×
Home Intro People Events Equipment Places Maps Books Photos Videos Other Reference FAQ About
     

World War II Database

Duquesne file photo [23312]

Duquesne

CountryFrance
Ship ClassDuquesne-class Heavy Cruiser
BuilderArsenal de Brest
Laid Down30 Oct 1924
Launched17 Dec 1925
Commissioned6 Dec 1928
Decommissioned2 Jul 1955
Displacement10,000 tons standard; 12,200 tons full
Length627 feet
Beam62 feet
Draft21 feet
MachineryRateau-Bretagne single-reduction geared turbines, 9 Guyot boilers, 4 shafts
Power Output120,000 shaft horsepower
Speed34 knots
Range4,500nm at 15 knots
Crew605
Armament4x2x203mm/50 Modèle 1924 guns, 8x75mm AA guns, 4x2x37mm AA guns, 4x3x13.2mm AA guns, 4x3x550mm torpedo tubes
Armor30mm magazine boxes, 30mm deck, 30mm turrets, 30mm conning tower
AircraftTwo GL-812 or two GL-832 or two Loire-Nieuport 130 seaplanes
Catapult1

Contributor:

ww2dbaseDuquesne was commissioned into French Navy service in 1928. She first saw war time duty during the Spanish Civil War, evacuating French nationals from the war zone. In 1940, she participated in the hunt for the German heavy cruiser Admiral Graf Spee. In Jul 1940, Duquesne was among the fleet that Admiral René-Emile Godfroy surrendered to the British in Alexandria, Egypt; as such, she was disarmed. Because Godfroy refused to join forces with the British against German and Italian forces, Duquesne and other ships of Force X remained inactive in Alexandria for an extended amount of time. In Jun 1943, Godfroy agreed to join General Henri Giraud, thus Force X was reactivated. After receiving maintenance at Dakar, French West Africa, she sailed to the United States, where she would replace her torpedo tubes with 8 Bofors 40-millimeter guns and 16 Oerlikon 20-millimeter cannon for improved anti-aircraft defense. In 1945, she patrolled the Atlantic Ocean for German blockade runners and bombarded German positions along the French Atlantic coast. After refitting in late 1945, she served in French Indochina until Aug 1947. She was decommissioned in Jul 1955 and was sold for scrap.

ww2dbaseSource: Wikipedia

Last Major Revision: Mar 2015

Photographs

French heavy cruiser Duquesne, 1930s

Duquesne Operational Timeline

30 Oct 1924 The keel of Duquesne was laid down at the Arsenal de Brest, France.
17 Dec 1925 Duquesne was launched at the Arsenal de Brest, France.
6 Dec 1928 Duquesne was commissioned into service.
24 Apr 1940 Duquesne was assigned to Force X stationed in Alexandria, Egypt.
3 Jul 1943 Duquesne departed Alexandria, Egypt.
18 Aug 1943 Duquesne arrived at Dakar, French West Africa.
2 Jul 1955 Duquesne was decommissioned in Algeria.




Did you enjoy this article or find this article helpful? If so, please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 per month will go a long way! Thank you.

Share this article with your friends:

 Facebook
 Reddit
 Twitter

Stay updated with WW2DB:

 RSS Feeds




Visitor Submitted Comments

1. GrahamClayton says:
31 Dec 2023 07:27:07 PM

A few countries built 'tinclad' heavy cruisers to meet the requirements of the Washington Treaty, with the Duquesne class probably the worst of the lot. At least they never saw any action - their non-existent armour protection would have made them an easy target for better armoured enemy cruisers.

All visitor submitted comments are opinions of those making the submissions and do not reflect views of WW2DB.

Posting Your Comments on this Topic

Your Name
Your Email
 Your email will not be published
Comment Type
Your Comments
 

Notes:

1. We hope that visitor conversations at WW2DB will be constructive and thought-provoking. Please refrain from using strong language. HTML tags are not allowed. Your IP address will be tracked even if you remain anonymous. WW2DB site administrators reserve the right to moderate, censor, and/or remove any comment. All comment submissions will become the property of WW2DB.

2. For inquiries about military records for members of the World War II armed forces, please see our FAQ.

Change View
Desktop View

Search WW2DB
More on Duquesne
Event(s) Participated:
» The Spanish Civil War
» British Attacks on the French Fleet

Heavy Cruiser Duquesne Photo Gallery
French heavy cruiser Duquesne, 1930s


Famous WW2 Quote
"You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word. It is victory. Victory at all costs. Victory in spite of all terrors. Victory, however long and hard the road may be, for without victory there is no survival."

Winston Churchill


Support Us

Please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 a month will go a long way. Thank you!

Or, please support us by purchasing some WW2DB merchandise at TeeSpring, Thank you!