- Yes
- Maybe
- Unsure
- No
- As built
- 1963 Refit
- 1972 Modernization
- 1974 Refit
- 1980 Refit
- Any of the above
- Unsure
- I said no to the first question
Background
FS Colbert (C611) is a one off design anti aircraft cruiser built for the Marine Nationale and was built in the 1950’s, her design is based off the De Grasse which itself was an anti aircraft cruiser however though they were somewhat similar in design the De Grasse was originally laid down in 1939 and was suppose to be an improvement over the La Galissonnière class light cruisers however due to the outbreak of the Second World War the De Grasse would only be finished in the 1950’s to a new design, in comparison the Colbert which was the following cruiser to enter service and was not a conversion as she was an improvement over her predecessor.
In terms of armament the Colbert would have the same amount of weapons however Colbert would last longer in service as in the early 1970’s she was converted into a guided missile cruiser which saw all the 127mm guns removed as well as a number of the 57mm guns and 2 100mm guns installed instead along with 1 SAM launcher located at the rear as well as various radar systems and ECM systems and in the 1980’s she received anti ship missiles.
History
Colbert was laid down on June 9th, 1954, she was launched on March 24th, 1956, and was commissioned on May 5th, 1959 and was first assigned as flagship of the French Mediterranean squadron being based out of Toulon, her career would be relatively uneventful though she sailed to south America in 1964 when President Charles de Gaulle was visiting and helped with his journey and in 1967 filled a similar role in 1967 when he visited Canada for Expo 67.
In 1970 Colbert began the process of undergoing a modernization and conversion which saw her armament heavily reworked with all her 5-inch guns being removed and 2 100mm guns installed at the front of the ship, additionally the 57mm gun battery was reduced in number, with the conversion into a guided missile cruiser she received 1 twin arm launcher at her rear which used the Masurca surface to air system, this work was completed in 1972 and following this she was based in Brest from 1973 to 1976, and then in Toulon. In 1980 she saw her missile armament increase with 4 MM-38 Exocet anti-ship missile launchers and in 1988 she represented France at the bicentennial festivities in Australia.
In her last year of service in 1991 she took part in the Gulf war which was the only time she ever saw any combat however on May 24th she was decommissioned however she would be turned into a museum ship in 1993 however she would meet her end in the 2000’s as the museum could not handle the financial situation due to lack of funding as well as from pressure from the municipal government and local interest groups according to sources and she was closed in 2006 and she was placed in mothball in 2007 and was then had her parts cannibalized for the helicopter carrier Jeanne d’Arc before in 2010 the Jeanne d’Arc had been taken out of service, she would last for only another 6 years before she was towed away and was sold for scrap in 2016.
Specifications
Displacement:
9,084 t (8,941 long tons) standard
11,587 t (11,404 long tons) full load
Length: 180.5 m (592 ft 2 in)
Beam: 19.7 m (64 ft 8 in) (waterline)
Draft: 6.5 m (21 ft 4 in) (max)
Installed power: 4 x Indret boilers
Propulsion:
Parsons geared steam turbines
2 shafts
86,000 PS (63,253 kW)
Speed: 32 knots (37 mph; 59 km/h)
Range: 7,100 nmi (13,100 km) at 18 kn (21 mph; 33 km/h)
Complement:
977 (As AA cruiser)
560 (As guided missile cruiser)
Sensors and processing systems:
As built:
DRBV-22A radar
DRBV-20A radar
DRBI-10 radar
DRBN-31 navigation radar
4 x DRBC 31B Fire control radar
4 x DRBC 31A Fire control radar
DSBV-1 sonar
1963 Refit:
DRBV-22A radar
DRBV-20C radar
DRBI-10 radar
DRBN-31 navigation radar
4 x DRBC 31B Fire control radar
4 x DRBC 31A Fire control radar
DSBV-1 sonar
1972 Modernization:
DRBV-23C radar
DRBV-20C radar
DRBI-10 radar
DRBV-50 radar
DRBN-31 navigation radar
2 x DRBC-31B Fire control radar
2 x DRBC-32B Fire control radar
2 x DRBC-51C Fire control radar
DSBV-1 sonar
Electronic warfare & decoys:
As built:
SENIT-1 CCS
1972 Modernization:
SENIT-1 CCS
ARBR-10F ECM suite
ARBB-31/32 ECM suite
2 x Corvus decoy RL
Armament:
As built (AA cruiser):
Primary armament:
16 × 127mm/54 modèle 1948 guns (8 x 2)
(4,800 rounds carried total; 600 rounds per turret; 300 rounds per gun)
AA armament:
20 × 57mm/60 modèle 1951 guns, ACAD Model 1948 mount (10 x 2)
1972 Modernization:
Primary armament:
2 x 100 mm/55 (3.9") modèle 1968 guns (2 x 1)
AA armament:
12 × 57mm/60 modèle 1951 guns, ACAD Model 1948 mount (6 x 2)
SAM launchers:
1 x 2 Masurca Mk 2 Mod 2 SAM
1974 Refit:
Primary armament:
2 x 100 mm/55 (3.9") modèle 1968 guns (2 x 1)
Secondary armament:
12 × 57mm/60 modèle 1951 guns, ACAD Model 1948 mount (6 x 2)
SAM launchers:
1 x 2 Masurca Mk 2 Mod 3 SAM
1980 Refit:
Primary armament:
2 x 100 mm/55 (3.9") modèle 1968 guns (2 x 1)
Secondary armament:
12 × 57mm/60 modèle 1951 guns, ACAD Model 1948 mount (6 x 2)
Anti ship missile launchers:
4 x MM38 Exocet SSM
SAM launchers:
1 x 2 Masurca Mk 2 Mod 3 SAM
Armor:
Belt: 50–80 mm (2.0–3.1 in)
Deck: 50 mm (2.0 in)
Sources
Spoiler
French cruiser Colbert (C611) - Wikipedia
https://www.navypedia.org/ships/france/fr_cr_colbert.htm
https://www.seaforces.org/marint/French-Navy/Cruiser/C-611-FS-Colbert.htm
France 127 mm/54 (5") Model 1948 - NavWeaps
Sweden 57 mm/60 (2.25") SAK Model 1950 - NavWeaps
France 100 mm/55 (3.9") Model 1968, CADAM and Model 1968-II - NavWeaps
Image Sources