Light Cruiser Marseillaise

Marseillaise

Country	France
Ship Class	La Galissonnière-class Light Cruiser
Builder	A. C. de la Loire, Nantes, France
Laid Down	23 Oct 1933
Launched	17 Jul 1935
Commissioned	10 Oct 1937
Sunk	27 Nov 1942
Displacement	7,600 tons standard; 9,120 tons full
Length	589 feet
Beam	57 feet
Draft	17 feet
Machinery	2-shaft Parsons single reduction geared turbines, 4 Indret boilers
Power Output	84,000 shaft horsepower
Speed	34 knots
Range	7,000nm at 12 knots, 6,800nm at 14 knots, 5,500nm at 18 knots, 1,650nm at 34 knots
Crew	540
Armament	3x3x152mm guns, 4x2x90mm AA guns, 6x4x40mm guns, 2x2x550mm torpedo tubes
Armor	105mm belt, 30mm bulkheads, 120mm sides, 38mm deck, 100mm turrets, 95mm tower
Aircraft	Four GL-832 or two 130 flying boats
Catapult	1

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseMarseillaise was commissioned into French Navy service in Oct 1937. In the following year, she was made the flagship of the French Mediterranean Squadron under Contre-Amiral Jean Decoux. In 1939, she was assigned to the French 3rd Cruiser Division based in Casablanca, Morocco; later in the same year, she became the flagship of the 4th Squadron based in Toulon in southern France. In Apr 1940, she transported French gold to Canada for safekeeping, and then patrolled the Mediterranean coast of French colonies in North Africa. On 4 Jul 1940, after the French surrender, she arrived in Toulon and joined the French High Seas Fleet. On 27 Nov 1942, as German forces marched toward Toulon, the commanding officer of Marseillaise ordered the valves to be opened on one side, aiming to capsize the ship to prevent German capture. To ensure that she would be useless to the Germans, scuttling charges were also detonated; the fires caused by the charges burned for seven days. The hull of Marseillaise remained in place through the war, not scrapped until 1946.

ww2dbaseSource: Wikipedia

Last Major Revision: Dec 2012

Light Cruiser Marseillaise Interactive Map

Photographs

Cruiser Marseillaise aflame at Toulon, France, circa 27 Nov 1942

French cruiser Marseillaise afire and sinking, Toulon, France, 27 Nov 1942

Aerial view of Toulon, France, 28 Nov 1942; note smoke rising from burning ships

See all 6 photographs of Light Cruiser Marseillaise

Marseillaise Operational Timeline

23 Oct 1933	The keel of Marseillaise was laid down by A. C. de la Loire in Nantes, France.
17 Jul 1935	Marseillaise was launched at Nantes, France.
10 Oct 1937	Marseillaise was commissioned into service.
4 Jul 1940	Marseillaise arrived at Toulon, France.
27 Nov 1942	Marseillaise was scuttled by her own crew at Toulon, France.

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Marseillaise