French cruiser Jean de Vienne

Jean de Vienne

General layout of a La Galissonnière-class cruiser
History
France
Name:	Jean de Vienne
Namesake:	Jean de Vienne
Builder:	Arsenal de Lorient (Lorient, France)
Laid down:	20 December 1931
Launched:	31 July 1935
Commissioned:	10 February 1937
Fate:	scuttled 27 November 1942, scrapped August 1944
General characteristics
Class and type:	La Galissonnière-class cruiser
Displacement:	7,600 tons (standard) 9,120 tons (full load)
Length:	179 m (587 ft)
Beam:	17.5 m (57 ft)
Draught:	5.35 m (17.6 ft)
Propulsion:	2-shaft Parsons single reduction geared turbines 4 Indret boilers 84,000 shp (63,000 kW)
Speed:	31 knots (57 km/h; 36 mph)
Range:	7,000 nmi (13,000 km; 8,100 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Complement:	540
Armament:	9 × 152 mm (6 inch)/ 54.3 calibre (3 × 3) 8 × 90 mm (3.5 inch) anti-aircraft (4 × 2) 24 × 40 millimetre (6 × 4) 4 × 550mm (21.7 inch) torpedo tubes (2 × 2)
Armour:	Main belt: 105 mm (4.1 in) End bulkheads: 30 mm (1.2 in) Sides: 120 mm Deck: 38 mm (1.5 in) Turrets: 100 mm (3.9 in) Conning tower: 95 mm (3.7 in)
Aircraft carried:	up to 4 GL-832, later 2 Loire 130 flying boats 1 catapult

Jean de Vienne was a French light cruiser of the La Galissonnière class. During World War II, she remained with Vichy France. She was named for Jean de Vienne, a 14th-century French knight, general and admiral during the Hundred Years' War.

With a displacement of 7,500 tons, and nine 152 mm guns, the La Galissonière-class cruisers belong to a middle category, among light cruisers, comparable with the last Kriegsmarine light cruiser Nürnberg (an improved version of the Leipzig), the Italian cruiser Raimondo Montecuccoli (from the intermediate version of the Condottieri class), or the nine gun units of the British Crown Colony class, reduced version of the Town class. The displacement of these French cruisers was enough to accommodate both heavy armour and heavy armament, while maintaining good maximum speed.

When completed, La Galissonnière, Jean de Vienne, and Marseillaise formed the 3rd Cruisers Division, flagship Marseillaise, attached to the Mediterranean Squadron, and based in Bizerte. At the start of World War II, Jean de Vienne had completed a major refit at Toulon and had returned to the 3rd Cruiser Division, still at Bizerte. Her formation was to protect French interests in North Africa, should Italy enter the war. As Italy remained neutral, the 3rd Cruiser Division's role was limited, the main event being to transport French gold bullion to Halifax, Nova Scotia in December 1939. After Italy's entry into the war on 10 June 1940, there was a major French sortie to prevent anticipated attempts by the Kriegsmarine to force the Straits of Gibraltar. The only sight of the enemy was a failed attack by the Italian submarine Dandolo.