World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseDe Grasse light cruiser was designed in the 1930s. Her keel was laid down in 1939, and was only about 28% complete when she was captured by the Germans at Lorient, France in Jun 1940. In Apr 1942, the Germans began planning the conversion of De Grasse into a light aircraft carrier under the project name II. The final proposal was completed by Aug 1942, and the proposal was approved by Adolf Hitler on 3 Dec 1942. The planned carrier was to have the capability of carrying 12 Ju 87E Stuka dive bombers and 11 Bf 109T fighters, stowed in one hangar and transported by two elevators. The work came to a halt in Feb 1943, however, due to the threat of Allied air attacks and the diversion of manpower and raw material elsewhere; there was also some concerns about the conversion blueprint that contributed to the stoppage. De Grasse would remain in place at Lorient for the remainder of the war. She was captured by Allied forces in 1944, and the French Navy continued the construction as a cruiser. She was launched in 1946, and, after a five-year pause, she was towed to Brest, France in 1951 to be completed as an anti-aircraft cruiser which featured eight twin 127-millimeter gun mounts and ten twin 57-millimeter gun mounts. After commissioning in 1956, she joined the French Navy Mediterranean Squadron. In May 1964, she was taken out of service and remained in shipyards until Feb 1966 to receive a larger bridge, to receive a new mast, to disarm, and to make her gas-tight, all of which was to prepare her for her new role as a nuclear testing flagship. She served in that role in French Polynesia between 1966 and 1972. She was decommissioned in 1973 and was sold for scrap in Jan 1974. She was scrapped at La Spezia, Italy starting in 1975.

Light Cruiser De Grasse Interactive Map

De Grasse Operational Timeline