From Thu Jun 05 12:58:33 1997
>To: mahan@microwrks.com, riddleb@fhu.disa.mil (“Bill Riddle”)
>Subject: Re: Re[2]: Refits of RN ships in USA
>Date: Thu, 05 Jun 97 19:52:31 GMT
>From: salvin@ocslink.com
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>Precendence: bulk
>Sender: mahan-owner@microworks.net
>
>
> > Let me then ask the obvious. What service/action did these French
> > ships see?
> >
> > Were any of these ships in North Africa when the Torch landings took
> > place? In other words, were they Vichy up to that point?
> >
> > Bill Riddle
> >
> >
>
>
>
> >
> >
> >
> > In addition to the RN ships, a question on the WW2 list has led to me
> > positng there a list of major French warhisp of WWII. It should be
> > noted that the following major French warships had refits in the US in
> > 1943-44:
> >
> > Battleship RICHILIEU
> Transfered incomplete to Dakar on 18 June 40. Attacked there by > FAA aircraft
>on 8 July and damaged by a torpedo hit. 25 September 40 engaged in >a gunbattle
>while still in the harbor with the _Resolution_ during the aborted >British/Free
>French invasion of Dakar. After the invasion of North Africa she >went over to
>the Free French and was finally completed in New York Naval Yard from Feb to
>August, 1943. Afterwhich she operated for a short time in the North Atlantic
>escorting British carrier strikes against Norway. In March, 1944 she was
>tranfered to the British Eastern Fleet and spent the rest of the war >operating
>agianst the Japanese. Casablanca during the invasion of North Africa and exchanged gunfire with the
>_Massachusetts_.>
> > Carrier BEARN (to aircraft transport)
>De-militarized in Martinique until July, 1943. Then transfered to >New Orleans
>for conversion to a aircraft transport
> >
> > heavy cruisers DUQUESNE and TOURVILLE
>
>Both heavy cruisers were transfered to Force X based at Alexandria in early
>1940. After the fall of France they were interned until June 1943.
>Remobilized as Free French forces, they sailed around the Cape for >Dakar in and
>were engaged in anti-blockade running duty. In June of 1944 the _Tourville_
>was taken out of service for refitting and saw no more operational service
>during the war. The _Duquesne_ was attached to Group Lorraine of the French
>Naval Task Force in Dec. 1944 and took part in bombardment of >isoltated German
>fortresses on the French coast.
> > CL’s EMILE BERTIN, GLOIRE, MONTCALM, and GEORGES LEYGUES
>The _Emile Bertin_ was in Halifax when France fell and left that port for
>Martinique. She was de-militarized in 1942 and was not operational >again until
>August 1943 when she was transfered to Philadelphia for refit. She supported
>the landings in Southern France in August, 1944.
>
>The other three cruisers were at Dakar and all except the _Gloire_ helped to
>defend the port when it was attacked in September 1940. The _Gloire_ was
>undergoing repairs in Casablanca, and wouldn’t return until after >the attack.
>After coming under Free French Control in 1943 and being refitted in the US,
>the _Gloire_ operated in the Med, supporting the Anzio invasion and later the
>Invasion of Southern France. Her sisters, after their refits, >operated out of
>Dakar for a time and then transfered to Western U. S. Task Force and supplied
>gunfire support during the Normandy landings.
> >
> > Training CL JEANNE D”ARC
>
>Like the _Emile Bertin_ she was in Halifax when France fell and she was
>transfered to the Caribbean. She `showed the flag’ until May, 1942 when she
>was de-militarized under U. S. pressure. In September, 1943 she sailed to
>North Africa, was re-militarized and served as a transport until >October, 1944
>when she took part in bombardment missions in the Med. (Note: according to
>Whitley’s _Cruisers of World War II_, she was to be re-fitted in 1943 in
>Philadelphia, but this was canceled and she went to Casablanca instead)
> > LE FANTASQUE class destroyers (nameship), LE TERRIBLE, and LE MALIN.
>
>_Le Fantasque_ & _Le Malin_ were at Dakar and participated in defending the
>port in Sept, 1940. _Le Terrible_ was at Toulon. After joining the Free
>French, all served in the Atlantic or Med, usually escorting convoys >or as part
>of an escort carrier hunter group.
> >
> > Most of these were ships at Martinique or Dakar after the fall of
> > France.
> >
> > -Brooks
> >
> >
> >
>
>—-
>
>Steve Alvin
>Department of Social Sciences
>Illinois Central College
>
>salvin@ocslink.com
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