Aréthuse-class submarine

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The Aréthuse class were submarines built for the French Navy (Template:Langx) in the 1950s. They were designed as attack submarines for anti-submarine warfare and were referred to as Sous-marins de Chasse by the French Navy. These submarines had advanced sensors and were very quiet. They were influenced by the World War II German Type XXIII U-boats. The Template:Sclass are an enlarged version built for the French, Pakistani, Portuguese, Spanish and South African navies.

Description

Designated Sous-marins de Chasse by the French Navy the Aréthuse class were designed as attack submarines specifically for operations in the Mediterranean Sea. The design was influenced by the German World War II Type XXIII U-boats, though were larger, with a heavier armament and faster when submerged but retained a small silhouette and great manoeverability.Template:Sfn They had a standard displacement of Template:Convert, Template:Convert surfaced and Template:Convert submerged. Vessels of the class were Template:Convert long with a beam of Template:Convert and a draught of Template:Convert. The Aréthuse class were the first French submarines to use a diesel-electric propulsion system and were powered by two 12-cylinder SEMT Pielstick diesel engines driving one shaft rated at Template:Convert surfaced. They also mounted two electric generators that produced Template:Convert connected to one electric motor for use while submerged rated at Template:Convert. The generators were placed on spring suspensions and the motor was attached directly to the shaft creating a near-silent operational environment while submerged. The submarines had a maximum speed of Template:Convert surfaced and Template:Convert submerged.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

Aréthuse-class submarines were armed with four torpedo tubes in the bow for four Template:Convert torpedoes. The submarines carried four reloads. They were designed primarily for anti-submarine warfare. They were equipped with DUUA I sonar. The Aréthuse-class submarines had a complement of 40 including 6 officers.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn By 1981, their sonar had been upgraded to one active DUUA II sonar, one passive DUUA II sonar, one passive ranging DUUX 2 sonar. They had a diving depth down to roughly Template:Convert.Template:Sfn

Ships

Aréthuse classTemplate:Sfn

Name	Hull no.	Builder	Launched	Completed	Decommissioned
	S 635	Arsenal de Cherbourg, Cherbourg, France	9 November 1957	23 October 1958	April 1979
	S 636		29 June 1957	11 February 1959	1982 preserved as a museum in the Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie Paris
	S 639		3 April 1958	1 July 1959	July 1980
	S 640		12 September 1958	16 March 1960	March 1981

Service history

Two submarines, Aréthuse and Argonaute, were ordered as part of the 1953 construction programme, and the last two, Amazone and Ariane, were ordered as part of the 1954 programme. All four submarines were constructed at the Arsenal de Cherbourg in Cherbourg, France. The first two were laid down in March 1955, and the last two in December.Template:Sfn By 1960 all four submarines had entered service and operated exclusively in the Mediterranean Sea as a deterrent against threats to commercial shipping between France and its colonies in North Africa.Template:Sfn On 14 March 1979, Aréthuse was taken out of service and placed in reserve.Template:Sfn Amazone followed in June 1980 and Ariane in March 1981.Template:Sfn Argonaute was taken out of service in 1982.Template:Sfn Argonaute was transferred to Paris to become a museum exhibit in 1989. The design of the French Template:Sclass was based on the Aréthuse class.Template:Sfn