- Yes
- No
Hello everyone, and welcome to this new suggestion.
Today, I am presenting the second ship of the Le Fougueux class: L’Opiniâtre (P642).
At the end of the Second World War, the French Navy found itself in a particularly difficult situation. Many of its ships had been lost or damaged during the conflict, while the interruption of French naval production for almost five years had left the fleet technologically behind the other major naval powers. Following the war, France benefited from financial and material assistance through various agreements with the Allied nations, allowing it to resume domestic shipbuilding and begin rebuilding its naval forces. Among the vessels developed during this period was the Le Fougueux class, designed primarily for coastal patrol and anti-submarine warfare.
As the second ship of the class, L’Opiniâtre was built at the La Seyne-sur-Mer shipyards in 1954 and entered service with the French Navy in 1955. Her career would closely follow that of her sister ship.
Initially based at Cherbourg, L’Opiniâtre was later deployed to North Africa during the Algerian War. There, she carried out coastal patrol and surveillance missions, including monitoring vessels approaching the Algerian coast that might be transporting weapons or other supplies. Following the end of the conflict, L’Opiniâtre returned to northern France. Her role subsequently shifted away from military operations, and she was assigned to maritime patrol and fisheries protection duties.
Although her career was generally uneventful, the vessel was occasionally called upon to assist ships in distress. One particularly notable incident occurred in the Irish Sea, when L’Opiniâtre was tasked with evacuating an injured sailor from a fishing trawler in difficult weather conditions. The rescue was successfully completed, allowing the sailor to be brought safely ashore for medical treatment.
In 1961, L’Opiniâtre experienced a more unfortunate incident when she ran aground off the coast of Norway. Fortunately, the vessel was successfully refloated and subsequently repaired, allowing her to return to service.
By the beginning of the 1970s, however, L’Opiniâtre was becoming increasingly obsolete. After nearly two decades of service, she was gradually withdrawn from active duties before finally being decommissioned in 1975.
Following her retirement from the French Navy, the ship was returned to the United States. Rather than being immediately scrapped, however, L’Opiniâtre was sold by the Americans to the Netherlands, where she began a second career. The former French coastal escort remained in Dutch service for almost another decade before finally being withdrawn and scrapped in 1983, bringing an end to a career that had lasted nearly thirty years.
Characteristics
Length : 51.80 m
Width : 6.97 m
Draught : 2.00 m
Mass : 400 tons
The vessel is powered by four SEMT Pielstick diesel engines delivering a total of 3,240 hp, enabling a top speed of 18.7 knots and a range of 3,000 nautical miles at 12 knots.
The crew consists of 48 sailors.
Equipment
The ship is equipped with a lightweight sensor suite for navigation and for detecting submarines during patrol missions:
- Navigation radar: DRBN 30 (later replaced by DECCA 1227)
- Sonar: DUBA2
Weapons
The ship’s armament is notable, featuring several small-caliber guns as well as various anti-submarine weapons.
Guns:
- 2 x 40mm Bofors guns
- 2 x 20mm Oerlikon guns
Other: - 1 x Hedgehog mortar
- 2 x Thornycroft depth charge throwers
- 2 x stern depth charge racks
In-game, this vessel would be an interesting addition to the French coastal fleet, offering good firepower complemented by various secondary systems, making it a solid choice for Rank IV.
