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

French submarine Ajax

Redoutable-class submarine

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

Service

  1. Marine Nationale as Ajax1 February 1934 — 24 September 1940389 days of the war
Redoutable-class submarine Particulars
Name
Ajax
Namesake
Ajax the Great, a hero in Greek mythology
Builder
Brest Arsenal
Laid down
1 September 1928
Launched
28 May 1930
Commissioned
1 February 1934
Fate
Scuttled on 24 September 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)
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)

Ajax was a Redoutable-class submarine built for the Marine Nationale. She was named for Ajax the Great. Her keel was laid at Brest Arsenal on 1 September 1928. She entered service on 1 February 1934, 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 389 days of the Second World War.

She was scuttled on 24 September 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 × diesels, of 6000 hp
  • 2 × electric engines of 2250 hp
Armament
  • 11 torpedo tubes
  • 1 × 100 mm gun
  • 1 × 13.2 mm machine gun

Sister ships

4 more in the class

Sources