg class of light cruisers, built for the German Imperial Navy during World War I. She took the name of the earlier , which had been destroyed during the Battle of Rufiji Delta in 1915. The new ship was laid down in 1914 at the AG Weser shipyard,...
), were received as reparations for war losses. They were renamed from Alsace-Lorraine towns, respectively Thionville, Colmar, Mulhouse, Strasbourg and Metz, armed with nine 100 mm guns for Thionville, and six to eight 150 mm guns for the other ones, 4,000 tons for Thionville, from 5,000 to 7,000 tons for the other ones, with a speed of 26-27 knots. They were retired from active service in the late 1920s, or the early 1930s.
But after it had been considered on 1920, to build 5,200 tons light cruisers, with 5.5 in (138.6 mm) guns, capable of over 36 knots (70.6 km/h), funds were granted, in 1922 budget, for the three Duguay Trouin
Duguay-Trouin class cruiser
The three Duguay-Trouin class light cruisers were built for France in the early 1920s.The fate of these three ships after the French surrender illustrates the dichotomy within the French armed forces at the time: one ship was interned, then joined the Free French, another twice resisted Allied...
class cruisers, known as "8000 tons cruisers", which were launched on 1923-24. They had four double turrets, for which was chosen the 155 mm (6.1-inch) caliber, in regular use by the French Army, and supposed to be more easy for supplying ammunitions. With nearly no armour, they had a speed of 34 knots.
It remained too, after the war losses, armoured cruisers, built between 1900 and 1910 (with four to six outmoded funnels), obsolete when they had been commissioned. With their armament arrangement in two double turrets of 194 mm caliber, and various number of single turrets and casemates of generally 167.4 mm, (only the Edgar Quinet
Edgar Quinet class cruiser
The Edgar Quinet class was the last type of armoured cruiser in service in the French Navy.The Edgar Quinet class stems from improvements over the design of the Ernest Renan.- Ships :* Edgar Quinet - struck 1930...
and Waldeck-Roussseau
Edgar Quinet class cruiser
The Edgar Quinet class was the last type of armoured cruiser in service in the French Navy.The Edgar Quinet class stems from improvements over the design of the Ernest Renan.- Ships :* Edgar Quinet - struck 1930...
cruisers had fourteen 194 mm guns for the main artillery ), a speed of 23 knots, an armoured belt of 90 to 170 mm, for a displacement of 12,000 to 14,000 tons, they were outgunned by their British or German contemporaries.
In the early 1910s, there had been a trend for increasing the displacement and armament of armoured cruisers, which led to the British HMS Minotaur
Minotaur class cruiser (1906)
The Minotaur class was a three-ship class of armoured cruiser built around 1906 for the Royal Navy. They served during World War I, with all three being present at the Battle of Jutland, where HMS Defence was sunk. The surviving ships were scrapped postwar.-History:The Minotaur class was the last...
class cruisers, the SMS Scharnhorst
Scharnhorst class armored cruiser
The Scharnhorst class was the last traditional class of armored cruisers built by the Kaiserliche Marine. The class comprised two ships, and . They were larger than the that preceded them; the extra size was used primarily to increase the main armament of 21 cm guns from four to eight...
class cruisers and SMS Blucher
SMS Blücher
SMS Blücher was the last armored cruiser to be built by the German Imperial Navy . She was designed to match what German intelligence incorrectly believed to be the specifications of the British s...
, with eight to twelve 210 mm guns, on the German "large cruisers", or four 9.2 in
BL 9.2 inch Mk XI naval gun
The BL 9.2 inch gun Mark XI was a British 50 calibre high-velocity naval gun which was mounted as primary armament on armoured cruisers and secondary armament on pre-dreadnought battleships.-History:...
(234 mm) and ten 7.5 in (190.5 mm) guns for the British ones. The SMS Scharnhorst and SMS Gneisenau were nevertheless sunk at the battle of Falkland Islands
Battle of the Falkland Islands
The Battle of the Falkland Islands was a British naval victory over the Imperial German Navy on 8 December 1914 during the First World War in the South Atlantic...
, on December 1914, SMS Blucher, at the Battle of Dogger Bank
Battle of Dogger Bank (1915)
The Battle of Dogger Bank was a naval battle fought near the Dogger Bank in the North Sea on 24 January 1915, during the First World War, between squadrons of the British Grand Fleet and the German High Seas Fleet....
, on January 1915, or HMS Defence
HMS Defence (1907)
HMS Defence was a armoured cruiser built for the Royal Navy in the mid-1900s. She was the last armoured cruiser built for the Royal Navy. She was stationed in the Mediterranean when the First World War began and participated in the pursuit of the German battlecruiser and light cruiser...
, at the Battle of Jutland
Battle of Jutland
The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only...
(May 31, 1916), when they were rashly engaged against battlecruisers (HMS Invincible
HMS Invincible (1907)
HMS Invincible was a battlecruiser of the British Royal Navy, the lead ship of her class of three, and the first battlecruiser to be built by any country in the world. She participated in the Battle of Heligoland Bight in a minor role as she was the oldest and slowest of the British battlecruisers...
and HMS Inflexible
HMS Inflexible (1907)
HMS Inflexible was an of the British Royal Navy. She was built before World War I and had an active career during the war. She tried to hunt down the German battlecruiser and the light cruiser in the Mediterranean Sea when war broke out and she and her sister ship sank the German armoured...
at the Falkland Islands, the "Splendid Cats"
Lion class battlecruiser
The Lion class were a class of battlecruisers built by the British Royal Navy before World War I. Nicknamed the "Splendid Cats", the ships were a significant improvement over their predecessors of the in terms of speed, armament and armour...
at the Dogger Bank, and SMS Lutzow at Jutland).
The 1922 Naval Washington
Washington Naval Treaty
The Washington Naval Treaty, also known as the Five-Power Treaty, was an attempt to cap and limit, and "prevent 'further' costly escalation" of the naval arms race that had begun after World War I between various International powers, each of which had significant naval fleets. The treaty was...
Treaty forbade the armoured cruiser type, with clauses limiting the cruiser tonnage to 10,000 tons, and the caliber of their guns to 203 mm. These limits where chosen as they allowed the building of warships whose design corresponded to the wishes and studies of the U.S. and Japanese navies, and permitted the British Royal Navy not to scrap the HMS Hawkins
Hawkins class cruiser
The Hawkins class was a class of five heavy cruisers of the Royal Navy designed in 1915 and constructed throughout the First World War. All ships were named after Elizabethan sea captains...
class cruisers (9,550-9,860 tons, seven 7.5 inch
BL 7.5 inch Mk VI naval gun
The BL 7.5 inch gun Mark VI was the 45 calibre naval gun forming the main battery of Royal Navy s. These ships with seven single gun mounts were significant to the cruiser limitations defined by the Washington Naval Treaty.-Description:...
(190.5 mm) guns), the name ship being completed in 1919 and the remaining ones being commissioned between 1921 and 1925.
As the war experience had clearly shown the importance of the safety of commercial maritime roads against corsairs, all the signatories of the Washington
Washington Naval Treaty
The Washington Naval Treaty, also known as the Five-Power Treaty, was an attempt to cap and limit, and "prevent 'further' costly escalation" of the naval arms race that had begun after World War I between various International powers, each of which had significant naval fleets. The treaty was...
Treaty have built, till 1930, nearly only Washington
Washington Naval Treaty
The Washington Naval Treaty, also known as the Five-Power Treaty, was an attempt to cap and limit, and "prevent 'further' costly escalation" of the naval arms race that had begun after World War I between various International powers, each of which had significant naval fleets. The treaty was...
heavy cruisers, (fifteen each for the United Kingdom and the United States, twelve for Japan, seven each for France and Italy). These cruisers bore eight 203 mm guns in four double turrets, in the British, French and Italian Navies, but nine to ten guns in the U.S. Navy, or the Imperial Japanese Navy, with a speed from 30 to 35 knots (68.6 km/h), and a very light armour, for the earliest ships built, and a better protection, with a slightly reduced speed, for the next classes. On the first Washington
Washington Naval Treaty
The Washington Naval Treaty, also known as the Five-Power Treaty, was an attempt to cap and limit, and "prevent 'further' costly escalation" of the naval arms race that had begun after World War I between various International powers, each of which had significant naval fleets. The treaty was...
heavy cruiser built, in the French Navy, Duquesne
French cruiser Duquesne
The Duquesne was a French Duquesne class heavy cruiser that served during World War II.After her launch, she was used on prestige missions.In January 1940, she took part in the hunt for the Admiral Graf Spee, and later returned to Alexandria...
, the weight of amour was 430 tons, and the maximum speed on trials reached 35.3 knots (69.2 km/h), with 126919 shp, and, for the last one, Algérie
French cruiser Algérie
The Algérie was a French heavy cruiser that served during the early years of World War II. She was built in response to the Italian Zara class cruisers, incorporating better armour than previous French cruisers....
, the weight of armour was 2,657 tons, and the maximum speed 33.2 knots (65.1 km/h), with 93230 shp.
Germany was not subject to the restrictions in warship building resulting from the Washington
Washington Naval Treaty
The Washington Naval Treaty, also known as the Five-Power Treaty, was an attempt to cap and limit, and "prevent 'further' costly escalation" of the naval arms race that had begun after World War I between various International powers, each of which had significant naval fleets. The treaty was...
Treaty, and the German Reichsmarine laid down, between 1926 and 1928, three cruisers with a displacement of 6,650 tons, armed with three triple turrets of 150 mm
15 cm SK C/25
The 15 cm SK C/25 was a German medium-caliber naval gun used during the Second World War. It served as the primary armament for the K-class and Leipzig-class cruisers...
(5.9 in) calibre, with a speed of 30-32 knots, the Karlsruhe cruiser class, and, in 1929, a improved unit, the Leipzig
German cruiser Leipzig
The German light cruiser Leipzig was the lead ship of her class . She was the fourth German warship to carry the name of the city of Leipzig.-History:...
, with a more powerful cruising diesel installation, and a more extended armoured belt, with nearly the same displacement (6,710 tons).
The British Navy was considering that the Washington
Washington Naval Treaty
The Washington Naval Treaty, also known as the Five-Power Treaty, was an attempt to cap and limit, and "prevent 'further' costly escalation" of the naval arms race that had begun after World War I between various International powers, each of which had significant naval fleets. The treaty was...
cruiser type was too large for its needs, and, in 1927, a slightly smaller 8-inch guns cruiser was laid down, the HMS York
York class cruiser
The York class was the second and last class of gunned cruisers built for the Royal Navy under the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922. They were essentially a reduced version of the preceding County class, scaled down in an effort to extract more, smaller ships from the treaty limits...
, with only six 8-inch guns. As the 1930 London
London Naval Treaty
The London Naval Treaty was an agreement between the United Kingdom, the Empire of Japan, France, Italy and the United States, signed on April 22, 1930, which regulated submarine warfare and limited naval shipbuilding. Ratifications were exchanged in London on October 27, 1930, and the treaty went...
Naval Conference has just opened, the United Kingdom announced the cancellation of the next projected 8-in guns cruisers, while the first unit of a new class was to be built, with a displacement of 6,500 tons and armed with eight 6-in guns, able to counter the Leipzig
German cruiser Leipzig
The German light cruiser Leipzig was the lead ship of her class . She was the fourth German warship to carry the name of the city of Leipzig.-History:...
. It was the HMS Leander
Leander class cruiser (1931)
The Leander class was a class of eight light cruisers built for the Royal Navy in the early 1930s that saw service in World War II. They were named after mythological figures, and all ships were commissioned between 1933 and 1936...
.
The 1930 London
London Naval Treaty
The London Naval Treaty was an agreement between the United Kingdom, the Empire of Japan, France, Italy and the United States, signed on April 22, 1930, which regulated submarine warfare and limited naval shipbuilding. Ratifications were exchanged in London on October 27, 1930, and the treaty went...
Naval Treaty introduced a distinction between Type A cruisers (commonly called "heavy cruisers"), with guns over 6.1-inch (155 mm) calibre (the main artillery on the Duguay Trouin
Duguay-Trouin class cruiser
The three Duguay-Trouin class light cruisers were built for France in the early 1920s.The fate of these three ships after the French surrender illustrates the dichotomy within the French armed forces at the time: one ship was interned, then joined the Free French, another twice resisted Allied...
cruiser class) and up to 8-inch (203 mm) calibre, and Type B cruisers (commonly called "light cruisers"), with guns of 6.1-inch (155 mm) or under. It fixed the limit for the number of Type A units of each signatory to the number of existing cruisers, and authorized their replacement only twenty years after her completion.
In 1926, as France had started to produce classes of destroyers (Chacal
Chacal class destroyer
The Chacal-class, sometimes known as the Jaguar class, were a group of six French navy large destroyers built commencing 1923. Designed as larger, more capable counterparts to the Bourasque class, they set a standard for French destroyer design until the mid-1930s...
, Guépard
Guépard class destroyer
The Guépard-class destroyers of the French navy were laid down in 1927 and commissioned in 1930. They were similar to the previous Chacal class, with a larger hull and with a slightly improved speed and gun armament with 138mm guns of a new design...
, and Aigle
Aigle class destroyer
The Aigle class destroyers of the French navy were laid down between 1928 and 1929 and commissioned in 1931 and 1932...
) which were superior in displacement and firepower to the destroyers of that period, in order to counter this menace, Italy decided to produce a new class of cruiser that would be of intermediate size between the new French destroyer classes and the cruisers built in that period. The four units of the Da Giussano class (first sub-class of the Condottieri
Condottieri class cruiser
The Condottieri class was a sequence of five, different, light cruiser classes of the Regia Marina , although these classes show a clear line of evolution. They were built before World War II to gain predominance in the Mediterranean Sea...
cruisers group) were laid down in 1928, and completed in 1931-32, respecting the newly signed London
London Naval Treaty
The London Naval Treaty was an agreement between the United Kingdom, the Empire of Japan, France, Italy and the United States, signed on April 22, 1930, which regulated submarine warfare and limited naval shipbuilding. Ratifications were exchanged in London on October 27, 1930, and the treaty went...
Naval Treaty. On a displacement of about 5,200 tons, they were armed with eight 152 mm in four double turrets, and could attain the remarkably high speed of 37 knots (72.5 km/h), but with negligible armour and short radius.
A new French cruiser had been ordered in 1926 and launched in 1930, specially designed as a school ship for midshipmen. The cruiser Jeanne d'Arc
French cruiser Jeanne d'Arc (1930)
The Jeanne d'Arc was a school cruiser of the French Navy, the second ship to bear the name.She was built in Saint-Nazaire in only two years, on plans by engineer Antoine. She was designed both as a school ship, and a fully capable warship....
had the same 6.1-in guns, in double turrets, than Duguay Trouin
Duguay-Trouin class cruiser
The three Duguay-Trouin class light cruisers were built for France in the early 1920s.The fate of these three ships after the French surrender illustrates the dichotomy within the French armed forces at the time: one ship was interned, then joined the Free French, another twice resisted Allied...
class cruisers. But when, after the London
London Naval Treaty
The London Naval Treaty was an agreement between the United Kingdom, the Empire of Japan, France, Italy and the United States, signed on April 22, 1930, which regulated submarine warfare and limited naval shipbuilding. Ratifications were exchanged in London on October 27, 1930, and the treaty went...
Naval Treaty, a new cruiser Émile Bertin
French cruiser Émile Bertin
The Émile Bertin was a French fast light cruiser named after Louis-Émile Bertin, a 19th century naval architect. She was designed to operate both as a minelayer and as a destroyer flotilla leader. The design was the basis for later light and heavy French cruisers, particularly the slightly larger...
was designed to operate both as a minelayer and as a destroyer flotilla leader, she was armed with a completely new artillery, in calibre as in arrangement, nine 6-in (152 mm) guns in three triple turrets, for the first time in the French Navy. She had three double mounts of 90 mm for secondary AA artillery. Reaching 39.66 knots (77.7 km/h) on speed trials, with 137908 hp, she was the fastest of the French cruisers ever built.
The triple turret was unusual in the French Navy, which had preferred the double turret on its battleships, and on its previous cruisers, or the quadruple turret. In 1910, the Chief Naval Constructor, French Navy, had designed Normandie
Normandie class battleship
The Normandie-class dreadnought battleships were ordered for the French Navy before the First World War. They were named after provinces of France. These ships were never completed as battleships because the war stopped their construction...
class battleships with three quadruple turrets, and the quadruple turret was broadly used, on the Dunkerque
Dunkerque class battleship
The Dunkerque class was a new type of warship of the French Navy built during the 1930s, labeled as 'fast battleships'. Not as large as other contemporary battleships, they were designed to counter the threat of the German pocket battleships of the Deutschland class. They had a specific main...
class fast battleships, for the main artillery, as for the dual-purpose secondary artillery. Triple turrets have been common in the Italian Navy battleships (uninterruptedly since the first Italian dreadnought built, Dante Alighieri
Italian battleship Dante Alighieri
Dante Alighieri was the first dreadnought battleship built for the Regia Marina . Named after the medieval Italian poet Dante Alighieri, she was the first ship built with triple gun turrets for the main armament...
) as in the Russian, W W I Austro-Hungarian, U.S. Navies (since the USS Nevada
Nevada class battleship
The Nevada class battleships were the United States Navy's first battleship design equipped with triple gun turrets , as well as introducing the so-called "all or nothing" armor scheme, in which protection of vital areas was optimized against heavy caliber guns, leaving other parts...
to the USS Tennessee
Tennessee class battleship
The Tennessee class was a class of battleships of the United States Navy. The class comprised two ships: and the . They were modified versions of the featuring improved underwater armor for better torpedo protection and 30 degree elevation on their main batteries, as opposed to 15 degrees for...
battleship classes), and even in the British Royal Navy, with the HMS Nelson
Nelson class battleship
The Nelson class was a class of two battleships of the British Royal Navy, built shortly after, and under the terms of, the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922...
class battleships. On cruisers, the triple turret was used in all the U.S. Navy Washington
Washington Naval Treaty
The Washington Naval Treaty, also known as the Five-Power Treaty, was an attempt to cap and limit, and "prevent 'further' costly escalation" of the naval arms race that had begun after World War I between various International powers, each of which had significant naval fleets. The treaty was...
heavy cruiser classes, on the Reichsmarine light cruisers, and on Deutschland
Deutschland class cruiser
The Deutschland class was a series of three panzerschiffe , a form of heavily armed cruiser, built by the Reichsmarine officially in accordance with restrictions imposed by the Treaty of Versailles...
class "pocket battleships".
This was on the basis of the Émile Bertin
French cruiser Émile Bertin
The Émile Bertin was a French fast light cruiser named after Louis-Émile Bertin, a 19th century naval architect. She was designed to operate both as a minelayer and as a destroyer flotilla leader. The design was the basis for later light and heavy French cruisers, particularly the slightly larger...
's armament, and on the Algérie
French cruiser Algérie
The Algérie was a French heavy cruiser that served during the early years of World War II. She was built in response to the Italian Zara class cruisers, incorporating better armour than previous French cruisers....
's protection and propulsion that was designed the leadship of the La Galissonnière class, launched on November 1933.
But the Imperial Japanese Navy, and its great Pacific Ocean rival, the U.S. Navy were both interested by large cruisers, no matter they were classed "heavy" or "light". So, in the 1931 Program, Japan ordered the first units of a new light cruiser class, the Mogami class
Mogami class cruiser
The were a class of four heavy cruisers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy in the mid-1930s. All four fought in World War II, and were sunk.-Design:...
, with fifteen 150 mm, in five triple turrets, and a speed of 37 knots (72.5 km/h), announcing, falsely a displacement of 8,500 tons. The U.S. Navy answered with the Brooklyn
Brooklyn class cruiser
The Brooklyn-class cruisers were seven light cruisers of the United States Navy which served during World War II. Armed with 5 triple turrets mounting 6-inch guns, they and their near sisters of the St. Louis class mounted more heavy-caliber guns than any other US cruisers...
cruiser class, with fifteen 152 mm guns, a speed of 32.5 knots (63.7 km/h), but a more exact displacement of 9,700 tons. The first units of this class were launched in 1937-38. The Royal Navy had laid down a class of four light cruisers, HMS Arethusa
HMS Arethusa (26)
HMS Arethusa was the name ship of her class of light cruisers built for the Royal Navy. She was built by Chatham Dockyard , with the keel being laid down on 25 January 1933...
class, smaller than the HMS Leander
Leander class cruiser (1931)
The Leander class was a class of eight light cruisers built for the Royal Navy in the early 1930s that saw service in World War II. They were named after mythological figures, and all ships were commissioned between 1933 and 1936...
with only six 6-in (152 mm) guns. They were launched between 1934 and 1936. To react to the building of the Japanese and U.S. large light cruisers, the United Kingdom had to cancel some projected units of the HMS Leander
Leander class cruiser (1931)
The Leander class was a class of eight light cruisers built for the Royal Navy in the early 1930s that saw service in World War II. They were named after mythological figures, and all ships were commissioned between 1933 and 1936...
and HMS Arethusa
HMS Arethusa (26)
HMS Arethusa was the name ship of her class of light cruisers built for the Royal Navy. She was built by Chatham Dockyard , with the keel being laid down on 25 January 1933...
classes. The two first British large light cruisers, after drawing drafts for a so-called Minotaur class, which became the Town
Town class cruiser (1936)
The Town-class was a 10-ship class of light cruisers of the Royal Navy. The Towns were designed to the constraints imposed by the London Naval Treaty of 1930....
cruiser class, were launched in 1936. They were fitted with twelve 6-in (152 mm) guns, in four triple turrets, and aircraft installations at the center of the ship, had a speed of 32 knots (62.7 km/h), and were nearly respecting the 10,000 tons displacement.
Three vessels, De Grasse, Guichen and Chateaurenault, were authorized shortly before the war as improved La Galissonniere class, with a displacement of 8,000 tons, the same armament and arrangement of three triple 152 mm turrets, two fore and one aft, and three twin AA 90 mm aft, one axial and two lateral . Aircraft installations, two catapults, crane and hangar, accommodating three/four seaplanes, would have been fitted in the ship's center, aft a single large funnel. They were intended to have a more powerful propulsion machinery, 110000 hp, to reach 35 knots (68.6 km/h). The silhouette, with a massive fore tower, would have been inspired by the Algerie
French cruiser Algérie
The Algérie was a French heavy cruiser that served during the early years of World War II. She was built in response to the Italian Zara class cruisers, incorporating better armour than previous French cruisers....
's one. But only the name ship was actually laid down in the Lorient
Lorient
Lorient, or L'Orient, is a commune and a seaport in the Morbihan department in Brittany in north-western France.-History:At the beginning of the 17th century, merchants who were trading with India had established warehouses in Port-Louis...
Navy Yard, and as work was suspended during the war, she was launched in 1946, and completed only in 1956, on an integral anti-aircraft cruiser design.
Design
La Galissonière class cruisers were very different, in displacement, armament, and protection from the LondonLondon Naval Treaty
The London Naval Treaty was an agreement between the United Kingdom, the Empire of Japan, France, Italy and the United States, signed on April 22, 1930, which regulated submarine warfare and limited naval shipbuilding. Ratifications were exchanged in London on October 27, 1930, and the treaty went...
Naval Treaty Type B cruisers, such as the British Dido class
Dido class cruiser
The Dido class was a class of sixteen light cruisers built for the Royal Navy. The design was influenced by the Arethusa class light cruisers. The first group of three ships was commissioned in 1940, the second group and third group were commissioned in 1941–1942...
, American Atlanta class
Atlanta class cruiser
The Atlanta-class cruisers were United States Navy light cruisers originally designed as fast scout cruisers or flotilla leaders, but later proved to be effective anti-aircraft cruisers during World War II. They were also known as the Atlanta-Oakland class. The lead ship Atlanta was sunk in action...
or Italian Da Giussano class cruisers, with a displacement of 6,000 tons or less, armed with numerous guns of caliber sometimes inferior to 152 mm, to the large light cruisers (Duca degli Abruzzi
Italian cruiser Duca degli Abruzzi
Luigi di Savoia Duca Degli Abruzzi was an Italian Duca degli Abruzzi class light cruiser, which served in the Regia Marina during World War II. After the war, she was retained by the Marina Militare and decommissioned in 1961...
, the Brooklyn class
Brooklyn class cruiser
The Brooklyn-class cruisers were seven light cruisers of the United States Navy which served during World War II. Armed with 5 triple turrets mounting 6-inch guns, they and their near sisters of the St. Louis class mounted more heavy-caliber guns than any other US cruisers...
or Town
Town class cruiser (1936)
The Town-class was a 10-ship class of light cruisers of the Royal Navy. The Towns were designed to the constraints imposed by the London Naval Treaty of 1930....
class cruisers, (about 10,000 tons, and from ten to fifteen 152 mm guns).
With a displacement of 7,500 tons, and nine 152 mm guns, the La Galissonière class cruisers belong to a middle category, comparable with the last Kriegsmarine light cruiser Nürnberg
German cruiser Nürnberg
The Nürnberg, was a German light cruiser of the Leipzig class named after the city of Nuremberg. Some sources consider the Leipzig and Nürnberg to be of separate, single ship, classes...
(an improved version of the Leipzig
German cruiser Leipzig
The German light cruiser Leipzig was the lead ship of her class . She was the fourth German warship to carry the name of the city of Leipzig.-History:...
), the Italian Montecuccoli
Italian cruiser Raimondo Montecuccoli
Raimondo Montecuccoli was a Condottieri class light cruiser serving with the Italian Regia Marina during World War II. She survived the war and served in the post-war Marina Militare until 1964.-Design:...
cruiser (from the intermediate version of the Condottieri
Condottieri class cruiser
The Condottieri class was a sequence of five, different, light cruiser classes of the Regia Marina , although these classes show a clear line of evolution. They were built before World War II to gain predominance in the Mediterranean Sea...
), or the nine guns units of the Crown Colony class
Crown Colony class cruiser
The Crown Colony-class light cruisers of the Royal Navy were named after Crown Colonies of the British Empire. The first eight are known as the Fiji class, while the last three to be built are commonly referred to as the Ceylon class and were built to a slightly modified design.-Design:They were...
cruisers, reduced version of the Town
Town class cruiser (1936)
The Town-class was a 10-ship class of light cruisers of the Royal Navy. The Towns were designed to the constraints imposed by the London Naval Treaty of 1930....
class cruisers.
The displacement of French cruisers was around 7-9,000 tons, yet it was enough to accommodate both heavy armour and heavy armament, while maintaining good maximum speed.
Their main artillery, in three triple mountings, was concentrating a lot of firepower in a relatively short hull. Their displacement was of the 7,000 ton class, just like Italian Condottieri 's III Group (Attendolo and Montecuccoli). While Condottieris had four turrets with eight 152 mm guns, French cruisers had only three turrets with nine guns. As we saw it above, the generalized use of triple turrets allowed, on the U.S. Navy cruisers, for example, to have nine 203 mm guns, and even fifteen 152 mm guns, on hulls of 10,000 tons, or on the German light cruisers, to have nine 5.9-in (150 mm) guns, with less than 7,000 tons displacement.
The armament comprised the powerful 152 mm gun (152 mm/55 Model 1930), the only French-built of this caliber . Despite the inferior caliber, this gun was more powerful than the previous 155 mm gun, and capable of reaching 26,300 m with a 57.17 kg shell (2854 ft/s (869.9 m/s) muzzle velocity). These weapons were even able to send the US 58.8 kg AP shell 26,960 m, while a typical UK 152 mm gun was considerably inferior (50.8 kg at 23 km). With this US ammunition, it was possible to pierce 122 mm steel plate at 9,970 m, an extremely powerful shot when compared to that of a usual 152 mm gun. The DP version of this mount was employed on Richelieu
Richelieu class battleship
The Richelieu class battleships were the last and largest battleships of the French Navy, staying in service into the 1960s. They still remain to this day the largest warships ever built by France...
class battleships, but without great success since it was a bit slow for anti-aircraft purpose. The cruiser mount was the Model 1930, that displaced 169.3 tons (172 mt). The rate of fire was one shell every 12 seconds (5 rounds per mn). Since the race against Italians, this weapon was appreciably better to the 152 mm/55 cal. that Condottieri 's last group and Littorio 's had with only 25,700 m range, despite the heavier shell (57.17 kg vs 50 kg). Against the previous Condottieri 's cruisers, the advantage was more marked, since the 152 mm/35 cal. had around 22–24 km maximal range and a considerable dispersal. Nawveapons.com states that 152 mm Model 1930 was overall a quite successful design , at least in the single purpose installation (on cruisers), so there were not only theoretical data, even if the rate of fire was relatively slow.
The secondary armament comprised also another unusual gun, in the French Navy tradition, the 90 mm/50 cal Model 1926. This weapon was, for its time, very powerful, despite using a lighter projectile than later 90 mm guns. (12-15 rpm, 9,5 kg shell, 15,440 m at 45°, 10,600 m AA range at 80°). It was a decided improvement over the old 75 mm guns. The mount was being single or twin. La Galissonnière cruisers had four twin mounts. These ships were also fitted with two twin torpedo tubes, on sides, amidship. The torpedoes were the 550 mm (21.7 in) 23 DT model, in service since 1925, capable of very high performances (weight 2,068 kg, length 8.28 m, 310 kg TNT, 9,000 m/39 knots or 13,000 m/35 knots). Their aircraft installations, with hangar and derrick on stern, and a catapult fitted on the top of the aft 152 mm turret, might accommodate four Loire 130
Loire 130
-See also:-References:*Green, William . War Planes of the Second World War: Volume Five Flying Boats. Macdonald:London. ISBN 0 356 01449 5.*Morareau, Lucien . Les aéronefs de l'aviation maritime . ARDHAN, ISBN 2-913344-04-6....
seaplanes.
As they were originally weak, as generally all the French warships completed prewar, for the anti-aircraft short range artillery, with four twin 37 mm guns, and six 13.2 mm bitubes machine guns, four of them were added, in 1941, with one 37 mm and one double 25 mm guns, and two Hotschkiss 13.2 mm bitube machine guns. The three cruisers which have got a refit, with the American help in 1943, Georges Leygues, Montcalm
French cruiser Montcalm
The Montcalm was a French light cruiser of the La Galissonnière class, named in honour of Louis-Joseph de Montcalm. During World War II, she served with both Vichy France and the Allies.-Pre-war:...
, and Gloire
French cruiser Gloire
The Gloire was a French light cruiser of the La Galissonnière class.After completing trials, Gloire arrived in Brest on 18 November 1937, then left for French Indochina on 1 December, returning to Brest on 16 April 1938. Gloire joined the 4th Cruiser Division in January 1939, with which she visited...
, had their aircraft installations , and all their original anti-aircraft artillery removed, and were fitted with six quadruple Bofors 40 mm guns, and twenty single Oerlikon
Oerlikon 20 mm cannon
The Oerlikon 20 mm cannon is a series of autocannons, based on an original design by Reinhold Becker of Germany, very early in World War I, and widely produced by Oerlikon Contraves and others...
20 mm guns.
The armour was thicker than that of many other cruisers of the time (such as the Italian Condottieri
Condottieri class cruiser
The Condottieri class was a sequence of five, different, light cruiser classes of the Regia Marina , although these classes show a clear line of evolution. They were built before World War II to gain predominance in the Mediterranean Sea...
, for example) heavy enough to withstand cruiser ammunition. The belt and deck armour was substantially thicker than usual. Condottieri 's Group III had only 60 mm belt and 30 mm deck, while La Galissonnière had 75–105 mm (unclear where it was 120 mm) armoured belt, and 37–50 mm thickness deck armour. This was enough to withstand a 152 mm round at combat range(navweapons.com gives 76 mm at 11,000 m, when fired from a British gun), while Italian counterparts cannot have done the same with their light armour, sacrificed for the best speed. Only last group of Condottieri was superior, but with a 9,100 tons displacement (20% more than French cruisers), with 10 guns and up to 130 mm armour (thought to withstand 152 mm as well), but they were only two ships. Anyway, never these powerful ships fought one another. But the La Galissonière class cruisers 105 mm armored belt was also thicker than the Nürnberg
German cruiser Nürnberg
The Nürnberg, was a German light cruiser of the Leipzig class named after the city of Nuremberg. Some sources consider the Leipzig and Nürnberg to be of separate, single ship, classes...
's one (50 mm), the HMS Dido
Dido class cruiser
The Dido class was a class of sixteen light cruisers built for the Royal Navy. The design was influenced by the Arethusa class light cruisers. The first group of three ships was commissioned in 1940, the second group and third group were commissioned in 1941–1942...
's one (76.2 mm), or the Fiji
Crown Colony class cruiser
The Crown Colony-class light cruisers of the Royal Navy were named after Crown Colonies of the British Empire. The first eight are known as the Fiji class, while the last three to be built are commonly referred to as the Ceylon class and were built to a slightly modified design.-Design:They were...
's one (3.5-inch or 88 mm), and equivalent to the Leanders one. The turret protection, with 100 mm (4-in.) on faces, and 50 mm (2-in.) on sides, back, and roofs was also better than on other cruisers with similar displacement (1.25-inch on German cruisers, 1-in, on the British ones, 2-in on Town
Town class cruiser (1936)
The Town-class was a 10-ship class of light cruisers of the Royal Navy. The Towns were designed to the constraints imposed by the London Naval Treaty of 1930....
or Fiji
Crown Colony class cruiser
The Crown Colony-class light cruisers of the Royal Navy were named after Crown Colonies of the British Empire. The first eight are known as the Fiji class, while the last three to be built are commonly referred to as the Ceylon class and were built to a slightly modified design.-Design:They were...
classes, and except 3 to 5-in on USS Brooklyn
Brooklyn class cruiser
The Brooklyn-class cruisers were seven light cruisers of the United States Navy which served during World War II. Armed with 5 triple turrets mounting 6-inch guns, they and their near sisters of the St. Louis class mounted more heavy-caliber guns than any other US cruisers...
class).
The propulsion was assured by four Indret boilers, and four Parsons
Charles Algernon Parsons
Sir Charles Algernon Parsons OM KCB FRS was an Anglo-Irish engineer, best known for his invention of the steam turbine. He worked as an engineer on dynamo and turbine design, and power generation, with great influence on the naval and electrical engineering fields...
turbines on La Galissonnière
French cruiser La Galissonnière
La Galissonnière was the name-ship of a class of French light cruisers, named in honour of Roland-Michel Barrin de La Galissonière. During World War II, she served with Vichy France....
, Georges Leygues
French cruiser Georges Leygues
The Georges Leygues was a French light cruiser of the La Galissonnière class. During World War II, she served with both the Vichy France and Allies. She was named for the prominent 19th and 20th century French politician Georges Leygues....
, Montcalm
French cruiser Montcalm
The Montcalm was a French light cruiser of the La Galissonnière class, named in honour of Louis-Joseph de Montcalm. During World War II, she served with both Vichy France and the Allies.-Pre-war:...
, or Rateau Bretagne turbines on the other ones, and two shafts, for a speed of 31 knots (60.8 km/h), with 84000 hp. They easily maintained 31/32 knots and all exceeded by far the expected trial speed of 33 knots (64.7 km/h). Thus, the Marseillaise steamed an average of 34.98 knots (68.6 km/h) during an 8-hour trial and 35.39 knots (69.4 km/h) during a ninth hour. At the end of the war, they could still easily make 32 knots (62.7 km/h), on a full load displacement then increased to 10,850 knots. The endurance (5500 nmi (10,186 km) at 18 knots (35.3 km/h)), was considerably better than Italian equivalents (Condottieris: around 3800 nmi (7,037.6 km) at 18 knots (35.3 km/h)), but similar to the comparable light British or German cruisers, for the speed and radius, except the HMS Leander
Leander class cruiser (1931)
The Leander class was a class of eight light cruisers built for the Royal Navy in the early 1930s that saw service in World War II. They were named after mythological figures, and all ships were commissioned between 1933 and 1936...
and HMS Arethusa
HMS Arethusa (26)
HMS Arethusa was the name ship of her class of light cruisers built for the Royal Navy. She was built by Chatham Dockyard , with the keel being laid down on 25 January 1933...
class cruisers, which had an exceptional radius of 12,000 nmi.
Service
The ships were:- La GalissonnièreFrench cruiser La GalissonnièreLa Galissonnière was the name-ship of a class of French light cruisers, named in honour of Roland-Michel Barrin de La Galissonière. During World War II, she served with Vichy France....
: scuttled at Toulon - MontcalmFrench cruiser MontcalmThe Montcalm was a French light cruiser of the La Galissonnière class, named in honour of Louis-Joseph de Montcalm. During World War II, she served with both Vichy France and the Allies.-Pre-war:...
: scrapped 1970. - Georges LeyguesFrench cruiser Georges LeyguesThe Georges Leygues was a French light cruiser of the La Galissonnière class. During World War II, she served with both the Vichy France and Allies. She was named for the prominent 19th and 20th century French politician Georges Leygues....
: scrapped November 1959 - Jean de VienneFrench cruiser Jean de VienneThe Jean de Vienne was a French light cruiser of the La Galissonnière class. During World War II, she remained with the Vichy France. She was named for Jean de Vienne a 14th century French knight, general and admiral during the Hundred Years' War....
: scuttled at Toulon - Marseillaise: scuttled at Toulon
- GloireFrench cruiser GloireThe Gloire was a French light cruiser of the La Galissonnière class.After completing trials, Gloire arrived in Brest on 18 November 1937, then left for French Indochina on 1 December, returning to Brest on 16 April 1938. Gloire joined the 4th Cruiser Division in January 1939, with which she visited...
: sold for scrap January 1958.
When completed, La Galissonnière, Jean de Vienne, and Marseillaise formed the 3rd Cruisers Division, flagship Marseillaise, attached to the Mediterranean Squadron, and based in Bizerte, Georges Leygues, Montcalm, and Gloire formed the 4th Cruisers Division, flagship Georges Leygues, attached to the Atlantic Fleet, and based in Brest. The 4th Cruisers Division carried out an endurance cruise to Indochina, from December 1937 to April 1938, and represented France at the New York World's Fair, in July 1939.
During the Phoney War, the 4th Cruisers Division was attached to the Force de Raid
Force de Raid
The Force de Raid was a French naval unit based at Brest until 1940. It included some of the most modern capital ships of its day organised into two squadrons, commanded at the outbreak of World War II by Vice Amiral Marcel Gensoul...
, a fast warships squadron, under Admiral Gensoul, with Dunkerque
French battleship Dunkerque
The Dunkerque was the first unit of a new class of warships of the French Navy built in the 1930s, officially rated as battleships, or even «navires de ligne» , as Dunkerque and Strasbourg constituted, from the commissionig of Strasbourg to some days after Mers-el Kebir, the «1ère Division de Ligne»...
and Strasbourg
French battleship Strasbourg
The Strasbourg was a more heavily armoured Dunkerque-class battleship of the French Navy, labeled as a "fast battleship". Faster than full battleships, but not as heavily armed or armoured as them, they were designed to counter the threat of the German "pocket battleships" - the Deutschland-class...
fast battleships, heavy cruisers and large destroyers, first based in Brest. This squadron took part to the safety of Atlantic convoys, and tried unsuccessfully to give chase to the German surface raiders. As Italy remains neutral, in Mediterranean, the Marseillaise and Jean de Vienne took part to the shipping to Canada of a part of the Banque de France
Banque de France
The Banque de France is the central bank of France; it is linked to the European Central Bank . Its main charge is to implement the interest rate policy of the European System of Central Banks...
's reserve gold, in December 1939, and shipped troops in Mediterranean in March 1940.
In April 1940, as Émile Bertin
French cruiser Émile Bertin
The Émile Bertin was a French fast light cruiser named after Louis-Émile Bertin, a 19th century naval architect. She was designed to operate both as a minelayer and as a destroyer flotilla leader. The design was the basis for later light and heavy French cruisers, particularly the slightly larger...
was damaged by the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
, off Norway, Montcalm replaced her, and take part to the evacuation of Namsos
Namsos campaign
In April and early May, 1940 Namsos and its surrounding area were the scene of heavy fighting between Anglo-French, Polish and Norwegian naval and military forces on the one hand, and German military, naval and air forces on the other...
. In front of the more and more dubious attitude of Italy, on April 1940, the Force de Raid was sent in Mediterranean Sea, and the 3rd and 4th Cruisers Divisions were then based in Algiers. After Italy entered war in June, they carried out two sorties, and chased vainly the Italian cruisers.
On the July 3, 1940, Admiral Sommerville
James Somerville
Admiral of the Fleet Sir James Fownes Somerville GCB, GBE, DSO was one of the most famous British Admirals of World War II.-Early career:...
's Force H
Force H
Force H was a British naval formation during the Second World War. It was formed in 1940 to replace French naval power in the western Mediterranean that had been removed by the French armistice with Nazi Germany....
was sent to Mers-el-Kebir. As the French Admiralty signalled in a radio message in clear, that the Algiers cruisers had been ordered to rejoin the battleship squadron off Mers-el-Kebir, the British Admiralty warned Admiral Somerville and hurried him to put an end to the negotiations with Admiral Gensoul and to open fire. So the six cruisers had only one thing to do, to steer for Toulon, where they arrived the day after.
Two months after, the Vichy
Vichy France
Vichy France, Vichy Regime, or Vichy Government, are common terms used to describe the government of France that collaborated with the Axis powers from July 1940 to August 1944. This government succeeded the Third Republic and preceded the Provisional Government of the French Republic...
authorities obtained permission from the German Armistice Commission
German Armistice Commission
The German Armistice Commission was created by Article Twenty-Two of the Armistice Agreement between the German High Command of the Armed Forces and French Plenipottentiaries, Compiègne, June 22, 1940.-Description:...
to send the 4th Cruisers Division (George Leygues, Montcalm and Gloire), and three large destroyers, to Libreville
Libreville
Libreville is the capital and largest city of Gabon, in west central Africa. The city is a port on the Komo River, near the Gulf of Guinea, and a trade center for a timber region. As of 2005, it has a population of 578,156.- History :...
, to counter the Free French Forces
Free French Forces
The Free French Forces were French partisans in World War II who decided to continue fighting against the forces of the Axis powers after the surrender of France and subsequent German occupation and, in the case of Vichy France, collaboration with the Germans.-Definition:In many sources, Free...
which had taken control of French Equatorial Africa
French Equatorial Africa
French Equatorial Africa or the AEF was the federation of French colonial possessions in Middle Africa, extending northwards from the Congo River to the Sahara Desert.-History:...
territories, except Gabon. As the oiler Tarn, escorted by the French cruiser Primauguet has been intercepted in the Bight of Benin
Bight of Benin
The Bight of Benin is a bight on the western African coast that extends eastward for about 400 miles from Cape St. Paul to the Nun outlet of the Niger River. To the east it is continued by the Bight of Bonny . The bight is part of the Gulf of Guinea...
by British warships, and bound to Casablanca, refueling was no longer possible in Libreville, and the French cruiser squadron had to turn back to Dakar. Slowed by machinery problems, the Gloire was intercepted by British cruisers, and was only allowed to proceed too to Casablanca , as the Georges Leygues and Montcalm reached Dakar
Battle of Dakar
The Battle of Dakar, also known as Operation Menace, was an unsuccessful attempt in September 1940 by the Allies to capture the strategic port of Dakar in French West Africa , which was under Vichy French control, and to install the Free French under General Charles de Gaulle there.-Background:At...
at full speed, and so took part to its defence against Operation Menace. Until 1943, they stayed there, where the Gloire
French cruiser Gloire
The Gloire was a French light cruiser of the La Galissonnière class.After completing trials, Gloire arrived in Brest on 18 November 1937, then left for French Indochina on 1 December, returning to Brest on 16 April 1938. Gloire joined the 4th Cruiser Division in January 1939, with which she visited...
joined them in March 1941: from September 15 to 25, 1942, she was sent to rescue the victims of the sinking of the British trooper Laconia
Laconia incident
The Laconia incident was an abortive naval rescue attempt in the Atlantic Ocean during World War II. On 12 September 1942, , carrying some 80 civilians, 268 British Army soldiers, about 1,800 Italian prisoners of war, and 160 Polish soldiers , was struck and sunk by a torpedo from Kriegsmarine...
, torpedoed by the German submarine U 156.
In Toulon, two of the three cruisers from the 3rd Cruisers Division (Marseillaise and La Galissonnière
French cruiser La Galissonnière
La Galissonnière was the name-ship of a class of French light cruisers, named in honour of Roland-Michel Barrin de La Galissonière. During World War II, she served with Vichy France....
, the latter being replaced on March 15, 1941 by Jean de Vienne
French cruiser Jean de Vienne
The Jean de Vienne was a French light cruiser of the La Galissonnière class. During World War II, she remained with the Vichy France. She was named for Jean de Vienne a 14th century French knight, general and admiral during the Hundred Years' War....
), were incorporated in a so-called High Seas Force, which nearly never went to high sea, due to the lack of fuel, but only in November 1940, to cover the return to Toulon of the battleship Provence
French battleship Provence
The Provence was a French Navy battleship of the Bretagne class named in honour of the French region of Provence.- Construction :She was built by Arsenal de Lorient, and her keel was laid on 1 May 1912...
, severely damaged by British gunfire, in July, 1940. In January 1942, the Jean de Vienne
French cruiser Jean de Vienne
The Jean de Vienne was a French light cruiser of the La Galissonnière class. During World War II, she remained with the Vichy France. She was named for Jean de Vienne a 14th century French knight, general and admiral during the Hundred Years' War....
was sent to rescue the liner Lamoriciere, whose sinking in a winter tempest, off the Balearic Islands, caused more than 300 deaths.
After the successful Allied landings in Morocco and Algeria, on November 1942, the Germans occupied the Zone libre
Zone libre
The zone libre was a partition of the French metropolitan territory during the Second World War, established at the Second Armistice at Compiègne on June 22, 1940. It lay to the south of the demarcation line and was administered by the French government of Marshal Philippe Pétain based in Vichy,...
, and tried to seize the French warships staying in Toulon (Operation Lila
Case Anton
Operation Anton was the codename for the military occupation of Vichy France carried out by Germany and Italy in November 1942.- Background :...
). But the three La Galissonière class cruisers, La Galissonnière
French cruiser La Galissonnière
La Galissonnière was the name-ship of a class of French light cruisers, named in honour of Roland-Michel Barrin de La Galissonière. During World War II, she served with Vichy France....
, Jean de Vienne
French cruiser Jean de Vienne
The Jean de Vienne was a French light cruiser of the La Galissonnière class. During World War II, she remained with the Vichy France. She was named for Jean de Vienne a 14th century French knight, general and admiral during the Hundred Years' War....
, Marseillaise, as most of the ships based at Toulon, were scuttled
Scuttling of the French fleet in Toulon
The French fleet in Toulon was scuttled on 27 November 1942 on the order of the Admiralty of Vichy France to avoid capture by Nazi German forces during Operation Lila of the Case Anton takeover of Vichy France.- Context :...
, on November 27, 1942. In 1943, the Italian Navy tried to salve Jean de Vienne
French cruiser Jean de Vienne
The Jean de Vienne was a French light cruiser of the La Galissonnière class. During World War II, she remained with the Vichy France. She was named for Jean de Vienne a 14th century French knight, general and admiral during the Hundred Years' War....
and La Galissonnière
French cruiser La Galissonnière
La Galissonnière was the name-ship of a class of French light cruisers, named in honour of Roland-Michel Barrin de La Galissonière. During World War II, she served with Vichy France....
, and registered them as FR11 and FR12. In 1944, after the Italian surrender, the Germans rendered the wrecks to the Vichy
Vichy France
Vichy France, Vichy Regime, or Vichy Government, are common terms used to describe the government of France that collaborated with the Axis powers from July 1940 to August 1944. This government succeeded the Third Republic and preceded the Provisional Government of the French Republic...
authorities , but they were sunk, following to Allied aircraft bombings, Jean de Vienne
French cruiser Jean de Vienne
The Jean de Vienne was a French light cruiser of the La Galissonnière class. During World War II, she remained with the Vichy France. She was named for Jean de Vienne a 14th century French knight, general and admiral during the Hundred Years' War....
, on November 24, 1943 and La Galissonnière
French cruiser La Galissonnière
La Galissonnière was the name-ship of a class of French light cruisers, named in honour of Roland-Michel Barrin de La Galissonière. During World War II, she served with Vichy France....
, on April 18, 1944 . They were both scrapped post war.
As all the French warships staying in Africa and French Antilles, Georges Leygues
French cruiser Georges Leygues
The Georges Leygues was a French light cruiser of the La Galissonnière class. During World War II, she served with both the Vichy France and Allies. She was named for the prominent 19th and 20th century French politician Georges Leygues....
, Montcalm
French cruiser Montcalm
The Montcalm was a French light cruiser of the La Galissonnière class, named in honour of Louis-Joseph de Montcalm. During World War II, she served with both Vichy France and the Allies.-Pre-war:...
and Gloire
French cruiser Gloire
The Gloire was a French light cruiser of the La Galissonnière class.After completing trials, Gloire arrived in Brest on 18 November 1937, then left for French Indochina on 1 December, returning to Brest on 16 April 1938. Gloire joined the 4th Cruiser Division in January 1939, with which she visited...
joined the Allied Forces. Since February 1943, Georges Leygues
French cruiser Georges Leygues
The Georges Leygues was a French light cruiser of the La Galissonnière class. During World War II, she served with both the Vichy France and Allies. She was named for the prominent 19th and 20th century French politician Georges Leygues....
carried out, from Dakar, patrols in the Central Atlantic, and on 13 April, she intercepted the German blockade runner Portland, as the Flag Officer, French Navy West Africa, is Admiral Collinet, Commanding Officer on Strasbourg
French battleship Strasbourg
The Strasbourg was a more heavily armoured Dunkerque-class battleship of the French Navy, labeled as a "fast battleship". Faster than full battleships, but not as heavily armed or armoured as them, they were designed to counter the threat of the German "pocket battleships" - the Deutschland-class...
, at Mers-el-Kebir.
In February 1943, the Montcalm
French cruiser Montcalm
The Montcalm was a French light cruiser of the La Galissonnière class, named in honour of Louis-Joseph de Montcalm. During World War II, she served with both Vichy France and the Allies.-Pre-war:...
was sent to Philadelphia, to be refitted with American help, till August 1943. The Gloire
French cruiser Gloire
The Gloire was a French light cruiser of the La Galissonnière class.After completing trials, Gloire arrived in Brest on 18 November 1937, then left for French Indochina on 1 December, returning to Brest on 16 April 1938. Gloire joined the 4th Cruiser Division in January 1939, with which she visited...
was sent to Brooklyn, from July to November 1943, and the Georges Leygues
French cruiser Georges Leygues
The Georges Leygues was a French light cruiser of the La Galissonnière class. During World War II, she served with both the Vichy France and Allies. She was named for the prominent 19th and 20th century French politician Georges Leygues....
, to Philadelphia, from July to October 1943. Their aircraft installations were removed, they received a new anti-aircraft quick firing short range artillery. Sent in Mediterranean, the Montcalm
French cruiser Montcalm
The Montcalm was a French light cruiser of the La Galissonnière class, named in honour of Louis-Joseph de Montcalm. During World War II, she served with both Vichy France and the Allies.-Pre-war:...
supported the Liberation of Corsica, in September 1943, and Gloire
French cruiser Gloire
The Gloire was a French light cruiser of the La Galissonnière class.After completing trials, Gloire arrived in Brest on 18 November 1937, then left for French Indochina on 1 December, returning to Brest on 16 April 1938. Gloire joined the 4th Cruiser Division in January 1939, with which she visited...
carried out bombing missions against land, in the Gulf of Gaeta, in early 1944.
The Georges Leygues
French cruiser Georges Leygues
The Georges Leygues was a French light cruiser of the La Galissonnière class. During World War II, she served with both the Vichy France and Allies. She was named for the prominent 19th and 20th century French politician Georges Leygues....
and Montcalm
French cruiser Montcalm
The Montcalm was a French light cruiser of the La Galissonnière class, named in honour of Louis-Joseph de Montcalm. During World War II, she served with both Vichy France and the Allies.-Pre-war:...
supported Allied June 6, 1944 landings in Normandy, and, together with Gloire
French cruiser Gloire
The Gloire was a French light cruiser of the La Galissonnière class.After completing trials, Gloire arrived in Brest on 18 November 1937, then left for French Indochina on 1 December, returning to Brest on 16 April 1938. Gloire joined the 4th Cruiser Division in January 1939, with which she visited...
, the August 15, 1944 Provence landing. Georges Leygues
French cruiser Georges Leygues
The Georges Leygues was a French light cruiser of the La Galissonnière class. During World War II, she served with both the Vichy France and Allies. She was named for the prominent 19th and 20th century French politician Georges Leygues....
victoriously returned to Toulon, on September 13, 1944, bearing the flag of the Chef d'état-major de la Marine, Vice Admiral Lemonnier, her Commanding Officer when she had left Toulon, and at Dakar
Battle of Dakar
The Battle of Dakar, also known as Operation Menace, was an unsuccessful attempt in September 1940 by the Allies to capture the strategic port of Dakar in French West Africa , which was under Vichy French control, and to install the Free French under General Charles de Gaulle there.-Background:At...
, in 1940. As far as April 1945, the three cruisers were part of the so-called Flank Force, operating off the Mediterranean cost of the western Italian Riviera.
Since 1945, they carried out various missions to Indochina, and after 1954, off Algeria coasts. The Gloire
French cruiser Gloire
The Gloire was a French light cruiser of the La Galissonnière class.After completing trials, Gloire arrived in Brest on 18 November 1937, then left for French Indochina on 1 December, returning to Brest on 16 April 1938. Gloire joined the 4th Cruiser Division in January 1939, with which she visited...
was flagship of the French Mediterranean Squadron, in 1951-52, Montcalm
French cruiser Montcalm
The Montcalm was a French light cruiser of the La Galissonnière class, named in honour of Louis-Joseph de Montcalm. During World War II, she served with both Vichy France and the Allies.-Pre-war:...
from October 1952 to June 1954, and Georges Leygues
French cruiser Georges Leygues
The Georges Leygues was a French light cruiser of the La Galissonnière class. During World War II, she served with both the Vichy France and Allies. She was named for the prominent 19th and 20th century French politician Georges Leygues....
afterwards, and she take part as flagship of the Intervention Force to the operations off Egypt, during the Suez Crisis
Suez Crisis
The Suez Crisis, also referred to as the Tripartite Aggression, Suez War was an offensive war fought by France, the United Kingdom, and Israel against Egypt beginning on 29 October 1956. Less than a day after Israel invaded Egypt, Britain and France issued a joint ultimatum to Egypt and Israel,...
, carrying out a bombing mission against Rafah on November 1, 1956, and supporting the landing at Port-Saïd.
The Gloire
French cruiser Gloire
The Gloire was a French light cruiser of the La Galissonnière class.After completing trials, Gloire arrived in Brest on 18 November 1937, then left for French Indochina on 1 December, returning to Brest on 16 April 1938. Gloire joined the 4th Cruiser Division in January 1939, with which she visited...
and Georges Leygues
French cruiser Georges Leygues
The Georges Leygues was a French light cruiser of the La Galissonnière class. During World War II, she served with both the Vichy France and Allies. She was named for the prominent 19th and 20th century French politician Georges Leygues....
were scrapped in 1958 and 1959, and the Montcalm
French cruiser Montcalm
The Montcalm was a French light cruiser of the La Galissonnière class, named in honour of Louis-Joseph de Montcalm. During World War II, she served with both Vichy France and the Allies.-Pre-war:...
in 1970.