- Yes
- No
Hello everyone, and welcome to this new suggestion.
Today, I am presenting an unusual French Navy vessel from the post-war era: the aviso (sloop) Francis Garnier (F730).
Originally built for the Italian Navy under the name Eritrea, the ship was designed to operate in the Indian Ocean. Her primary role was to patrol the region and provide logistical and technical support to Italian naval forces operating there. To fulfill this role, she was equipped with facilities for the maintenance and repair of ships and submarines. Following the Italian surrender in 1943, Eritrea was intercepted and captured by British forces. She was subsequently sent to Ceylon, where she remained for the rest of the war.
At the end of the conflict, the ship was transferred to France as part of Italy’s war reparations. Rather than being immediately placed into service in her original configuration, she underwent an extensive refit. Her equipment and armament were modernized, and the vessel was renamed Francis Garnier.
Once incorporated into the French Navy, Francis Garnier was primarily employed as a support vessel in the Indian Ocean. She regularly traveled between the various French territories and islands in the region, where she could serve as a floating base and provide logistical support to French forces. The ship also had a medical role, being equipped to operate as a hospital ship when required. This made her particularly useful in the remote territories where permanent infrastructure was limited.
Her career eventually took her much farther east. With the beginning of French nuclear testing in the Pacific, Francis Garnier was assigned to support the construction and expansion of French facilities at Mururoa Atoll. She was used to transport personnel, equipment, and construction supplies to the remote atoll, contributing to the establishment of the infrastructure required for France’s new nuclear testing program.
An interesting anecdote surrounds the ship : According to a long-standing legend, the left barrel of her twin 120 mm turret was supposedly made of wood. The story apparently originated from a maintenance accident during the 1950s and was subsequently repeated over the years. In reality, however, there was nothing unusual about the gun itself, which remained fully operational.
By 1966, Francis Garnier had reached the end of her useful service life. Rather than being dismantled, the aging vessel was selected to serve as a naval target, providing an opportunity for the French Navy to conduct a large-scale live-fire exercise.
The exercise involved several different elements of the fleet. The ship was first engaged by T47-class destroyers, which fired their 127 mm and 57 mm guns at the former aviso. She was then attacked by the 100 mm guns of the aircraft carrier Foch. Despite the punishment inflicted upon her, Francis Garnier stubbornly refused to sink. The exercise therefore continued, with Étendard IV attack aircraft operating from Foch launching further attacks against the vessel. Even this was not enough to send the old ship to the bottom. Finally, Alizé anti-submarine aircraft were called upon to finish the exercise, dropping depth charges against the already heavily damaged vessel. After surviving artillery fire and air attacks, Francis Garnier finally succumbed to the repeated strikes and sank in 1966.
Characteristics
Length : 96.90 m
Width : 13.30 m
Draught : 4.70 m
Mass : 3,117 tons
The ship is powered by two diesel engines delivering a total output of 7,800 hp, enabling it to reach a top speed of 20 knots and a range of nearly 7,000 nautical miles.
The crew consists of 231 personnel.
Weapons
The ship’s armament is quite interesting; it retains main turrets from its time under the Italian flag but also features more modern secondary weaponry capable of defending against aerial threats.
Guns:
- 3 x 120mm guns (one single mount forward and one twin mount aft; under Italian service, the ship had two twin mounts)
- 4 x 40mm Bofors guns (4 single mounts: two forward and two aft)
- 2 x 20mm Oerlikon guns
In-game, this ship would be an interesting addition to the French tree. While I know many dislike the inclusion of ships that originally served another nation, the armament on this vessel differs significantly between the Italian and French versions, making it a unique addition for France.
Pictures
Sources
- L’Aviso Francis-Garnier (F 730). Une Epopée Dans La Royale (1958-1960) par Giraud Michel: (1999) Editions Jean-Michel Bordessoules. | librairie ESKAL
- FRANCIS GARNIER 1st class aviso (1937 / 1948)
- ERITREA-FRANCIS GARNIER aviso colonial
- * FRANCIS GARNIER (1950/1966)
- FRANCIS GARNIER (AVISO)
- Un appel aux anciens de l’aviso Francis-Garnier
