 Dupleix | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 France | |
| Name | Dupleix |
| Namesake | Joseph François Dupleix |
| Ordered | 1 April 1929 |
| Builder | Arsenal de Brest |
| Laid down | 14 November 1929 |
| Launched | 9 October 1930 |
| Completed | 20 July 1932 |
| Commissioned | 1 May 1932 |
| In service | 15 November 1933 |
| Out of service | 27 November 1942 |
| Fate | Scuttled atToulon, 27 November 1942, Scrapped 1951 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Suffren-classcruiser |
| Type |
|
| Displacement | |
| Length |
|
| Beam | 19.26 m (63.19 ft) |
| Draught | 6.57 m (21.56 ft) at normal displacement |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 32 knots (59 km/h) (designed) |
| Range |
|
| Complement | 773 |
| Armament |
|
| Armour |
|
| Aircraft carried | 3GL-810 thenLoire-Nieuport 130 |
| Aviation facilities | 2catapults |
Dupleix was the fourth unit of theSuffren class. She entered service in 1933 and spent the interwar period in the Mediterranean. She participated in the International Patrol during theSpanish Civil War. September 1939 found her still in Toulon. She participated in the search for theGraf Spee in the Atlantic before returning to Toulon. The only time she fired her guns in conflict was during the bombardment ofVado, Italy in mid-June 1940. She was at Toulon at the time of theFranco-German Armistice in June 1940. She remained at Toulon until the French fleet there wasscuttled in late November 1942. She was subsequently raised by the Italians in 1943.
She was named in honour ofJoseph François, Marquis Dupleix (1697 - 1763) a French trader in the service ofLa Compagnie des Indes. He travelled between North America and India. In 1742, He was appointedGovernor-General ofFrench India, a post he held until his death in 1763.[3]
With the Italians building theCondottieri class light cruiser to counter the large contre-torpillieurs, the General Staff decided this vessel should be immune to 155 mm (6.1 in) shell fire at 18,000 metres (19,685.04 yards). She would have the same protection layout asFoch however the thickness of the armour would be increased. Her high angle directors would be fitted abreast of the fore funnel and would revert to the same style of tripod mast asSuffren andColbert. She would have trainable 5 meter range finders fitted to Turrets II and III. She was to have four quad 13.2 mm machineguns fitted on the bridge structure but it is unclear if they were ever fitted. Her secondary armament was the same asFoch, however these weapons were fitted in twin 1930 mounts rather than 1926 single mounts.[4]
She was to be ordered under the 1928 tranche but due to a bottleneck at the ship yard at Brest she was not ordered until 1 April 1929. Also she was not laid down until 14 November. She was launched on 9 October 1930 and commenced her fitting out. Her construction continued more slowly than her sisters. She commenced her sea trials on 1 October 1931 with her acceptance trials following on 1 December. She was commissioned on 5 May 1932 though not complete until 20 July that year.[5]
She entered service on 15 November 1933 being assigned to the First Light Division of the First Squadron atToulon.[6] On 27 June 1935 she was in attendance of a Naval Review at theBay of Douranenez.[7] In 1935 theMarine Nationale co-operated with a film company for the production ofVeille d'armes, directed byMarcel L'Herbier, a romantic melodrama about a captain in the French Navy. The cruiserDupleix was made available for location shooting in and around its base in Toulon, and L'Herbier sought to incorporate into the drama as much detail as possible about the ship and its procedures.[8]
In April 1937 the First Light Division was reformed as the First Cruiser Division withDupleix,Colbert andAlgérie.[9] During 1937 she underwent a major refit then returned to Toulon.[10]
On the outbreak of war in September 1939 she was at Toulon with the other fivetreaty cruisers. On 14 October she was deployed withAlgérie toDakar, Senegal as part of La Marine Nationale's Force X to hunt German surface raiders and merchantmen.[11] The two cruisers were designated Force M by the British based at Dakar. On 25 October with the contre-toppilleursLe Fantasque andLe Terrible intercepted and captured the German merchantmanSanta Fe.[12] Upon the arrival ofFoch,Strasbourg andAlgérie returned to France as Force Y. On 7 December she sailed with the cruiserFoch, the British cruiserNeptune, the British carrierHermes and two contre torpilleurs,Milan andCassard. The ships were informed of theengagement off the River Plate when they were 850 nm fromPernambuco. They returned to Dakar to refuel so they could better place themselves ifAdmiral Graf Spee escaped to the sea. Force X again sortied from Dakar on 30 December, returning on 5 January 1940. She departed Dakar for the last time on 23 January with the cruiserFoch to escort a convoy fromBermuda toMorocco. Both ships then returned to Toulon.[13]
On the night of 13/14 June she participated in OperationVado, the bombardment ofGenoa andVado, Italy by the Third Squadron. The Vado Group included the cruisersFoch andAlgérie and the Genoa Group included the cruisersDupleix andColbert. The bombardment cause little damage as Group Genoa fired at the wrong target and half of Group Vado shells fell into the sea. The squadron returned to Toulon by mid-day on 14 June.Foch suffered a steering malfunction but returned safely.[14] On 25 June theFranco-German Armistice took effect and La Marine National ceased all offensive operations. With continued British action around Dakar, the Vichy French had scheduled for 22 September 1940 to send the cruisersAlgérie,Foch,Dupleix,Marseillaise andLa Galissonnière plus three contre torpilleurs and two fleet torpedo boats to Dakar as reinforcements. The plan was vetoed by the Germans on 20 September.
On 1 January 1941Dupleix was reduced to care and maintenance being replaced byColbert in the First Cruiser Division. She was reactivated on 4 October replacingFoch. Following theTorch landings in North Africa, the Germansinvaded the unoccupied zone of France on 11 November 1942. TheFHM was ready to sail to North Africa to defend it from the Torch landings but was denied permission to sail. By 27 November the Germans had reached Toulon and enteredthe base. The Germans were delayed from entering the naval dockyard giving the French sailors time toscuttle the fleet.Dupleix was tied up in the Missiessy Basin. The Germans boarded the ship and forced the crew below to close the sea cocks and condensers before the ship sank. The guns had been destroyed by explosive charges and a fire took hold in the ship. The fire was punctuated by numerous explosions.Dupleix burned until 6 December.[15]Dupleix was refloated on 3 July 1943 by the Italians. In March 1944 she was hit by bombs during an American air attack and she was sunk again. She was scrapped in situ in 1951.[16]
