French cruiser Jeanne d'Arc (1930)
Jeanne d'Arc in 1935
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Operators: |
 French Navy
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| Preceded by: | Duguay-Trouin class |
| Succeeded by: | Émile Bertin |
| Built: | 1928-1931 |
| In commission: | 1931-1964 |
| Completed: | 1 |
| Retired: | 1 |
| History | |
 France
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| Name: | Jeanne d'Arc |
| Namesake: | Joan of Arc |
| Builder: | Saint-Nazaire |
| Laid down: | September 1928 |
| Launched: | 1930 |
| Christened: | 14 February 1930 |
| Commissioned: | October 1931 |
| Decommissioned: | 1964 |
| Homeport: | Toulon |
| Nickname(s): | "La Jeanne" |
| Fate: | Scrapped |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Cruiser |
| Displacement: | 6500 tonnes |
| Length: | 170 m (560 ft) |
| Beam: | 17.70 m (58.1 ft) |
| Draught: | 6.50 m (21.3 ft) |
| Propulsion: | fuel boilers and turbines, 32,500 hp (24,200 kW) |
| Speed: | 25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph) (27.8 on trials) |
| Range: | 5,000 mi (4,300 nmi; 8,000 km) at 14.5 knots (26.9 km/h; 16.7 mph) |
| Complement: |
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| Armament: |
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| Aircraft carried: | 2 CAMS reconnaissance airplanes |
Jeanne d'Arc was a school cruiser of the French Navy, the second ship to bear the name. She was built in Saint-Nazaire in only two years, on plans by engineer Antoine. She was designed both as a school ship, and a fully capable warship. She saw service through the Second World War, escaping to Halifax after the fall of France and eventually joining the Free French forces before the end of the war. Post war, the cruiser resumed her duties as a training ship, being retired in 1964.
In 1931, Jeanne d'Arc departed for her first cruise under capitaine de vaisseau André Marquis. As a prestige ship, she toured countries of South America where France wanted to increase her influence. The cruiser visited some of the Black Sea states in 1932.
A log of the ship and the nautical calculation notebook from 1937 can both be found at the "Mircea cel Batran" Naval Academy Museum in Constanța, Romania. During that time, the ship undertook an instruction voyage around the earth, and the lieutenant kept a very rich log, illustrated with photographs.
During the Second World War, Jeanne d'Arc was assigned to the West Atlantic Naval Division, taking part in blockading German cargo ships in neutral harbours. In late May 1940, along with Émile Bertin, she departed from Brest for Canada with a cargo of gold from the Bank of France, under the command of Rear Admiral Rouyer. After an Atlantic rendezvous with the aircraft carrier Béarn, the flotilla reached Halifax safely.Jeanne d'Arc then went to the French West Indies, to stay harboured in the Martinique until July 1943.
In 1943, Jeanne d'Arc joined the Free French. In December, she took part in operations in Corsica and in Operation Dragoon. She was mentioned in despatches at the order of the Army for services rendered during the war.
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Wikipedia