Surcouf
Career
Ordered:	December 1927
Laid Down
Launched	18 October 1929
Commissioned	May 1934
Fate	Sunk 18 February 1942
Struck	6 December 1943
General Characteristics
Displacement	3250 tons surfaced 4304 tons submerged 2880 tons dead
Length	110 metres (361 feet)
Beam	9 metres (29.5 feet)
Draft	7.25 metres (23.8 feet)
Propulsion	surfaced: two Sulzer diesel engines 7600hp submerged: two electric motors 3400hp two propellers
Test Depth	80 metres (250 feet)
Range	18,500 kilometres (10,000 nautical miles) at 10 knots surfaced 12,600 kilometres (6800 nautical miles) at 13.5 knots surfaced 130 kilometres (70 nautical miles) at 4.5 knots submerged 110 kilometres (60 nautical miles) at 5 knots submerged
Speed	18.5 knots surfaced 10 knots submerged
Complement	eight officers, 110 men
Armament	two 203 mm (eight-inch) guns in twin turret two 37 mm antiaircraft cannon four 13.2 mm antiaircraft machineguns eight 550 mm torpedo tubes (14 torpedoes carried) four 400 mm torpedo tubes (eight torpedoes carried)
Aircraft	one Besson MB.411 float plane
Cargo capacity	280 tons

Five ships of the French Navy have borne the name Surcouf, in honour of the 18th century Saint-Malo corsair Robert Surcouf: see French ship Surcouf for the list. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2592x1066, 973 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: French submarine Surcouf ... Image File history File links Civil_and_Naval_Ensign_of_France. ... 1927 (MCMXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... October 18 is the 291st day of the year (292nd in leap years). ... 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... February 18 is the 49th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ... December 6 is the 340th day (341st on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1943 calendar). ... Sulzer is a Swiss engineering firm which produces large motors. ... Besson are an established manufacturer of brass instruments. ... A DeHavilland Single Otter floatplane in Harbour Air livery A seaplane is an aircraft designed to take off and land on water. ... The French Navy (Marine Nationale) is the maritime arm of the French military and the largest Western European navy in terms of personnel. ... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... Categories: France geography stubs | Communes of Ille-et-Vilaine ... Statue of Robert Surcouf in Saint-Malo. ... Five ships of the French Navy have been named in honour of the 19th century privateer Robert Surcouf: A mixed propeller 531-ton dispatch boat (1858–1885) A 1850-ton steam-powered cruiser (1889–1921) The famous 3300-ton World War II submarine Surcouf (1929–1942) A T47-type fleet...

The Surcouf (N N 3) was a French submarine ordered to be built in December 1927, launched 18 October 1929, and commissioned May 1934. At the beginning of World War II, Surcouf was the largest submarine in the world. Her short wartime career was marked with controversy and conspiracy theories. German UC-1 class World War I submarine A model of Gunter Priens Unterseeboot 47 (U-47), German WWII Type VII diesel-electric hunter-killer (SSK) submarine Inside of the Argonaute, showing the typical obstructed, tiny space of a post-WWII diesel attack submarine. ... 1927 (MCMXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... This article needs to be wikified. ... October 18 is the 291st day of the year (292nd in leap years). ... 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... The ceremonies involved in commissioning ships into a military force are based in traditions thousands of years old. ... 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... This article is becoming very long. ... A conspiracy theory attempts to explain the ultimate cause of an event (usually a political, social, or historical event) as a secret, and often deceptive, plot by a covert alliance of powerful people or organizations rather than as an overt activity or as natural occurrence. ...

Early career

The Washington Naval Treaty had placed strict limits on naval construction by the major naval powers, but submarines had been omitted. The French Navy attempted to take advantage of this by building three "corsair submarines", of which Surcouf was the first (and only one). The Washington Naval Treaty limited the naval armaments of its five signatories: the United States, the British Empire, the Empire of Japan, the French Third Republic, and Italy. ...

Surcouf was designed as an "underwater cruiser", intended to seek and engage in surface combat. For reconnaissance, she carried an observation float plane in a hangar built abaft of the conning tower; for combat, she was armed with 12 torpedo tubes and a twin 203 mm watertight gun turret forward of the conning tower. This was the heaviest gun fitted to a submarine. The guns were fed from a magazine holding 600 rounds and controlled by a director with a 12-metre rangefinder, mounted high enough to view a seven-mile horizon. In theory, the observation plane could direct fire out to the guns' fifteen-mile maximum range. Anti-aircraft cannon and machine guns were mounted on the top of the hangar. USS Port Royal (CG-73), a Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser, launched in 1992. ...

Surcouf also carried a 5-metre motorboat, and contained a cargo compartment with fittings to restrain 40 prisoners. The submarine's fuel tanks were very large; enough fuel for a 10,000-nautical-mile range and supplies for 90-day patrols could be carried.

World War II

In 1940, Surcouf was based in Cherbourg, but in June, when the Germans invaded, she was being refitted in Brest. With only one engine functioning and with a jammed rudder, she limped across the English Channel and sought refuge in Portsmouth. On 3 July, the British, concerned that the French Fleet would be taken over by the German Kriegsmarine when the French surrendered, executed Operation Catapult. The Royal Navy blockaded the harbours where French warships were anchored and delivered an ultimatum: re-join the fight against Germany, be put out of reach of the Germans or scuttle the ships. Most accepted willingly, with two notable exceptions: the North African fleet at Mers-el-Kebir and the ships based at Dakar. These condemned the British "treachery" and suffered hundreds of casualties when the British opened fire. Surcouf also resisted and in capturing the submarine, two British officers and one French sailor were killed. The acrimony between the British and French caused by these actions escalated when the British attempted to repatriate the captured French sailors: the British hospital ship that was carrying them back to France was sunk by the Germans, and many of the French blamed the British for the deaths. 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1940 calendar). ... Location within France Cherbourg-Octeville is a city and commune in Normandy, north-west France. ... Location within France Brest, at the tip of Brittany Brest is a city in the Bretagne région, north-west France, sous-préfecture of the Finistère département. ... Satellite view of the English Channel Map of the English Channel The English Channel (French: La Manche (IPA: ) is the part of the Atlantic Ocean that separates the island of Great Britain from northern France and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. ... Portsmouth is a city of about 189,000 people located in the county of Hampshire on the southern coast of Great Britain. ... July 3 is the 184th day of the year (185th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 181 days remaining. ... The Kriegsmarine (or War Navy) was the name of the German Navy between 1935 and 1945, during the Nazi regime, superseding the Reichsmarine. ... Combatants United Kingdom France Commanders James Somerville Marcel-Bruno Gensoul Strength 3 battleships, 1 carrier, 2 cruisers, 11 destroyers 4 battleships, 6 destroyers, 1 seaplane tender Casualties — 1 battleship sunk 2 battleships damaged 1,297 killed The Destruction of the French Fleet at Mers-el-Kebir, French North Africa (now... The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the senior service of the British armed services, being the oldest of its three branches. ... Mers-el-Kebir is a town in northwestern Algeria, located by the Mediterranean Sea near Oran, in the Oran Province. ... (City of Dakar, divided into 19 communes darrondissement) City proper (commune) Région Dakar Département Dakar Mayor Pape Diop (PDS) (since 2002) Area 82. ... Combatants United Kingdom France Commanders James Somerville Marcel-Bruno Gensoul Strength 3 battleships, 1 carrier, 2 cruisers, 11 destroyers 4 battleships, 6 destroyers, 1 seaplane tender Casualties — 1 battleship sunk 2 battleships damaged 1,297 killed The Destruction of the French Fleet at Mers-el-Kebir, French North Africa (now...

Free French Naval Forces

By August 1940, the British completed Surcouf's refit and turned her over to the Free French Navy (Forces Navales Françaises Libres, FNFL) for convoy patrol. The only officer not repatriated from the original crew, Louis Blaison, became the new commander. Because of the British-French tensions with regard to the submarine, accusations were made by each side that the other was spying for Vichy France; the British also claimed that Surcouf was attacking British ships. Later, a British officer and two sailors were put on board for "liaison" purposes. 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1940 calendar). ... The Free French Forces (Forces Françaises Libres in French) were French fighters who decided to go on fighting against Germany after the Fall of France and German occupation and to fight against Vichy France in World War II. General Charles de Gaulle was a member of the French Cabinet in... France under German occupation 1940-44 Presidential flag of Vichy France For other uses of Vichy, see Vichy (disambiguation). ...

In December 1941, Surcouf carried the Free French Admiral Émile Muselier to Canada, putting in to Quebec City. While the Admiral was in Ottawa, conferring with the Canadian government, Surcouf's captain was approached by New York Times reporter Ira Wolfert and questioned about the rumors that the submarine would liberate Saint-Pierre and Miquelon (a French archipelago some 30 kilometres south of Newfoundland) for Free France from Vichy control. It was rumored, but never confirmed, that Surcouf's captain kidnapped Wolfert, smuggled him to the submarine in the trunk of a car, and imprisoned him aboard. However, Wolfert did accompany the submarine to Halifax, Nova Scotia where, on 20 December, they joined the Free French corvettes Mimosa, Aconit, and Alysse, and on 24 December took control of the islands for Free France without resistance. For the movie, see 1941 (film) 1941 (MCMXLI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1941 calendar). ... Emile Henry Muselier (Marseilles, 17 April 1882 - Toulon, 2 September 1965) was a French admiral who led the naval forces of the Free French Forces during World War II. He was responsible for the idea of distinguishing his fleet from that of Vichy France by adopting the Cross of Lorraine... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Motto: Template:Unhide = Advance Ottawa/Ottawa en avant Location City Information Established: 1850 as Bytown Area: 2,778. ... The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ... National motto: A mare labor Official language French Capital Saint-Pierre President of the General Council Stéphane Artano Prefect Albert Dupuy Area  â€“ Total  â€“ % water  242 km² (93. ... Newfoundland (French: Terre-Neuve; Irish: Talamh an Éisc; Latin: Terra Nova) is a large island off the northeast coast of North America, and the most populous part of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. ... Motto: Template:Unhide = E Mari Merces (Wealth from the Sea) Logo: Location City Information Established: April 1, 1996 Area: (former city) 79. ... December 20 is the 354th day of the year (355th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... French steam corvette Dupleix (1856-1887) Canadian corvettes on antisubmarine convoy escort duty during World War II. A corvette is a small, maneuverable, lightly armed warship, smaller than a frigate. ... December 24 is the 358th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (359th in leap years). ...

United States Secretary of State Cordell Hull, who had just concluded an agreement with the Vichy government for the neutrality of French possessions in the Western hemisphere, threatened to resign unless President of the United States Franklin Roosevelt demanded a restoration of the statu quo. Roosevelt did so, but when Charles de Gaulle refused, he dropped the matter. Ira Wolfert's stories, very favourable to the Free French (and bearing no sign of kidnapping or other duress), helped swing American popular opinion away from Vichy. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. ... Secretary Hull Cordell Hull (October 2, 1871 – July 23, 1955) served as United States Secretary of State from 1933-1944 under Franklin Delano Roosevelt and received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1945. ... The presidential seal was used by President Hayes in 1880 and last modified in 1959 by adding the 50th star for Hawaii. ... Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882–April 12, 1945), 32nd President of the United States, the longest-serving holder of the office and the only man to be elected President more than twice, was one of the central figures of 20th century history. ... Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle ( ) (22 November 1890 – 9 November 1970), in France commonly referred to as le général de Gaulle, was a French military leader and statesman. ...

Another rumor associated with this event is that, on 1 January 1942, an American destroyer was sent to Saint-Pierre to restore it to Vichy control and was fired upon by Surcouf, killing one or two American sailors. However, if this actually occurred, no documentation exists to corraborate it. However, it is documented, that in that same month, the Free French decided to send Surcouf to the Pacific theater of war, and she put in to Bermuda for resupply. Her movement south triggered rumors that she was going to liberate Martinique for the Free French from Vichy. January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ... 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ... USS Lassen, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer (French: contre-torpilleur, German: Zerstörer, Spanish: destructor, Italian: cacciatorpediniere) is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet or battle group and defend them against smaller, short-range attackers...

On 18 February 1942, Surcouf was lost with all hands. An official joint U.S. and Free French report stated that she left Bermuda on 12 February and was accidentally rammed and sunk by the American freighter Thompson Lykes near the Panama canal. The report states that the accident was due to both vessels running at night with no lights because of the menace of German U-boats. A later French investigation commission stated that the Surcouf had been sunk by US planes in the morning of the 18th in a "friendly fire" accident. February 18 is the 49th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ... February 12 is the 43rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... A canal tug, making its way down to the Caribbean end of the canal, waits to be joined by a ship in the uppermost chamber of the Gatun Locks. ... U-boat is also a nickname for some diesel locomotives built by GE; see List of GE locomotives October 1939. ... Friendly fire (fratricide or non-hostile fire) is a term originally adopted by the United States military in reference to an attack on friendly forces by other friendly forces, which may be deliberate (e. ...

Legend

Like so much else about Surcouf, there are alternate stories of her end. Disregarding the predictable ones about her being swallowed by the Bermuda Triangle, one of the most popular is that she was caught in Long Island Sound refueling a German U-boat, and both submarines were sunk, either by the American submarines Mackerel (SS-204) and Marlin (SS-205) or a US Coast Guard blimp. Map of the popularly-held dimensions of the Bermuda Triangle; recent claims by researchers allude to a more trapezium shape, extending back into the Gulf of Mexico and down into the Caribbean Sea, or in fact no dimensions at all, and a shape incorporating all of the northwestern Atlantic Ocean. ... New York City waterways: 1. ... U-boat is also a nickname for some diesel locomotives built by GE; see List of GE locomotives October 1939. ... The first USS Mackerel (SS-204), the lead ship of her class, was the first submarine of the United States Navy named for the mackerel, a common food and sport fish. ... USS Marlin (SS-205), a Mackerel-class submarine, was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the marlin, a large game fish. ... Coast Guard shield The United States Coast Guard is the coast guard of the United States. ... Blimp is an informal term typically applied to non-rigid airships. ...

Many stories add that much of the gold from the French Treasury was in Surcouf's large cargo compartment, and that the wreck was found and entered in 1967 by Jacques Cousteau. 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ... Jacques-Yves Cousteau in 1976. ...

Aircraft

The MB.410 and MB.411 were observation aircraft, designed to be carried by Surcouf. They were low-wing monoplanes with a single central float and two small stabilizing floats, that could easily be disassembled for stowage. One MB.410 and two MB.411s were built; one MB.411 was carried on board. A monoplane is an aircraft with one main set of wing surfaces, in contrast to a biplane or triplane. ... There are several meanings of float: an air-filled vessel that floats on water, such as some types of lifeboats buoyancy float (project management) floating currency floating exchange rate floating point, a datatype in computer science free float of company stock insurance (investable policyholder funds) root beer float: ice cream...

• Crew: 1-2
• Engines: one 130 kW Salmson 9Nd
• Wing Span: 12 metres
• Length: 8.25 metres
• Height: 2.85 metres
• Wing Area: 22 square metres
• Weight: 760 kilograms empty, 1140 kilograms loaded
• Speed: 185 km/h
• Range: 345 kilometres

See also

• Japanese I-400 class submarine
• HM Submarine X1
• Submarine aircraft carrier

The Sen Toku I-400 class (伊四〇〇型潜水艦) submarines of the Imperial Japanese Navy were the largest submarines of WW2, the largest non-nuclear submarines ever constructed, and the largest in the world until the development of nuclear ballistic submarines in the 1960s. ... Submarine aircraft carriers are submarines equipped with airplanes for observation or attack missions. ...

External links

• Surcouf submarine
• N N 3