Surcouf D621
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 The Bouvet (D624), sistership of the Surcouf, in 1965 |
|
| Career (France) |  |
|---|---|
| Namesake: | Robert Surcouf |
| Laid down: | February 1951 |
| Launched: | October 1953 |
| Commissioned: | 1955 |
| Decommissioned: | 5 May 1972 |
| Homeport: | Brest and later Toulon |
| Fate: | Sunk at target |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | T 47 class destroyer |
| Displacement: | 2750 tons standard, 3740 tons full load |
| Length: | 128.6 m |
| Beam: | 12.7 m |
| Draught: | 5.4 m |
| Propulsion: | 2 shaft geared turbines, 4 boilers, 63,000 hp |
| Speed: | 34 knots |
| Range: | 5000 nm at 18 knots |
| Complement: | 347 |
| Armament: |
6 - 127mm guns (3 twin turrets) |
The Surcouf was a T 47 class destroyer of the French Navy. She was the fourth French ship named in honour of Robert Surcouf.
On 26 March 1960, Surcouf was accidentally rammed by the cargo ship Léognan off Groix.
In March 1962, during the Algerian War, the Surcouf was ordered to shell Bab el-Oued quarter ot Algiers. The ship captain, capitaine de frégate Picard-Destelan, refused to obey the order.
On 6 June 1971, in the Mediterranean 60 miles south of Cartagena, as she sailed with the group of the Foch, Surcouf was again rammed accidentally when she cut across the Soviet tanker General Busharov before sunset. The tanker, 30 times heavier than the destroyer, could not avoid the collision and rammed Surcouf at 16 knots. Nine men of the Surcouf were lost at sea and one was severely burned (he later died of his wounds). When French escort Tartu attempted a towing, Surcouf snapped in two, the bowpart sinking quickly. The aft part was taken in tow to Toulon via Cartagena. She was used for training ship security, and eventually sunk by a exocet missile as target.
A court martial found the officers guilty of negligence. Capitaine de frégate Accary was early retired, and the lieutenant de vaisseau who was on watch at the time of the accident was sentenced to 6 months of prison on parole and laid down from the Navy without retirement.
