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

French submarine Achille

Redoutable-class submarine

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

Service

  1. Marine Nationale as Achille29 June 1933 — 18 June 1940291 days of the war
Redoutable-class submarine Particulars
Name
Achille
Namesake
Achilles, a hero of the Trojan War in Greek mythology
Builder
Arsenal de Brest, Brest, France
Laid down
1 September 1928
Launched
28 May 1930
Commissioned
29 June 1933
Fate
Scuttled 18 June 1940 (1940)
Status
Wreck

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)

Achille was a Redoutable-class submarine in service with the Marine Nationale. She was named for Achilles. Her keel was laid at Arsenal de Brest, Brest, France on 1 September 1928. She entered service on 29 June 1933, having been launched on 28 May 1930.

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 was in commission for 291 days of the Second World War.

She was scuttled on 18 June 1940. The wreck survives.

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