French frigate Sénégalais

Yser, originally named Sénégalais, was a frigate in the Free French Naval Forces during World War II and the French Navy post-war. The ship was originally built as USS Corbesier (DE-106), an American Cannon-class destroyer escort named for Antoine Joseph Corbesier, for more than 40 years he was the beloved swordmaster of the U.S. Naval Academy Midshipmen. The name Corbesier (DE-106) was cancelled 24 September 1943 so it could be used for USS Corbesier (DE-438).[2]

For other ships with the same name, see French ship Sénégalais.

Starboard view of Free French Destroyer Escort Senegalais (T-22).
History
United States
Name: USS Corbesier
Namesake: Antoine Joseph Corbesier
Builder: Dravo Corporation, Wilmington, Delaware
Laid down: 24 April 1943
Launched: 11 November 1943
Fate: Transferred to Free France, 2 January 1944
Stricken: 14 May 1952
History
Free France
Name: Sénégalais (T-22)
Namesake: Senegal
Acquired: 2 January 1944
History
France
Name: Sénégalais (F-02)
Acquired: 14 October 1946
Renamed: Yser, for Yser, August 1962
Reclassified: frigate Sénégalais (F-702) 1952[1]
Stricken: May 1965
Fate: 1965 sold for scrap to Walter Ritscher, Hamburg
General characteristics [2]
Class and type: Cannon-class destroyer escort
Displacement:
  • 1,240 long tons (1,260 t) standard
  • 1,620 long tons (1,646 t) full
Length:
  • 306 ft (93 m) o/a
  • 300 ft (91 m) w/l
Beam: 36 ft 10 in (11.23 m)
Draft: 8 ft 9 in (2.67 m)
Propulsion: 4 × GM Mod. 16-278A diesel engines with electric drive, 6,000 shp (4,474 kW), 2 screws
Speed: 21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph)
Range: 10,800 nmi (20,000 km) at 12 kn (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Complement: 15 officers and 201 enlisted
Armament:

History

During World War II, Corbesier was transferred to the Free French Naval Forces under lend lease on 2 January 1944, and renamed Sénégalais. Ownership of the vessel was transferred to France on 21 April 1952 under the Mutual Defense Assistance Program. She was renamed Yser about that same time.

World War II

In the night on 2/3 May 1944, U-371 was spotted recharging her batteries on the surface off Djidjelli on the Algerian coast. The area was swamped with six escorts from the convoy GUS-38 and three aircraft squadrons. At 01.18 hours on 3 May, the U-boat managed to damage Menges with a Gnat in the stern. The other vessels hunted the U-boat until the early morning of 4 May when Fenksi had to surface his boat and save his crew, but at 04.04 hours he still fought back and also damaged the FFL Sénégalais (T 22) with a Gnat before scuttling the U-boat.[1]

First Indochina War

Sénégalais was sent to the far east in October 1945 and later participated in the First Indochina War.[3]

See also
  • List of escorteurs of the French Navy

References
  1. "FFL Sénégalais (T 22)". uboat.net. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  2. "Corbesier (DE-106) Senegalais (F-02)". Navsource.org. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  3. "SÉNÉGALAIS - destroyer d'escorte - Classe "CANNON"". Alamer.fr. Retrieved 25 April 2015.


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