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The ''Narval'' class (''sous-marins d'escadre'', "fleet submarines") were patrol
In 1958, and broke the 30-day world record of the longest underwater cruise held jointly by the nuclear-powered and , with 32 and 42 days submerged respectively.
In 1964, and sailed up to the 70th parallel north to prepare the first French attempts at navigation under sea ice. These tests were carried out the next year by ''Dauphin'' and when they spent a week and a half in the 72nd parallel north.
During her last years, from 1980, ''Requin'' was fitted with the
Les sous-marins d'escadre type ''Narval''
Submarine classes Ship classes of the French Navy {{Submarine-stub
submarine
A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...
s built for the French Navy
The French Navy (french: Marine nationale, lit=National Navy), informally , is the maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the five military service branches of France. It is among the largest and most powerful naval forces in t ...
in the 1950s.
Design
The ''Narval'' type was an offspring of the ''E-48'' project, inspired by the German Type XXI U-boats of the Second World War, particularly which were brought into French service. Compared to the Type XXI, the ''Narval'' class introduced an entirely new schnorchel system and novel detection systems, gained 33% in operational range on electric power (, compared to the available to the type XXI), and doubled the test depth. Thepropeller
A propeller (colloquially often called a screw if on a ship or an airscrew if on an aircraft) is a device with a rotating hub and radiating blades that are set at a pitch to form a helical spiral which, when rotated, exerts linear thrust upon ...
s were also particularly studied to minimise noise.
The hulls of the ''Narval''s were assembled from seven sections welded together.
The engine were two-stroke diesels made by the French constructor Schneider, which proved unreliable and noisy to the point where the engine section became difficult to man at full power.
From 1966 to 1970, the ''Narval''s underwent extensive modernisation, where their engines were replaced by a diesel-electrical design based on the SEMT-Pielstick 12PA4-185. The two stern torpedo tube
A torpedo tube is a cylindrical device for launching torpedoes.
There are two main types of torpedo tube: underwater tubes fitted to submarines and some surface ships, and deck-mounted units (also referred to as torpedo launchers) installed aboa ...
s were deleted, electronics were replaced, and the conning tower
A conning tower is a raised platform on a ship or submarine, often armored, from which an officer in charge can conn the vessel, controlling movements of the ship by giving orders to those responsible for the ship's engine, rudder, lines, and gro ...
was replaced by a more modern sail plan from the .
Service history
The ''Narval''s were used to explore limits of submarines performances in several ways.
In 1958, and broke the 30-day world record of the longest underwater cruise held jointly by the nuclear-powered and , with 32 and 42 days submerged respectively.
In 1964, and sailed up to the 70th parallel north to prepare the first French attempts at navigation under sea ice. These tests were carried out the next year by ''Dauphin'' and when they spent a week and a half in the 72nd parallel north.
During her last years, from 1980, ''Requin'' was fitted with the sonar
Sonar (sound navigation and ranging or sonic navigation and ranging) is a technique that uses sound propagation (usually underwater, as in submarine navigation) to navigation, navigate, measure distances (ranging), communicate with or detect o ...
system planned for the M4 refit of the SNLE. Similarly, ''Dauphin'' was extensively modified from 1986 to be used as a test bed for equipment and sensors to be installed on the s, then under design. When finally decommissioned in 1992, she was the oldest submarine in service. She was later expended as a target ship off Toulon
Toulon (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Tolon , , ) is a city on the French Riviera and a large port on the Mediterranean coast, with a major naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, and the Provence province, Toulon is th ...
.
In 1985, ''Espadon'' became the first French submarine used as a museum ship
A museum ship, also called a memorial ship, is a ship that has been preserved and converted into a museum open to the public for educational or memorial purposes. Some are also used for training and recruitment purposes, mostly for the small numb ...
.
Ships
See also
* List of submarines of FranceReferences
* ''Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995''Les sous-marins d'escadre type ''Narval''
Submarine classes Ship classes of the French Navy {{Submarine-stub