005 3/2016 SURCOUF

Surcouf was a French submarine from the interwar period and World War II. The keel for the ship was laid in 1927, the launch took place in November 1929, and entry into service in the Marine Nationale - in May 1934. The ship was 110 meters long, 9 meters wide, and had a displacement of about 4,300 tons. The maximum speed on the surface is approximately 18.5 knots. The ship was armed with 2 203 mm guns, 2 37 mm cannons, 4 13.2 mm machine guns and 12 550 mm and 400 mm torpedo tubes. At the time of launching, Surcouf was the largest submarine in the world and represented the type of the so-called underwater cruisers. The Marine Nationale assumed that ships of this type would be able to engage in artillery combat with lighter enemy ships, as well as be able to act against its merchant shipping. However, these assumptions turned out to be inaccurate, and the combat usefulness of Surcouf - highly problematic. When Germany attacked France in May 1940, the ships that were being repaired and not fully operational went to Great Britain - specifically to the port of Plymouth. In August of that year, it was handed over by the British government to Free French troops. The vessel was lost in 1942 for reasons not entirely known in the Panama Canal area.