French sloop Commandant Dominé
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{{Infobox ship image |Ship image= |Ship caption= }} {{Infobox ship career |Hide header= |Ship country= France |Ship flag= {{Shipboxflag|France|naval}} {{Shipboxflag|Free France|naval}} |Ship name= Commandant Dominé |Ship namesake= |Ship ordered=2 June 1937 |Ship renamed=From La Rieuse, 3 January 1939 |Ship builder=Ateliers et Chantiers Dubigeon, Nantes |Ship original cost= |Ship yard number= |Ship way number= |Ship laid down=1 February 1938 |Ship launched= 2 May 1939 |Ship sponsor= |Ship christened= |Ship completed= |Ship commissioned=13 May 1940 |Ship decommissioned=18 October 1960 |Ship reclassified= |Ship refit= |Ship struck= |Ship reinstated= |Ship homeport= |Ship identification= |Ship motto= |Ship nickname= |Ship honours= |Ship captured= |Ship fate=Scrapped, October 1960 |Ship notes= |Ship badge= }} {{Infobox ship characteristics |Hide header= |Header caption=(as built) |Ship class=Élan-class minesweeping sloop |Ship displacement={{Cvt|895|t|LT|0|lk=on}} (deep load) |Ship length={{Convert|77.5|m|ftin|abbr=on}} (o/a) |Ship beam= {{Convert|8.92|m|ftin|abbr=on}} |Ship draught= {{Convert|3.13|m|ftin|abbr=on}} (deep load) |Ship power= {{Cvt|4600|bhp|0|lk=on|order=flip}} |Ship propulsion=2 shafts; 2 diesel engines |Ship speed= {{Convert|20|kn|lk=in}} |Ship range=* {{convert|10,000|nmi|abbr=on|lk=in}} at {{convert|9|kn}} |Ship complement= 106 (wartime) |Ship armament=
|Ship notes= }} |
Commandant Dominé was an Élan-class minesweeping sloop ({{lang|fr|Avisos dragueur de mines}}) built for the French Navy during the late 1930s that served in World War II and the Cold War.
Description
The Élan class had a (standard displacement) of {{Convert|630|t|LT|0|lk=on}} and displaced {{Convert|895|t|LT|0}} at deep load.{{sfn|Roberts|1980|p=277}} The vessels were {{Convert|77.5|m|ftin|abbr=on}} long overall and {{Convert|73.81|m|ftin|abbr=on}} between perpendiculars with a beam of {{Convert|8.92|m|ftin|abbr=on}} and a draught of {{Convert|3.13|m|ftin|abbr=on}} at deep load.{{sfn|Garier|2015|p=48}} They were powered by two Sulzer diesel engines rated at a total of {{Convert|4600|bhp|0|lk=on|disp=flip}}, each driving one propeller shaft which gave them a speed of {{convert|20|kn|lk=in}}. The ships carried enough fuel oil to give them a maximum range of {{convert|10,000|nmi|abbr=on|0}} at {{convert|9|kn}}.{{sfn|Le Masson|1969|pp=16–17}} They were fitted with an auxiliary rudder built into the bow.{{sfn|Garier|2015|p=46}} The ships had a complement of 88 in peacetime and 106 during wartime.{{sfn|Le Masson|1969|p=17}}
The main battery of the Élan class was intended to consist of two {{convert|100|mm|in|1|adj=on}} guns in a single twin-gun mounting on the aft superstructure, but the mount was not yet available and a single Canon de 100 mm Modèle 1917 gun was installed aboard Commandant Bory.{{sfn|Garier|2015|pages=64, 97}} Anti-aircraft defense was provided by eight Hotchkiss M1929 machine gun. One quadruple mount was positioned forward of the bridge and two twin mounts were located on the forward superstructure between the bridge and the funnel, one on each broadside. The ships were intended to be fitted with a depth charge rack at the stern and four throwers amidships, but shortages of the latter meant that only two throwers were generally carried, one on each side. The Elans initially carried 40 depth charges weighing {{cvt|100|kg}} apiece.{{sfn|Garier|2015|pp=64, 67–68}} The vessels were designed for minesweeping, though never saw service in that capacity.{{sfn|Roberts|1980|p=277}}
Construction and career
Commandant Dominé was ordered from Ateliers et Chantiers Dubigeon under the name of La Rieuse on 2 June 1937 and was laid down on 1 February 1938 at their facility in Nantes. The ship was renamed to Commandant Dominé on 3 January 1939 and was launched on 2 May 1939. She was commissioned on 13 May 1940.{{sfn|Garier|2015|p=20}}
The ship was seized by the British on 3 July 1940 and transferred to the Free French Naval Forces,{{Cite web |url=http://users.swing.be/batnaval/+navires/4190.html |title=Classe: Élan |work=users.swing.be |access-date=19 September 2010 |language=fr |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611181507/http://users.swing.be/batnaval/+navires/4190.html |archive-date=11 June 2011 }} seeing service in the Battle of Dakar ("Operation Menace") in September 1940.
The ship was rearmed by the British in 1941. Her main armament was replaced by twin QF 4 inch Mk XVI naval guns, and she also received a single QF 2-pounder pom-pom{{sfn|Le Masson|1969|p=16}} AA gun to replace the quadruple 13.2 mm/76 AA guns. She retained her original twin 13.2 mm/76 AA guns, but had an additional four twin and two single 12.7 mm/62 machine guns installed.{{sfn|Le Masson|1969|p=16}}
Post-war she remained in service with the French Navy. In 1947 she was rearmed again, with a single German 105 mm/45 calibre SK C/32 gun as main armament, a single Bofors 40 mm/60 Mk.3 and four single 20 mm/70 Mk.2 Oerlikons.{{sfn|Le Masson|1969|p=16}}
Commandant Dominé was decommissioned on 18 October 1960 and scrapped later that month.{{sfn|Le Masson|1969|p=18}}
Notes
{{reflist}}
Bibliography
- {{cite book |last1=Garier |first1=Gérard |title=Les avisos-dragueurs de 630 tW du type "Élan"|volume= I: "Élan", "Commandant Bory", "Commandant Delage", "Commandant Rivière", "Commandant Duboc", "Commandant Dominé |date=2015 |publisher=Lela Presse |location=Le Vigen, France |isbn=978-2-914017-86-2 |language=fr|trans-title=The 630-tonne Minesweepers of the Elan Class}}
- {{cite book |last=Le Masson |first=Henri |year=1969 |series=Navies of the Second World War |title=The French Navy |volume=2 |location=London |publisher=MacDonald & Co. (Publishers) Ltd. |isbn=9780356023847 |pages=16–22 }}
- {{cite book|title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946|editor1-last=Chesneau |editor1-first=Roger |publisher=Mayflower Books|location=New York|year=1980|isbn=0-8317-0303-2 |chapter=France |last1=Roberts |first1=John|pages=255–279}}
{{Élan class minesweeping sloop}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Commandant Domine}}
Category:Ships built in France
Category:World War II mine warfare vessels of France
Category:World War II minesweepers of France
Category:Cold War minesweepers of France