River Gunboats
Page 24
Unlike the Type ‘A’ gunboats, they were not retained after the Armistice.
A cluttered shot, but showing in detail the rear 100mm gun mounting of a Type ‘K’ gunboat. The occasion is a viewing by the public on the banks of the Seine in Paris, near the Pont de Iéna. Note the large size of the cannon for such a compact shallow-draught vessel.
Drawing of Type ‘K’: Gunboats K, L, M and O. (Courtesy of Marc Sabiène, Marines Magazine No 58)
Launched:
September 1915; K and L by Brest DY, M and O by Lorient DY.
Dimensions:
Displ: 161 tons; L: 29.55m/96ft 11in; B: 5m/16ft 5in; D: 1.85m/6ft 1in.
Crew:
1 officer + 34 men.
Power/Speed:
Single screw; steam engine, 200ihp/10–11 knots.
Guns/Armour:
2 × 100mm Model 1891; 2 × 47mm QF Model 1895/1902 AA; 2 × 8mm MG/Hull of 5mm thick plates; Waterline and engine room sides and roof, protective deck + 7mm; Conning tower lower +10mm; upper 20mm; Gun shields 20mm.
Fate:
Stricken 1918.
THE RHINE FLOTILLA
In 1870, when war with Prussia loomed, the army command in Strasbourg decided to establish a Rhine Flotilla of sectioned floating batteries, to both defend the city and also carry out offensive missions against the German strongholds of Rastatt and Germensheim. The Flotilla would comprise five gunboats of the second type, designed in 1864 by Dupuy de Lôme, to be despatched from Toulon by train, plus the two new Farcy type gunboats to come from Cherbourg.
Accordingly, a Navy detachment loaded the first of the sectioned gunboats on a train of forty-five goods wagons, and set out on the long journey to Strasbourg. They were still a considerable distance from their destination, when the French Army suffered the major reverse at the Battle of Froeschwiller on 6 August 1870. This led to the train turning back, while the Navy detachment on board abandoned their charges and made their way to Strasbourg to add their weight and artillery expertise to the defence of the city. Thus the first tentative steps to form a Rhine Flotilla were stillborn.
It would take until the end of the next Franco-German conflict to see the founding of the Flotilla, in late 1918 following up on the German demand for an Armistice, and the French desire to occupy the Rhineland. With French withdrawal from the Rhineland, the Flotilla withered on the vine, and by 1932 just one gunboat and two rapid patrol boats remained.
In 1945 the Flotilla was once more formed, and had a major presence on the Rhine up until 1966, when the Navy handed over responsibility to the 32nd Engineers Regiment. The Engineers brought into play their large numbers of landing craft to replace the traditional river patrol vessels. During their periods of tenure the personnel of the Flotilla had been preeminent in maintaining and expanding the school of Rhine Pilots, and had successfully controlled and regulated the flow of commerce on this major international artery.
The Great War Veterans
Three armed barges, Jeanne d’Arc, Marcelle II and Saverne, plus four Type ‘A’ gunboats C (Oise), G (Marne), H (Somme) and I (Aisne), joined the Rhine Flotilla in 1918.
The barges and gunboats formed the relatively static artillery component of the flotilla, but the day-to-day patrols and verifications were carried out by a host of smaller vessels, only some of which were armed. The armed vessels were eighteen armed motor launches, the ‘Canadiennes’, with a 75mm QF and two MG, and by three American-built sub-chasers with a pair of 3in/23 cal guns apiece.
Three of the four river monitors C, G, H and I on the Rhine in 1918. They were all armed with the 138mm gun, and were still on charge in 1928, leaving their base three times a year for manoeuvres.
ELCO 80ft MLs
For a photo, see C 58 below. For a drawing of the class as designed, see GREAT BRITAIN.
Launched:
1917–18 by ELCO in their Canadian yard.
Dimensions:
Displ: 30 tons (35 tons full load); L: 25m/80ft; B: 3.8m/12ft; D: 1.2m/4ft.
Crew:
8–10.
Power/Speed:
Twin screws; 2 × petrol engines, total 440bhp/20/22 knots.
Guns/Armour:
1 × 75mm Model 1897 QF; 2 × 8mm MG.
Fate:
Stricken summer of 1920.
110ft Sub Chasers
Of the 100 sub-chasers sold to France, three were lost, and most were discarded by 1922. Sub-chasers C 11 Yser (ex-USN SC15), C 56 Dixmude (ex-USN SC358) and C 58 Nieuport (ex-USN SC372) were part of the Rhine Flotilla at its inception in 1919, and the first two were earmarked for use as training vessels for the Rhine Pilot School, being withdrawn from patrol work in early summer of 1920. C 58 lasted in French service until 1939, latterly at Cherbourg, where in 1935 she was damaged by a crashing Latécoère 29 which fell into the Charles × Basin.
General Mangin and Capitaine (future Admiral) Darlan on board C 58 Nieuport on 23 April 1919 at Mayence. Note the American 3in/23 cal.
C 58 moored up in front of several ‘Canadiennes’ and a sister sub-chaser. (Photo T. Woofenden Collection via www.subchaser.org)
Drawings of an original 110ft sub-chaser of which 100 were sold to France during the Great War.
In anti-submarine configuration as delivered, they carried a Y-Gun depth charge thrower aft, but on the Rhine were armed with a 3in/23 cal gun fore and aft. For a detailed drawing of this weapon, see UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. They also lost the target indicator arrow mounted on the bridge, which indicated the bearing of a U-boat to accompanying SCs.
Launched:
June 1918, C 11 by New York Naval Yard, Brooklyn; C 56 by College Point Boat Co, New York; C 58 by Hiltebrant Dry Dock, Kingston, New York.
Dimensions:
Displ: 77 tons (85 tons full load); L: 34m/110ft; B: 4.5m/14ft 9in; D: 1.7m/5ft 7in.
Crew:
27.
Power/Speed:
Triple screws; 3 × 220bhp petrol engines/18 knots.
Guns/Armour:
2 × 3in/23 cal QF; 2 × 8mm MG.
Fate:
Early summer 1920: C 11 and C 56 transferred to Rhine Pilot School; C 58 transferred away from the Rhine.
Armed River Steamers
The Flotilla was formed around three large passenger paddle steamers, the Lorrelei, renamed Hoche, Rheinstein, renamed Kléber, and Parsifal, renamed Marceau. Each was armed with four 75mm Model 1897 QF and several 8mm MG. Parsifal displaced 360 tons, and was powered by 600ihp steam engines. Her passenger capacity – and therefore her troop transport ability – was at least 150.
Chaloupe Fluviale CF 1
Ordered in 1925, she arrived via the Rhine on 21 August 1926. Captured by the Germans at Strasbourg in May 1940, CF 1 was initially used by the Germans on the Danube. Then on 22 February 1941 she was transferred to Rotterdam. Two months later she was sunk by British bombers.
Launched:
Completed 7 August 1926, by Brest DY.
Dimensions:
Displ: 40 tons; L: 18.8m/61ft 8in; B: 3.78m/12ft 5in; D: 1.05m/3ft 5in.
Crew:
9.
Power/Speed:
Twin screws; diesel engines, total 80bhp/9 knots.
Guns/Armour:
1 × 37mm Model 1916 QF in turret; 2 × 8mm MG/Bulletproof plating.
Fate:
Sunk 30 April 1941.
CF 1 from an old cutting. (Original photo: Freund, Brest, via Dave G, the PT Dockyard)
Vedettes Rapides Silbur
Originally intended to be carried by the seaplane carrier Commandant Teste, these two patrol boats Nos 1219 and 1220 (?) were felt to be too noisy, too small and insufficiently armed for their patrol duties.
Launched:
Completed 1932 by the Silbur Shipyard, Meulan.
Dimensions:
Displ: 6 tons; L: 12.6m/41ft 4in; D: 1m/3ft 3in.
Crew:
7.
Power/Speed:
Single screw; petrol engine, 250bhp/24–25 knots.
Guns/Armou
r:
Machine guns only.
Vedette Rapide 43 Type ‘Meulan’ passing in front of the Niederwald.
Vedettes Rapides Type ‘Meulan’, VR41–44
Four of these high-speed patrol boats were used by the Rhine Flotilla. They were based on the German Luftwaffe Type F 1 airsea rescue launches (Seenotdienst Klassze Fl.F1 Luftwaffenfahrzeug) which may have been originally French-built vessels seized in 1940.
Launched:
1946 (?) by Meulan Shipbuilding.
Dimensions:
Displ: 30 tons; L: 20m/65ft 7in; B: 5m/16ft 5in; D: 0.9m/2ft 11in.
Crew:
8.
Power/Speed:
Twin screws; 2 × Lorraine Petrel petrol engines, yotal 800bhp/24 knots (?)
Guns/Armour:
2 × 20mm FlaK 38; 2 × 7.5mm Darne MG/Bridge bulletproof plating.
Monitor L 990
This light monitor was constructed by the simple expedient of bolting the hull and turret of an M4A2 Sherman tank to the deck of a self-propelled barge. The tank retained its main and secondary armament. This gave the monitor considerable firepower, and the tank armour was much thicker than that on most monitors. When not in action the monitor was navigated from the conning position in front of the tank; when in action the driver controlled the steering and engines from his seat inside the tank.
Monitor L 990.
Launched:
Early 1950s.
Dimensions:
Displ: 60 tons; L: 19.45m/63ft 10in; B: 5.52m/18ft 1in; D: 1.05m/3ft 5in.
Crew:
5.
Power/Speed:
Twin screws; 2 × General Motors/Gray Marine diesel engines, 375bhp/13.2 knots.
Guns/Armour:
1 × 75mm tank gun; 1 × co-axial .30 cal MG; 1 × .50 cal MG/Sherman armour: Hull: 50mm front, 38mm rear, 38mm sides;
Turret: 75mm front, 50mm rear, 50mm sides.
Support Gunboats Type L 980
The three gunboats of this class were Hoche, Marceau and Kleber. They were powerfully armed, with a 75mm main gun in a turret from an AMX 13 tank mounted on the roof of the armoured bridge. Their secondary armament comprised three quadruple .50 cal MG power mountings, capable of ground fire or AA use. The M45 Maxson quadruple turret was powered from a small on-board Briggs and Stratton petrol engine, driving a generator which charged the two 6-volt batteries which worked the mount’s electric motors and firing solenoids. The gunner and petrol engine were protected behind an armoured shield at the front of the mounting.
Support Gunboat L 981 Hoche.
One of her quad .50 cal power mountings.
Launched:
Early 1950s.
Dimensions:
Displ: 182 tons; L: 40m/131ft 3in; B: 8.03m/26ft 4in; D: 1.2m/3ft 11in.
Power/Speed:
Twin screws; 2 × 12-cyl Mercedes-Benz MB 820 Bb diesel engines, total 2,000bhp/19 knots.
Guns/Armour:
1 × 75mm tank gun; 3 × quad .50 cal Browning MG/Armoured bridge.
INDOCHINA – THE BROWN WATER NAVY 1945–1954
When the French forces attempted to regain control over their colony of Vietnam in 1945, the ground troops found the going very difficult, so the Navy was brought in to transport assault groups to retake key towns. Thus were formed the Divisions navales d’assaut, normally abbreviated to ‘Dinassaut’. Eventually the French would form a total of ten Dinassauts, and the vessels of two of these units would be transferred to the South Vietnamese Navy when the French departed Indochina. In addition there were many independent patrol units, including a large number manned by the Army and in particular the armoured forces.
Initially the vessels used were whatever Second World War landing craft could be obtained from the British in Singapore or American sources, some LCM 6 units being built from the ground up in Indochina, presumably using spare parts sourced elsewhere. The Chaland Blindé was an armoured river ferry used by the Engineers, loaned to the Infantry where no bridge building was feasible. The vessel was about the size and capacity of an LCM-3, and could carry a vehicle embarked. The Pinasse Blindé was used for the same operations, but was about the size of an LCA, with no provision for carrying a vehicle. Both types were built locally in Saigon. Note that these vessels, along with the various armoured landing craft used purely for transport, are not described here.
After armouring ex-American LCVPs, the French workshops produced their own version locally. Later, specific patrol craft were built in France and shipped out, notably the Vedettes FOM used by the Armoured Corps.
Despite a certain degree of success, the French riverine forces could not save the disastrous military and especially political debacle in French Indochina, especially after the defeat of Dien Bien Phu.
Many of the vessels modified by or designed for the French forces in Indochina would continue in use into the Vietnam War period, and would inspire American versions.
The following vessels and craft were used for assault, command and control and patrol duties:
The original British version of the Landing Craft Infantry (Large) before up-arming by the French. (Drawing from Selected Papers on British Warship Design in World War II)
LCI (L)
The American-built LCI (L) was lightly armed – for local self-defence only – during the Second World War, since fire support during an opposed landing on an enemy-held beach would be supplied by battleships, monitors, cruisers and destroyers, plus specially-modified landing craft and landing ships. For offensive operations and patrols on the rivers of Indochina, the French substantially increased the armament of these vessels.
Launched:
Mid-Second World War by various builders.
Dimensions:
Displ: 380 tons; L: 48.3m/158ft 5in; B: 7.1m/23ft 3in; D: 1.8m/5ft 11in.
Crew:
29.
Power/Speed:
Twin screws; 8 × Gray 8V 71 Marine diesel engines, 1,320bhp/14 knots.
Guns/Armour:
(Typical) 1 × 75mm QF; 1 × 40mm Bofors; 2 × 20mm Oerlikons; 2 × .50 cal MG; 2 × .30 cal MG; 2 × two 81mm mortars; 2 × VB grenade launchers (7.5mm MAS 36 rifles on shielded pivots)/Bulletproof plating to bridge, conning tower and armament.
LCG (M)
The original Landing Craft Gun (Medium) was a miniature monitor with a ship hull, capable of running up onto an invasion beach and providing anti-tank or artillery support from a fixed position onto known map co-ordinates. For anti-tank work each turret was armed with a powerful 17-pounder gun; for anti-bunker and artillery work the turrets would each carry a 25-pounder gun/howitzer. The cargo hold was fully plated over, and the sides were armoured.
The French in Indochina possessed only one Landing Craft Gun (Medium) provided by the Royal Navy. It was armed with two 25-pounders, the only weapons of the type in Indochina, which must have made for ammunition supply difficulties.
Launched:
First vessel launched June 1944 by Tyne Tees.
Dimensions:
Displ: 270 tons (380 tons full load); L: 47m/154ft 6in; B: 6.8m/22ft 4in; D: 1.7m/5ft 6in.
Crew:
2 officers + 25 men.
Power/Speed:
Twin screws; Paxman diesel engines, 1,000bhp/11.75/13.5 knots.
Guns/Armour:
2 × 25-pounder gun/howitzers; 1 × 40mm Bofors; 2 × 20mm Oerlikons; 2 × .50 cal MG; 1 × 120mm mortar/25mm NC sides and bridge; 12.7mm NC on deck over engines and magazine; 15lb plating to gun turrets and conning tower.
LCS (M) Mk III
Symptomatic of the desperate French need for patrol craft of any and every description, two of these were transferred from the RN and put into service for a short time as Vivandière and Tonkinoise II. They arrived unarmed, and the French mounted a pair of .30 cal MG in the open-topped turret intended for the original twin .5in Vickers MGS, probably later changed for a pair of .50 cal Browning MG, and added an 81mm mortar in the well designed for a 4in smoke mortar.
Launched:
From early 1942, by Thorneycroft.
Dimensions:
Displ: 13.3 tons; L: 12.7m/41ft 8in; B: 3m/10ft; D: 0.68m/2ft 3in.
Crew:
11.
Power/Speed:
Twin screws; 2 × Ford V8 65bhp petrol engines/10 knots.
Guns/Armour:
2 × MG (.30 cal Brownings probably replaced by .50 cal Brownings); 1 × 81mm mortar/Bulletproof plating to wooden hull sides and to bridge and turret.
LCSM Mark III in RN service. (Photo from Selected Papers on British Warship Design in World War II)
LCG 111 showing her two 25-pounder guns, and a 40mm Bofors on the top rear deck.
The LCSM Mark III as built with British armament fit. (Drawing from Selected Papers on British Warship Design in World War II)
Gressier ‘River Battleships’
Commandant Jaubert and his team requisitioned several of the rice-transportation barges owned by the Gressier family, and converted them to ‘river battleships’ (later known affectionately as ‘rice paddy battleships’). They were fitted out with wooden barracks for troops, and armed with either two single or one twin Japanese 25mm cannon, plus 13.2mm French or Japanese HMGs and several .30 cal Brownings. One, Foudre, even carried a French 75 which had a wide arc of fire out to each beam but was extremely limited straight ahead.
The motors, hot-bulb semi-diesels, were robust and reliable, but gave a very low speed, and were difficult to reverse. Manoeuvrability was not helped by the single rudder. Another drawback was the lack of any toilet facilities on board.