- Yes
- No
Hello everyone and welcome to this new suggestion.
Today I’m presenting a new French auxiliary cruiser from World War II: the Estérel, also known as the X21.
At the beginning of World War II, France possessed colonies and territories all around the globe, making it one of the world’s major powers. However, the number and diversity of these territories represented a significant weakness in the event of a conflict, requiring a large number of ships to defend them all. For this reason, in 1939, just as had been done during World War I, the French government launched a mobilization of all possible resources to defend the country’s interests. This requisition required shipowners to provide vessels that would be armed and equipped to serve as auxiliary combat ships. The Estérel was one of these ships.
Designed in 1936 by a Swedish company, the Estérel was purchased by the Compagnie Générale Maritime, which intended to use it as a banana boat. In 1939, shortly after its acquisition by the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique, the mobilization order was issued, and the ship was sent to a shipyard to receive the necessary equipment and armaments for its conversion into an auxiliary cruiser. Based in the West Indies, the ship saw no combat and was sent back to France to be decommissioned upon the surrender of the French government.
In 1942, the Germans seized it and used it as a transport ship in the Mediterranean, which led to its torpedoing by the British submarine HMS Thunderbolt in 1943. The damaged ship was then towed to Italy where it was repaired before being scuttled by the Germans at the end of the war.
Following the Second World War, the ship was repaired at Italy’s expense and returned to its owner, who used it for a few more years to transport fresh produce between the African coast and France, as well as to the West Indies. The Estérel was subsequently sold to a Greek shipowner (in 1964) and renamed the Dimitrios K. Due to engine trouble, the ship was towed to the port of Freetown in 1970; however, before repairs could be carried out, it sank at its mooring.
The ship is named in honor of the Estérel, a volcanic mountain range located in southeastern France (320 km²). Overlooking the Mediterranean, the range is known for its ochre-colored cliffs that plunge into the sea.
Characteristics
Length : 91.50 m
Width : 13.50 m
Draft : 5.70 m
Mass : 3100 tons
Weapons
The ship’s armament is its strong point; indeed, while its top speed isn’t the most impressive, its weaponry still allows it to defend itself effectively even against modern destroyers of the time. Its armament includes:
- 7 x 138.6mm guns
- 2 x 75mm guns
- 2 x 37mm guns
- 8 x 8mm machine guns
In-game this ship would be an interesting addition to the French tree, providing a medium tonnage ship with particularly effective armament already known in the game but remaining rather weak, moving only at a very low speed.
Pictures
Sources
- 09 LE CONVOI page 44 49 les FNFL v2
- Le Croiseur auxiliaire ‘Esterel’ (X.21) | CLADE.net
- 101209_RND TTY
- * ESTÉREL (1939/1940)
- Les paquebots et cargos armés en guerre - Page 2
- Croiseurs auxiliaires de la marine nationale
- Archives maritimes: 03/25/11
- L’œil de l’historien — Le Souvenir Français
- caboteurs & transbordeurs | CLAUSUCHRONIA
