French submarine Prométhée (Q153)

Le Prométhée during naval drills (the 100 mm cannon was not embarked yet).
History
Name:	Prométhée
Namesake:	Prometheus
Builder:	Arsenal de Cherbourg
Laid down:	10 January 1928
Launched:	23 October 1930
Commissioned:	Never commissioned
Fate:	Sunk on 7 July 1932
General characteristics
Class and type:	1500-ton class submarine
Displacement:	1500 tonnes (surfaced) 2000 tonnes (submerged)
Length:	92.30 m (302.8 ft)
Beam:	8.10 m (26.6 ft)
Propulsion:	2 diesels, of 6,000 hp 2 electric engines of 2,250 hp
Speed:	20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) (surfaced) 10 knots (submerged)
Range:	14,000 nautical miles (26,000 km) at 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph), 10,000 nautical miles (20,000 km) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) 4,000 nautical miles (7,000 km) at 17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph) 90 nautical miles (170 km) at 7 knots (submerged)
Test depth:	80 metres
Complement:	5 officers (6 in operations) 79 men
Armament:	11 torpedo tubes 1 × 100 mm gun 1 × 13.2 mm machine gun

Coordinates: 49°48′31.6″N 1°26′42.1″W / 49.808778°N 1.445028°W / 49.808778; -1.445028

Le Prométhée (French: ) was a 1500-ton class submarine of the French navy launched in 1930 at Cherbourg. On July 7, 1932, while navigating on surface during trials, the submarine sank suddenly at the large of cap Lévi (Manche department) without apparent reason, leading to the death of 62 out of 69 of the crew and causing a vivid emotion in France. L'épave was localized the following day, however attempts to save and refloat remained in vain. The statements of the survivors allowed to establish that the sinking was likely due to a sudden opening of the diving purges.

Le Prométhée was was part of a series of a homogeneous 31 sous-marins océaniques de grande patrouille, designated as 1500 tons in reason of their displacement. All entered into service between 1931 (Le Redoutable) and 1939 (Le Sidi-Ferruch). Outre Le Prométhée, this class, has known before the launching of Second World War, the loss of Le Phénix (French: ) in Indochina, on June 15, 1939.

Long of 92,3 meters and large of 8.10, they had a draft of 4.4 meters and could dive up to 80 meters. They navigated on surface 1572 tons and in depth with 2082 tons. Propelled on surface by two diesel motors of a total of 6000 horsepower, their maximum speed was 18.6 knots. While diving, the electrical propulsion of 2250 horsepower allowed to reach 10 knots. Designated as « sous-marins de grandes croisières », their action radius on surface was of 10000 nautical miles at 10 knots and 14000 nautical miles at 7 knots while 100 nautical miles at 5 knots in a dive.