E50 Escort vessel Le Bordelais (F764)

Mathll · May 21, 2026, 10:19pm

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Hello everyone, and welcome to this new suggestion.

Today, I present to you an E50 class ship: the Bordelais (F764).

In the aftermath of the World War II, the French Navy undertook a major reconstruction effort to restore its capabilities and adapt to the new realities of naval warfare. One of the key lessons of the conflict was the decisive role of submarines, which had proven capable of threatening both military fleets and vital maritime supply lines. To address this threat, France developed a new generation of fast escort vessels, leading to the creation of the E50 class. These ships were designed to escort larger units and merchant vessels while providing effective anti-submarine protection. Equipped with technologies inherited from wartime experience, such as sonar systems and air-surveillance radars, they represented one of the first steps in rebuilding a modern French fleet during the early Cold War.

The Bordelais was the last unit built in the E50 class, making it the youngest of its type. It was constructed in 1953 at the Chantiers de la Méditerranée and entered service in 1955. Like its sister ships, it was assigned to the GAASM (Groupe d’Action Anti-Sous-Marine), a formation dedicated to anti-submarine warfare.

During its operational career, the Bordelais participated in several missions characteristic of Cold War naval activity. One of its most notable deployments occurred during the Suez Crisis. During this operation, the ship took part in the protection of the aircraft carrier Arromanches, a central element of the French naval force deployed in the region. Its mission was to ensure the safety of this high-value unit against potential submarine threats. During the same operation, the Bordelais reportedly engaged in a prolonged anti-submarine pursuit, tracking an unidentified submarine for several hours.

After approximately eleven years of service, the Bordelais was decommissioned in 1966 and placed in reserve at the naval base of Brest.

However, unlike many ships of its era, its story did not end there. In 1973, the escort ship Corsica suffered significant damage following a collision with the Du Chayla. To repair the vessel, the French Navy reused part of the Bordelais: approximately the first eight meters of its bow were cut off and grafted onto the Corsica. Following this final contribution, the remains of the Bordelais were eventually scrapped in Spain in the early 1980s, bringing an end to its long and atypical post-service history.

The ship takes its name from the Bordealais region, historically known as the Bordeaux region, a major maritime and commercial area with strong naval traditions.

Characteristics

Length : 99.80 m

Width : 10.30 m

Draught : 4.30 m

Mass : 1520 tons

The vessel is powered by two Indret diesel engines, each driving a propeller, giving it a maximum power of 20000 hp. Its top speed is 27 knots, and its range is estimated at 4,500 nautical miles at a speed of 15 knots.

Its crew consists of 170 sailors.

Equipment

Radar :

DRBV-20A air/surface search radar
DRBN-32 navigation radar
DRBC-31 fire control radar

Detector :

ARBR-10 radar warning receiver

Sonar :

DUBV-1 sonar
DUBA-1 sonar

Weapons

The ship’s armament is the same as that of other ships in the class, including the following:

Guns :

3 x 2 57mm/L60 Mle 1951 canons
2 x 20mm Oerlikon canons

Torpedo :

4 x 3 550mm torpedo tube

Other :

375mm Bofors ASW rocket launcher
Depth charges

In the game, this ship would be an interesting addition to the French coastal tree, complementing in an interesting way the first two ships of the class already present in the game.

Pictures

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