History
Articles
Kriegsmarine Ships
Z-Plan
Battleships
Battlecruisers
Carrier
CVL
De Grasse
Europa
Gneisenau
Potsdam
Seydlitz
Flugdeckkreuzer
Panzerschiffe
Cruiser
Ship Index
Captured Ships
Operations
Naval Aviation
Victories
Links

De Grasse (Hilfsflugzeugträger II)

Hilfsflugzeugträger  


De Grasse planned appearence 1943

Originally laid down as French Cruiser


Contruction Data

Laid down:     1938 - 1956
Launched:     11.09.1946
Commissioned:     03.09.1956 (as cruiser)
Fate:     scrapped 1976
Costs:     

Technical Data

Size:     11400 t
Length:     192,5 m
Beam:     24,4 m
Draft:     5,6 m
Armament:     12 x 10,5 cm Flak; 12 x 3,7 cm Flak; 24 x 2 cm FlaMG
Aircraft:     12 x Junkers Ju 87 C; 11 x Messerschmitt Me 109 T
Performance:     110000 shp, 32 kn, Range 7000 sm at 19 kn

History

When Germany invaded France in 1940, several ships were captured in French shipyards, including the incomplete cruiser De Grasse . In August of 1942, it was considered to complete the ship as a light aircraft carrier. Although this had to be done in its original shipyard in Lorries, detailed plans were made. In February 1943 construction was halted since it proved to be too expensive in terms of work and material and the whole project was in danger because of increasing air raids and sabotage.

The De Grasse was finally completed as a cruiser by the French navy in 1956, after over 10 years of construction.


  [BreElf94]   [BreKoo95]   [Groe1]   [Whi88]   [Whi97