French submarine Africaine (Q196)

Summary

Africaine (Q196) ("African"[2]) was an Aurore-class submarine of the French Navy.

Model of Africaine
History
France
NameAfricaine
Namesake"African"
Ordered1937
BuilderRouen
Laid downDecember 1937
FateIncomplete, captured by German in June 1940[1]
Nazi Germany
NameUF-1
AcquiredJune 1940
FateCaptured by Allies
France
NameAfricaine
Launched7 December 1946[1]
CommissionedOctober 1949[1]
Decommissioned1961
Stricken28 February 1963[1]
FateScrapped
General characteristics
Class and typeAurore-class submarine
Displacement
  • 900 tonnes (890 long tons) surfaced
  • 1,170 tonnes (1,150 long tons) submerged
Length73.5 m (241 ft)
Beam6.5 m (21 ft)
Draught4.2 m (14 ft)
Propulsion
  • Diesel: 3000 shp (2237 KW)
  • 1400 shp (1044 KW) electrical
Speed
  • 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) surfaced
  • 9 knots submerged
Range
  • 5,600 nmi (10,400 km; 6,400 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
  • 2,250 nmi (4,170 km; 2,590 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
  • 80 nmi (150 km; 92 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) submerged
Test depth100 m (330 ft)
Armament
  • 1 × 100 mm (3.9 in) deck gun
  • 2 × 13.2 mm (0.52 in) machine guns
  • 9 × 550 mm (22 in) torpedo tubes

Still incomplete, she was captured by the Germans in June 1940 during World War II. She was renamed UF-1 on 13 May 1941 by the Kriegsmarine, but never completed during the German occupation of France.[1]

She was recaptured, completed under her original name, and launched on 7 December 1946. Africaine was taken out of service in 1961 and was stricken on 28 February 1963 as Q334.[1]

See also edit

Notes and references edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f Helgason, Guðmundur. "Foreign U-boats UF-2". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
  2. ^ Africaine is the feminine form of "African".