Georges Leygues
Country | France |
Ship Class | La Galissonnière-class Light Cruiser |
Builder | At. & Ch. de St. Nazaire-Penhoet, Saint-Nazaire, France |
Laid Down | 21 Sep 1933 |
Launched | 24 Mar 1936 |
Commissioned | 15 Nov 1937 |
Decommissioned | 1 May 1957 |
Displacement | 7,600 tons standard; 9,120 tons full |
Length | 587 feet |
Beam | 57 feet |
Draft | 18 feet |
Machinery | Parsons single reduction geared turbines, four Indret boilers, two shafts |
Power Output | 84,000 shaft horsepower |
Speed | 34 knots |
Range | 7,000nm at 12 knots, 6,800nm at 14 knots, 5,500nm at 18 knots, 1,650nm at 34 knots |
Crew | 540 |
Armament | 3x3x152mm guns, 4x2x90mm anti-aircraft guns, 6x4x40mm guns, 2x2x550mm torpedo tubes |
Armor | 105mm main belt, 30mm end bulkheads, 120mm sides, 38mm deck, 100mm turrets, 95mm tower |
Aircraft | Four GL-832 seaplanes, later two Loire 130 seaplanes |
Catapult | 1 |
Contributor: C. Peter Chen
ww2dbaseCruiser Georges Leygues was commissioned into the French Navy in 1937. When the European War began in 1939, she patrolled the Atlantic Ocean against German raiders; the only engagement she saw during this time was a friendly-fire incident with French submarine Casabianca. In 1940, she escaped the British attack at Mers-el-Kébir in French Algeria, and then assisted in the defense of Dakar in French West Africa from Allied attack; during the battle at Dakar, she hit HMAS Australia twice and successfully evaded British torpedo bomber attacks. She would see no combat in 1941, although she made one gold bullion ferrying run from France to Casablanca in Aug. In late 1942, after the Allies landed in North Africa, she switched allegiance away from Vichy France in favor of the Allies. From early 1943 through mid 1944, she patrolled the Atlantic Ocean, successfully intercepting German blockade runner Portland in Apr 1943. She was refitted at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States between Jul and Oct 1943, during which time she had her seaplanes and aircraft catapult removed to make room for additional anti-aircraft weapons. She provided naval support for both the Overlord and Dragoon invasions of France, and remained along the French-Italian coast lines through Mar 1945, bombarding Italian positions on several occasions. She had a major refit at Casablanca between May 1945 and late Jan 1946. In the 1950s, she saw action in the First Indochina War and in the Suez Crisis. She was sold for scrap in Nov 1959.
ww2dbaseSource: Wikipedia
Last Major Revision: Sep 2013
Light Cruiser Georges Leygues Interactive Map
Photographs
Georges Leygues Operational Timeline
24 Mar 1936 | Cruiser Georges Leygues was launched at Saint-Nazaire, France. |
15 Nov 1937 | Cruiser Georges Leygues was commissioned into service. |
24 Apr 1940 | Cruiser Georges Leygues was ordered to sail to Mers-el-Kébir, French Algeria. |
14 Sep 1940 | Cruiser Georges Leygues arrived at Dakar, French West Africa. |
18 Sep 1940 | Cruiser Georges Leygues departed Dakar, French West Africa. |
18 Sep 1940 | HMS Cumberland deployed in pursuit of French warships Gloire, Georges Leygues and Montcalm with HM Australian Cruiser Australia (Note: These ships sailed from Dakar without detection. French ships were later intercepted by HM Cruisers Cornwall and Delhi. The cruiser Gloire was persuaded to go into Casablanca but the other ships went back to Dakar). |
13 Apr 1943 | Cruiser Georges Leygues intercepted German blockade runner Portland in the Atlantic Ocean; Portland's crew scuttled the ship to prevent capture. |
13 Sep 1944 | Cruiser Georges Leygues arrived at Toulon, France. |
1 May 1957 | Cruiser Georges Leygues was decommissioned from service. |
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