French submarine Doris (Q 135)

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History
Civil and Naval Ensign of France.svgFrance
Name:Doris
Builder: Chantiers Schneider et Cie, Chalon-sur-Saône
Laid down: 1 February 1924
Launched: 25 November 1927
Commissioned: 26 May 1928
Fate: Sunk, 9 May 1940
General characteristics
Class and type: Circé-class coastal submarine
Displacement:
  • 615 tons normal (surfaced) [1]
  • 776 ton (submerged) [1]
Length: 62.48 m (204.99 ft) [1]
Beam: 6.2 m (20.34 ft) [1]
Draught: 3.99 m (13.09 ft) [1]
Propulsion:
  • Diesel/electric
  • 2 shafts
  • 1,200 bhp (895 kW) diesel (surfaced)
  • 1,000 shp (746 kW) electric (submerged)
Speed:
  • 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph) (surfaced)
  • 7.5 knots (13.9 km/h; 8.6 mph) (submerged)
Range: 3,500 miles
Capacity: 60t (oil)
Complement: 41
Armament:

Doris was a Circé-class coastal submarine of the French Navy, in service from 1928 until May 1940, when she was sunk off the Dutch coast by the German coastal submarine U-9. The wreck was rediscovered by Dutch divers in 2003.

<i>Circé</i>-class submarine (1925) submarine class

The Circé-class submarines were a sub-class of the 600 Series of submarines built for the French Navy prior to World War II. There were four vessels in the class, built to a Schneider-Laubeuf design. They were ordered in 1925 and completed by 1927.

Submarine Watercraft capable of independent operation underwater

A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term most commonly refers to a large, crewed vessel. It is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely operated vehicles and robots, as well as medium-sized or smaller vessels, such as the midget submarine and the wet sub. The noun submarine evolved as a shortened form of submarine boat; by naval tradition, submarines are usually referred to as "boats" rather than as "ships", regardless of their size.

French Navy Maritime arm of the French Armed Forces

The French Navy, informally "La Royale", is the maritime arm of the French Armed Forces. Dating back to 1624, the French Navy is one of the world's oldest naval forces. It has participated in conflicts around the globe and played a key part in establishing the French colonial empire.

Contents

Service

Doris was already obsolete by the beginning of the Second World War. The Circé-class was designed shortly after the First World War, around 1923. That was the year the shipyard at Toulon begun construction on Doris and her three sister ships. [2] She was launched in 1927 and commissioned in 1928.

Toulon Prefecture and commune in Provence-Alpes-Côte dAzur, France

Toulon is a city in southern France and a large military harbour on the Mediterranean coast, with a major French naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, Toulon is the capital of the Var department.

By the beginning of the Second World War the boat was part of the 10th French submarine flotilla, which was moved to English port of Harwich in April 1940 to reinforce the British Royal Navy. Doris, under captain Jean Favreul, crossed the English Channel on 14 April. During that time Doris suffered damage to the engine of the main gas compressor, responsible for producing the air to ascend after a dive. [2] The machine could not be repaired in Harwich, nor could the work be done in France as there was no spare part; the original compressors had been designed and produced in Germany. [2]

Harwich town in Essex, England

Harwich is a town in Essex, England and one of the Haven ports, located on the coast with the North Sea to the east. It is in the Tendring district. Nearby places include Felixstowe to the northeast, Ipswich to the northwest, Colchester to the southwest and Clacton-on-Sea to the south. It is the northernmost coastal town within Essex.

Royal Navy Maritime warfare branch of the United Kingdoms military

The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by the English kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years War against the Kingdom of France. The modern Royal Navy traces its origins to the early 16th century; the oldest of the UK's armed services, it is known as the Senior Service.

English Channel Arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France

The English Channel, also called simply the Channel, is the body of water that separates Southern England from northern France and links the southern part of the North Sea to the Atlantic Ocean. It is the busiest shipping area in the world.

Despite being significantly crippled and unable to dive, Doris was ordered on 6 May 1940 to prepare for a sortie on patrol in the North Sea, north of the Frisian Islands, off the Dutch coast, guarding the east entrance to the English Channel, in anticipation of a possible German invasion of England. [2] The captain and the crew openly admitted in their letters to their families that they were not expecting to come back. [2] On 8 May the five British and seven French submarines, including Doris, departed to carry out their patrol. [2] On the following night, shortly after midnight, Doris was torpedoed and sunk north west of the Dutch coast, 30 miles from Den Helder, by the German submarine U-9 (1935) under Wolfgang Lüth at 52°47.36′N3°49.16′E / 52.78933°N 3.81933°E / 52.78933; 3.81933 Coordinates: 52°47.36′N3°49.16′E / 52.78933°N 3.81933°E / 52.78933; 3.81933 . [2] The entire crew of Doris, and three Royal Navy personnel, were lost.

North Sea marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean

The North Sea is a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean located between the United Kingdom, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and France. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Sea in the north. It is more than 970 kilometres (600 mi) long and 580 kilometres (360 mi) wide, with an area of 570,000 square kilometres (220,000 sq mi).

Frisian Islands archipelago in the Wadden Sea

The Frisian Islands, also known as the Wadden Islands or the Wadden Sea Islands, form an archipelago at the eastern edge of the North Sea in northwestern Europe, stretching from the northwest of the Netherlands through Germany to the west of Denmark. The islands shield the mudflat region of the Wadden Sea from the North Sea.

Torpedo self-propelled underwater weapon

A modern torpedo is a self-propelled weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with its target or in proximity to it.

Rediscovery

Dutch divers Hans van Leeuwen and Ton van der Sluijs discovered the wreck of Doris in 2003. [2]

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Outline of recreational dive sites Hierarchical outline list of articles about rereational dive sites

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922-1946
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Ton van der Sluijs, Discovery of Doris, 10 Mar, 2005

Further reading

International Standard Book Number Unique numeric book identifier

The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is a numeric commercial book identifier which is intended to be unique. Publishers purchase ISBNs from an affiliate of the International ISBN Agency.


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