Saphir-class submarine (1928)

The Saphir-class submarines were a class of six submarines built in France between 1926 and 1935 for the French Navy. Most saw action during World War II for the Vichy French Navy or the Free French Naval Forces. Three were captured by Italian forces but not used.

Not to be confused with Saphir-class submarine (1951).

Saphir-class submarine (1928)
Diamant, date unknown
Class overview
Name: Saphir class
Builders: Arsenal de Toulon
Operators:
Built: 1926–1935
In service: 1930–1949
Completed: 6
Lost: 1
Retired: 5
General characteristics
Type: Submarine
Displacement:
  • 761 long tons (773 t) (surfaced)
  • 925 long tons (940 t) (submerged)
Length: 66 m (216 ft 6 in)
Beam: 7.1 m (23 ft 4 in)
Draught: 4.3 m (14 ft 1 in)
Propulsion:
  • 2 × diesel engines, 1,300 hp (969 kW)
  • 2 × electric motors, 1,100 hp (820 kW)
Speed:
  • 12 knots (22 km/h) (surfaced)
  • 9 knots (17 km/h) (submerged)
Range:
  • 7,000 nautical miles (13,000 km) at 7.5 knots (13.9 km/h)
  • 4,000 nautical miles (7,400 km) at 12 knots (22 km/h)
  • 80 nautical miles (150 km) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h) (submerged)
Test depth: 250 ft (76 m)
Complement: 42 men
Armament:

Design
A scale model of Saphir exposed at the Musée national de la Marine

Saphir-class submarines had a surfaced displacement of 761 long tons (773 t) and a submerged displacement of 925 long tons (940 t). Their dimensions were 66 m (216 ft 6 in) long, with a beam of 7.1 m (23 ft 4 in) and a draught of 4.3 m (14 ft 1 in). Propulsion while surfaced was provided by two Normand-Vickers diesel motors with a total of 1,300 bhp (969 kW) and while submerged by two electric motors providing a total of 1,000 hp (746 kW) through two shafts enabling a maximum speed of 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) while surfaced and 9 knots (17 km/h; 10 mph) while submerged. Their bunkers of 95 long tons (97 t) of oil fuel gave them a surfaced range of 7,000 nautical miles (13,000 km) at 7.5 knots (13.9 km/h), and 4,000 nautical miles (7,400 km) at 12 knots (22 km/h) and their batteries a submerged range of 80 nautical miles (150 km) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h). They carried a complement of 42 men.[1][2] Saphir-class submarines could dive up to 250 ft (76 m).[3]

Drawing of a Saphir-class submarine. The black circles in bottom view are the vertical mine launchers

The Saphir-class submarines were constructed to be able to launch torpedoes and lay mines without surfacing. The moored contact mines they used contained 220 kg of TNT and operated at up to 200 meters of depth. They were attached to the submarine's exterior under a hydrodynamic protection and were jettisoned with compressed air.[4]

Ships
Saphir-class submarines
Name Laid down launched commissioned fate
Saphir 25 May 1926 20 December 1928 30 September 1930 Captured by Italian forces on 8 December 1942, renamed FR 112. Seized by German forces on 15 September 1943 in Naples and scuttled.[5]
Turquoise 20 October 1926 16 May 1929 10 September 1930 Captured by Italian forces on 8 December 1942, renamed FR 116. Sunk on 6 May 1943 off Tunisia. Subsequently salved and sold for scrap on 12 August 1947.
Nautilus 8 August 1927 21 March 1930 15 July 1931 Laid down on the centenary of the birth of Jules Verne.[6] Captured by Italian forces on 8 December 1942, then sunk by an air attack on 31 January 1943 at Bizerte. Subsequently salved and sold for scrap on 12 August 1947.
Rubis 3 April 1929 30 September 1931 4 April 1933 Used successfully by the Free French Forces from 1940, stricken from the naval register 4 October 1949 and scuttled in the Mediterranean Sea in 1958.
Diamant 21 July 1930 18 May 1933 20 June 1934 Scuttled on 27 November 1942, at Toulon, refloated in March 1943 by Italy but sunk again in 1944.
Perle 21 July 1931 30 July 1935 1 March 1937 Used by the Allies after Operation Torch, sunk on 8 July 1944 by a British plane after being mistaken for a German U-boat at 55°27' North, 33°50' West.

[7][4]

Service

During the war, five Saphir-class ships operated in the Mediterranean Sea and only Rubis operated with the Home Fleet. Later, she joined the ranks of the Free French Naval Forces.[8] During its service on the side of the Allies, Rubis was a very effective ship.[8] From April 1940 to the end of 1944, it carried out 22 mine laying operations in the waters off Norway.[8] 15 ships sank on its mines, including minesweepers, 4 small warships, and submarines. In addition, it sank one ship with torpedoes.[8] Only one ship in the Mediterranean Sea changed sides to join the Allies, Perle, which on July 8, 1944 was mistakenly sunk in the Atlantic by an Allied plane.[9]

Of the remaining submarines, Diamant was scuttled at Toulon on 27 November 1942;[10] Nautilus, Saphir and Turquoise were demobilized in Bizerte between 1941 and 1942.[4] After the occupation of Tunis by Axis troops, they were taken over by Italians in December 1942.[4] Saphir was renamed "FR 112", and Turquoise, "FR 116".[4] These ships were unusable and disarmed remained in Bizerte until the end of activities in Africa.[4] Shortly before surrendering, the Italians sank them.[4] Only Rubis survived the war and was withdrawn from service on October 4, 1949.[8]

See also

References
  1. Gardiner, Robert; Chesneau, Roger (1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1906–1921. London: Conway. p. 274. ISBN 0851771467.
  2. Fontenoy, Paul E. (2007). Submarines: An Illustrated History of Their Impact. ABC-CLIO. p. 188. ISBN 9781851095636.
  3. Tucker, Spencer (30 November 2011). World War II at Sea: An Encyclopedia, Volume 1. ABC-CLIO. p. 717. ISBN 9781598844573.
  4. "Saphir submarines (1930–1937) – French Navy (France)". www.navypedia.org.
  5. "Q 145". 4 November 2013. Archived from the original on 4 November 2013.
  6. "Q 152". 4 November 2013. Archived from the original on 4 November 2013.
  7. "Submarines". www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk.
  8. "Le sous-marin Rubis, Les unités militaires - Musée de l'Ordre de la Libération". www.ordredelaliberation.fr.
  9. "FR Perle of the French Navy – French submarine of the Requin class – Allied Warships of WWII". uboat.net. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
  10. "FR Diamant of the French Navy – French submarine of the Requin class – Allied Warships of WWII". uboat.net. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
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