Moulin, Jean Les Sous-marins de 1re Classe

Les Requin et Redoutable 1922-1950

This work is dedicated to the 40 first-class submarines built for the French Navy between 1922 and 1939. They are divided into two types: the 1,100-ton submarines or Requin from the 1922 and 1923 programmes, and the Redoutable and Pascal from the 1924 to 1930 programmes. The second-class submarines and minelayers are covered in another work in the same series. The 1,500-ton submarines are better known than the 1,100-ton submarines, which are often forgotten. The departure of the Casabianca, the Glorieux and even a 1,100-tonne submarine, the Marsouin, from Toulon on 27 November 1942 is considered a significant event in the history of French submarines. The 1,500-tonne submarines were the most active ships in the navy during the Second World War. The missions of several of these boats are relatively well known, with the Casabianca at the forefront, whose two former commanders have reported on the most spectacular missions. Eleven ships were lost during the war, nine of them due to the actions of former and later allies. The five survivors were deployed in operations in the Mediterranean from December 1942 (the Casabianca) onwards or served in training schools. Much of the historical reporting, particularly for the period from June 1940 to December 1942, is limited to a presentation of the facts, with commentary and interpretation virtually excluded in a work that gives priority to technical aspects.