Barfleur X19 auxiliary cruiser

Mathll · June 20, 2026, 2:46am

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Hello everyone and welcome to this new suggestion.

Today I’m presenting a new auxiliary cruiser of the French Navy from World War II: the Barfleur, also known as the X19 Auxiliary Cruiser.

At the beginning of World War II, the French Navy was one of the most modern and powerful in the world. However, it had a problem: it didn’t have enough combat units to effectively defend all of its territories, which at the time were particularly numerous. Therefore, as soon as Germany’s first hostile intentions began to emerge, ships were requisitioned into what became known as the Auxiliary Fleet. These ships were passenger ships, cargo ships, freighters, or small ferries, and they all received military armament and new crews, allowing them to support the existing fleet. The Barfleur was one of these ships.

Launched in 1938 in Denmark, the Barfleur was a banana boat operated by the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique. It was assigned to transport fruit and perishable goods between the colonies and mainland France. In 1939, it was requisitioned by the French Navy to become an auxiliary cruiser and went to the port of Saint-Nazaire to undergo various modifications. Assigned to the 4th Auxiliary Cruiser Division and based in the Antilles, the Barfleur carried out patrol missions with other ships of its unit present in the area, such as the Quercy and the Estérel. Remaining in the area for the following years, the crew of the Barfleur decided to join the Allied forces in 1943 to fight against the Germans. It lost some of its armament to become a troop transport ship. It then participated in several landing operations in the Mediterranean Sea, notably in Corsica but also during the Allied landings in Provence. It remained in service with the French Navy for a few more years after the war, transporting troops to North Africa and also to Indochina, where tensions were beginning to emerge. In 1947, it was officially returned to its owner. Subsequently, the ship was sold several times and changed names, becoming the Chrome and then the Roman Star, before being severely damaged in a fire in 1967. The hull was then scrapped in an Italian shipyard, marking the end of the ship’s story.

The ship is named in honor of the village of Barfleur, a small fishing village in Normandy in northwestern France. The village was listed as one of the most beautiful villages in France a few years ago.

Characteristics

Length : 102.60 m

Width : 13.90 m

Draft : 5.75 m

Mass : 3100 tons

The ship is powered by a 3200hp engine, allowing it to reach a speed of 16 knots, an average speed for an auxiliary cruiser, but one that still enables it to remain effective in its missions.

The crew consists of 190 sailors.

we can clearly see 5 of the main turrets of the ship on this picture

Weapons

The ship’s armament was similar to that of other auxiliary cruisers, based on seven main guns and a suite of smaller caliber guns for defense against air threats. However, the armament evolved over time, particularly as the ship’s role changed.

1939:

7 x 152mm Mle1930 guns
*2 x 75mm guns
4 x 37mm guns

1943:

2 x 152mm Mle1930 guns
2 x 75mm guns
6 x 20mm Oerlikon guns

1945:

2 x 152mm Mle1930 guns
2 x 75mm guns
6 x 20mm Oerlikon guns
4 x 13.2 Hotchkiss machine guns

In-game, this ship would be an interesting addition to the French tree, providing a new auxiliary cruiser with enhanced combat capabilities compared to other ships of this designation, adding some diversity compared to other ships and thus completing the tree.

Pictures

Sources

CharAznable3 · June 20, 2026, 2:56am

I love these kinds of ships