| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Redoutable |
| Operators: | French Navy |
| Subclasses: | Redoutable Espoir |
| Completed: | 31 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Submarine |
| Displacement: |
1500 tonnes (surfaced) |
| Length: | 92.30 metres |
| Beam: | 8.2 metres |
| Draught: | 4.9 metres |
| Propulsion: |
2 diesels, of 4,300 hp |
| Speed: |
17 knots (surfaced) |
| Range: |
14,000 nautical miles (26,000 km) at 7 knots (13 km/h), |
| Test depth: | 80 meters |
| Complement: |
5 officers (6 in operations) |
| Armament: |
11 torpedo tubes |
The Redoutable class submarines were ocean-going submarines of the French Navy during the Second World War. They were officially called "Long patrol submarines" (Fr:Sous-marins de grande patrouille), or "Type 1 submarines"[1][2]. They were also referred to as the 1500 Series, and regarded as being in three sub-classes.[3]. The Redoubtable class were generally regarded as successful, being reliable and seaworthy, with a good range and armament. A total of 31 were built, the largest class of submarines built by the French Navy, and comprising one-third of its total submarine force.
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The Redoutable class were built for service in the Atlantic, operating as scouts, or as commerce raiders, and for colonial service. They were built to conform to the interwar naval treaties arising from the 1922 Washington and 1930 London conferences, which placed restrictions on the number and size of warships of various types that nations could build.[4] The Redoutable class were designed and built as successors to the Requin class, France's first post-war Type 1 design. Orders were placed in 1922 for the first two boats, Redoutable and Vengeur, followed by orders for seven more (1925), then five (1926), and a further five (1927). A second series of six boats of an improved design, carrying more powerful engines was ordered in 1928, followed by a third series, again with improved engines and speed, in 1930.
The 1500s had a surface displacement just above 1500 tons. They had an endurance of 10,000 miles at 10 knots, with a maximum of 19 to 20 knots, and a submerged speed of 10 knots. Their armament was eleven torpedo tubes (4 forward, 3 midships, and 3-4 aft) with an outfit of 13 torpedoes. As with other French submarines of this period, the 1500s had torpedo tubes fitted externally in trainable mounts; in this case they were midships and astern. The stern mount also had tubes of two different sizes, for different targets. They had a single 3.9 inch/100mm gun, and one to two 13.2mm machine guns. and were manned by crews of 61 men.[5][6]
The Redoutable's served with the Marine Nationale and with Vichy and Free French forces during World war II in a full range of front-line duties and missions. Of the 29 boats that served in World War II (two were lost in the pre-war period) 24 were lost.
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