Recognition Guide Warships of the Second World War
Marine Nationale — Submarine

French submarine Achéron

Redoutable-class submarine

French submarine Achéron
Marius Bar — Ajax — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons Plate Sous marin français Ajax, de la classe Redoutable.

Service

  1. Marine Nationale as Achéron22 February 1932 — 27 November 19421,183 days of the war
  2. Regia Marina27 November 1942 — 26 June 1943211 days of the war
Redoutable-class submarine Particulars
Name
Achéron
Namesake
The Acheron, a river in Greece, in Greek mythology leading to the entrance to the underworld
Builder
Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire, Saint-Nazaire, France
Laid down
24 September 1927
Launched
6 August 1929
Commissioned
22 February 1932
Fate
Refloated 26 June 1943
Seized by Germany September 1943
Sunk 24 November 1943 (1943)
Status
Unknown

Specifications

Displacement, surfaced
1,547 long tons (1,572 t)
Displacement, submerged
2,059 long tons (2,092 t)
Length
92.3 m (302.8 ft)
Beam
8.1 m (26.6 ft)
Draught
4.4 m (14.4 ft)
Speed
17.5 knots (32.4 km/h, 20.1 mph)
Range
14,000 nmi (25,928 km)
Complement
5
Main gun
100 mm (3.9 in)

Achéron was a Redoutable-class submarine of the Marine Nationale. She was named for The Acheron. Her keel was laid at Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire, Saint-Nazaire, France on 24 September 1927. She entered service on 22 February 1932, having been launched on 6 August 1929.

29 ships of the class were built.

The boat displaced 1,547 long tons surfaced and 2,059 long tons submerged. She measured 92.3 m (303 ft) long with a beam of 8.1 m (27 ft). Her designed speed was 17.5 knots, and she carried a complement of 5.

Her main battery was one 100 mm (3.9 in) guns.

She served with the Marine Nationale as Achéron until 27 November 1942. She then passed to the Regia Marina from 27 November 1942. She was in commission for 1,394 days of the Second World War.

She was captured on 26 June 1943.

Written from the harvested record. Every figure above is sourced; the wording is this site's own.

Armament and machinery

Armament and machinery
Propulsion
  • 2 × diesel engines, 6000 hp
  • 2 × electric motors, 2250 hp
Armament
  • 11 torpedo tubes
  • 1 × 100 mm gun
  • 1 × 13.2 mm machine gun

Sister ships

4 more in the class

Sources