Algérie

History

Design

In 1930, the Marine Nationale was to receive another heavy cruiser following the Duquesne and Suffren classes. Using the experience gained in the construction of the six ships of the Duquesne and Suffren classes as well as advances in construction techniques and propulsion design, a large amount of tonnage was made available for additional protection.

Named Algérie, the new cruiser would have a 110mm belt, 40mm of protection for the engineering spaces, an 80mm armored deck, and 60mm transverse bulkheads protecting the engineering spaces and magazines. The upper deck would receive 20-22mm of armor, and a liquid/void system was integrated into the hull to provide torpedo protection.

Algérie received quadruple screws, a single large rudder, one funnel, and a command tower in place of the distinctive tripod foremasts of the preceding Duquesne and Suffren classes. Algérie would be flush-decked.

All of this would combine to create what was perhaps the single best cruiser ever built under the restrictions of the Washington Naval Treaty.

Modifications

In early 1937, Algérie received a larger rangefinder and a windscreen to the admiral's bridge. Early 1938 saw a redistribution of light AA mounts, with the two quad 13mm being removed forward from the boat deck to the conning tower and quarterdeck. In late 1938, a second 8m rangefinder was fitted to the III turret, and the catapult was strengthened to accommodate the new Loire 130 seaplane. Between December 1939 and January 1940, the single 37mm AA mounts were replaced by twin 37mm mounts.

After the armistice signed on the 22nd of June, 1940, ships remaining in service to Vichy France were disallowed from receiving additional armament. Thus, in an attempt to improve the AA arrangement on Algérie, the mainmast was removed to the forward end of the signal tower and the aft end of the shelter deck was converted into an AA platform. Two twin 37mm mounts were placed on the admiral's bridge, and four 13mm twin mounts were relocated to forward and aft of the fore and stern 100mm mounts both port and starboard.

Service

Commissioned in September of 1934, Algérie joined the 1st Cruiser Squadron as the flagship, where she would serve until 1939, when she became flagship of the 3rd Cruiser Squadron. After the declaration of war against Germany, Algérie joined the battleship Strasbourg, cruiser Dupleix, and British carrier Hermes at Dakar to search for German raiders in the Atlantic. These operations continued into late November, when Algérie was returned to Toulon for refit. Between March and April of 1940, Algérie and Bretagne undertook to transport gold to Canada in payment for war supplies.

In June 1940, Italy declared war on France, and Algérie departed Toulon to bombard Genoa and participate in convoy escort duties before the armistice was signed on the 22nd of June, 1940. Algérie remained under Vichy control, together with the bulk of the French fleet, and training missions aside, sailed only once, to escort Provence back to Metropolitan France in November of 1940.

With Operation Torch and the invasion of the French colonies in North Africa by Allied forces, the decision to militarize Vichy Metropolitan France was made by Germany, and an attempt was made under Operation Lila to seize the fleet at anchor in Toulon. Having correctly anticipated German intentions, the French command had the fleet prepared for scuttling. Admiral Jean de Laborde received and promptly transmitted the orders to the entire fleet on the 27th of November, 1942, upon which the French crews destroyed their ships. Algérie was no exception, and was so thoroughly damaged that she burned for several weeks after sinking. Algérie was re-floated in 1943 for breaking up, having been irreparably damaged during the scuttling and subsequent fire.

Historical Inaccuracies

Algerie's stock hull is a mash-up of two refits. Her current appearance resembles her August 1942 refit when the tripod mainmast behind turret "X" was replaced by a tiered deckhouse, designated pergola. The placement of the AA guns is correct. However, she had eight twin 37mm/50 Mle 1933 guns. Four are missing and they were mounted on the quarterdeck.

The anti-aircraft guns on Hull (A) is based on her July 1941 refit, when she still had the tripod mainmast. However, the placement of the AA guns is wrong. The four twin 37mm guns were on the quarterdeck. Two quad 13.2mm Hotchkiss MGs were at the forward end of the shelter deck and two more were on the AA platform above the bridge. One single mount 13.2mm MG was on the Director Control Tower (DCT), one on the quarterdeck and two on the shelter deck aft.

• The four single 13.2mm MGs Algerie received in May 1941 were actually Browning models.
• Algerie was allied to Vichy France when she was scuttled at Toulon. She was never painted with Measure 22 camouflage, which was applied to French warships that were refitted in the United States after they sided with the Allies. Hypothetically, Algerie would have been fitted with standard USN anti-aircraft armament like the 40mm Bofors and 20mm Oerlikon, both of which are missing from the fictional Hull (B). As a trade-off, her torpedo tubes and aircraft installations would have been removed to accommodate more AA guns, both of which remain on Hull (B).
• The anti-aircraft guns on Hull (B) is fictitious. The 25mm Hotchkiss gun was only mounted on destroyers, and the 37mm/70 ACAD Mle 1936 had numerous development problems, resulting in delays which led to its cancellation in 1940. Only one was mounted on the patrol sloop Amiens.
• Neutrality stripes on turrets "B" and "X" are missing. They were applied after France surrendered and the ship came under Vichy control.

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  Algérie in February 1941.

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  Algérie scuttled in Toulon

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  ONI identification card for Algérie

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  Algérie inboard profile.

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  Algérie as she appeared in 1939.

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  Algérie with neutrality stripes on her II and III turrets.

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  A colorized photo of Algérie, most likely taken before 1937.