- Yes
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Hello everyone, and welcome to this new suggestion.
Today, I am presenting a new French auxiliary cruiser: the El Mansour, also designated X6.
In the late 1930s, the French Navy was a major naval power, but it lacked sufficient vessels capable of carrying out large-scale troop and personnel transport. With another major war looming over Europe, numerous civilian ships, particularly ocean liners, were requisitioned and adapted for military use. Many of them were converted into troop transports, forming part of what became known as the French auxiliary fleet, which included the X-class cruisers.
Commissioned in 1933, the El Mansour was operated by the Société de Transport Mixte. Alongside the El Kantara and El Djezair, she was a passenger transport ship primarily used on routes connecting metropolitan France with the French territories in North Africa.
With the outbreak of the Second World War, the El Mansour was requisitioned by the French Navy in 1939 and converted into an auxiliary cruiser. As part of the conversion, the ship received a substantial armament, allowing her to perform military duties in addition to her original transport role.
Following her conversion, the El Mansour was deployed to Norway alongside other French auxiliary cruisers. Her primary mission was to transport French infantry troops taking part in the Norwegian campaign. After returning from Scandinavia, however, the ship was assigned another important task.
As the German advance threatened metropolitan France, the El Mansour was involved in the evacuation of the Bank of France’s gold reserves. Together with other vessels, she transported the reserves to Dakar in French West Africa, where they could be kept out of German hands.
After returning to France in late 1940, the El Mansour was disarmed and returned to her civilian operator. Her military career therefore came to an end, although the ship would soon find herself caught up in the changing fortunes of the war.
Following the German occupation of France, the ship was eventually taken over by the Germans. In 1943, her French crew scuttled the El Mansour, sending the vessel to the bottom rather than allowing her to be used by the occupiers.
Characteristics
Length : 121.70 m
Width : 16.50 m
Draught : 5.52 m
Mass : 5,835 tons
Equipped with two steam turbines, the ship has a total power output of 12,000 hp, enabling it to reach a maximum speed of 20 knots (with 22 knots envisaged). The crew consists of 97 sailors.
Weapons
The ship’s armament is quite substantial, consisting of a good mix of main-caliber guns and several anti-aircraft weapons:
- 8 x 138mm guns
- 2 x 75mm anti-aircraft guns
- 8 x 13.2mm anti-aircraft machine guns
In-game, this ship would be an interesting addition to the French tree; like other auxiliary cruisers, it offers high tonnage combined with decent top speed and sufficient firepower to engage a wide range of targets, thereby rounding out the blue-water fleet lineup.
Pictures
