Dupleix
Country | France |
Ship Class | Suffren-class Heavy Cruiser |
Builder | Arsenal de Brest |
Laid Down | 14 Nov 1929 |
Launched | 9 Oct 1930 |
Commissioned | 7 Jul 1932 |
Sunk | 16 Aug 1944 |
Displacement | 10,000 tons standard; 12,780 tons full |
Length | 643 feet |
Beam | 66 feet |
Draft | 24 feet |
Machinery | Rateau-Bretagne SR geared turbines, 9 Guyot boilers, 3 shafts |
Power Output | 100,000 shaft horsepower |
Speed | 32 knots |
Range | 4,500nm at 15 knots |
Crew | 773 |
Armament | 4x2x203mm/50 Modèle 1924 guns, 8x90mm 55cal AA guns, 4x2x37mm AA guns, 4x3x13.2mm AA guns, 2x3x550mm torpedo tubes |
Armor | 50mm belt, 25mm deck, 30mm turrets, 30mm tower |
Aircraft | 2 Loire 130 flying boats |
Catapults | 2 |
Contributor: C. Peter Chen
ww2dbaseCommissioned in mid-1932, French cruiser Dupleix was part of the 1st Light Division of the French Navy 1st Squadron. In 1937, she was modernized. Between 14 Oct 1939 and late Jan 1940, she operated out of Dakar, French West Africa. In Oct 1939, she led an attack that saw the capture of German freighter Santa FĂ©. On 14 Jun 1940, as a part of the French 3rd Squadron (4 heavy cruisers and 11 destroyers in total), she bombarded Genoa, Italy, damaing oil storage tanks and military facilities. She remained in port at Toulon in southern France from mid-1940 until late-1942 without seeing much action. In Nov 1942, when Germany occupied Vichy France, capitaine de vaisseau Jacques Moreau followed orders from above and began to scuttle the ship to prevent German capture. German troops were able to rush aboard the ship before the valves were opened to flood the ship, but the crew was able to set off demolition charges, which would detonate her torpedoes at 0830 hours; the subsequent fire burned for ten days and caused extensive damage. In Jul 1943, the Italians raised Dupleix for repairs, and ultimately put her back in service as a training ship. After the Italian surrender in the fall of 1943, Dupleix was taken over by the Germans and was used as a floating anti-aircraft gun platform. In Apr 1944, she was returned to Vichy France. In Aug 1944, she was subjected by aerial attacks by aircraft and was sunk. Her wreck was broken up for scrap in 1951.
ww2dbaseSources:
John Jordan, Warship 2013
Wikipedia
Last Major Revision: Nov 2012
Heavy Cruiser Dupleix Interactive Map
Photographs
Dupleix Operational Timeline
14 Nov 1929 | The keel of French cruiser Dupleix was laid down by the Arsenal de Brest in France. |
9 Oct 1930 | Dupleix was launched at Brest, France. |
7 Jul 1932 | Dupleix was commissioned into service. |
14 Oct 1939 | Dupleix arrived at Dakar, French West Africa. |
25 Oct 1939 | French cruiser Dupleix, destroyer Le Fantasque, and destroyer Le Terrible attacked and captured German freighter Santa FĂ© west of French West Africa. |
14 Jun 1940 | Cruiser Dupleix, as a part of the French 3rd Squadron (4 heavy cruisers and 11 destroyers in total), bombarded Genoa, Italy, damaing oil storage tanks and military facilities. |
27 Nov 1942 | Dupleix received extensive damage as her own crew set off demolition charges to prevent German capture as the Germans entered Toulon, France. |
3 Jul 1943 | Italians raised destroyed French cruiser Dupleix at Toulon, France. |
16 Aug 1944 | Allied aircraft sank French cruiser Dupleix. |
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Joachim von Ribbentrop, German Foreign Minister, Aug 1939