Chamois class minesweeper "Annamite" F734

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Hello everyone, and welcome to this new feature.

Today, I’m talking to you about a Chamoix-class minesweeper, the Annamite.

The Annamite (F734) is a Chamois-class minesweeper, designed in the early 1940s for the French Navy. This series was intended to replace the old colonial minesweepers and provide multi-purpose vessels, capable of minesweeping, patrol, and coastal escort missions. Laid down during the Second World War, the Annamite was completed and integrated into active service after the conflict, in the second half of the 1940s. Like its sister ships, it has a robust hull, light armament (100 mm guns, anti-aircraft guns, anti-depth grenades), and equipment adapted to mine warfare. Its name pays homage to Annam, a former region of French Indochina, in accordance with the tradition of giving certain minesweepers names linked to colonial territories.

Entering service in a context of naval reconstruction, the Annamite was mainly used for maritime surveillance missions, securing coastal approaches and mine countermeasures inherited from the Second World War. It was also involved in overseas missions, notably in Indochina, where Chamois-class avisos were used for river and coastal control during the Indochina War (1946-1954). Its versatility made it a valuable tool for the French Navy, which also used it for secondary escort missions and naval presence in overseas territories. Gradually withdrawn from active service in the 1960s, the Annamite (F734) illustrates this generation of post-war multi-purpose vessels, designed to meet the needs of a navy undergoing complete reorganization after the Second World War.

To be more precise about the type of boat from which the Chamois class is derived, it should be noted that the Avisos of the time were divided into 3 categories: colonial avisos, combat vessels stationed in the colonies, mine-sweeping avisos, mine-clearing vessels stationed in mainland France, and colonial mine-sweeping avisos, vessels intended for mine-clearing in the colonies, of which the Annamite is one.

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Characteristics

  • Length : 78.3 m

  • Width : 8.70 m

  • Draft : 3.28 m

  • Mass : 900 tons

The ship is powered by two Sulzer diesel engines, giving it a total power of 4,000 hp, which allows the Annamite to reach a maximum speed of 20 knots. Its range at a speed of 9 knots is 10,000 nautical miles. The crew is made up of 106 sailors.

Equipment

The Chamois-class ships only received electronic equipment (radar, sonar) on the post-war versions, therefore the Annamite does not have any special equipment.

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Weapons

  • Guns :

    • 1 x 2 100mm Mle 1932 canon (rear turret)
    • 1 x 90mm Mle 1926 canon (front turret)
    • 4 x 1 13.2mm Hotckiss machine gun
    • 2 x 2 13.2mm Hotckiss machine gun

  • Other :

    • 1 x Depth charge racks (8 charges)
    • 2 x Depth charge mortar

Avisos dragueurs de mines Classe Chamois

In-game, the Annamite would provide a light combat ship that would perfectly complement the French coastal tree. With its armament allowing it to defend itself against lightly armored and armed targets, this ship would be easily addable and balanceable.

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+1 minesweepers are cool