French cruiser Dupleix (1930)

Dupleix
History
France
Name	Dupleix
Namesake	Joseph François Dupleix
Ordered	1 April 1929
Builder	Arsenal de Brest
Laid down	14 November 1929
Launched	9 October 1930
Completed	20 July 1932
Commissioned	1 May 1932
In service	15 November 1933
Out of service	27 November 1942
Fate	Scuttled at Toulon, 27 November 1942, Scrapped 1951
General characteristics
Class and type	Suffren-class cruiser
Type	Treaty Cruiser Marine National designation 1929 Light Cruiser 1931 1st Class Cruiser
Displacement	10,160 t (10,000 long tons) (standard) 11,516 t (11,334 long tons) (Normal) 13,621 t (13,406 long tons) (full load)
Length	194 m (636.48 ft) overall 185 m (606.96 ft) between perpendiculars
Beam	19.26 m (63.19 ft)
Draught	6.57 m (21.56 ft) at normal displacement
Propulsion	6 Guyot du Temple boilers, 20 kg/cm2 (215°) 3-shaft Rateau-Bretagne single-reduction geared steam turbines for 88,768.8 shp (66,194.9 kW)
Speed	32 knots (59 km/h) (designed)
Range	2,600 tons oil fuel radius 5,300 nautical miles (9,800 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h) 3,700 nautical miles (6,900 km) at 20 knots (37 km/h)
Complement	773
Armament	Initial[1] 8 × 203 mm (8.0 in)/50 guns (4 × 2) 8 × 90 mm (3.5 in)/50 AA guns (4 × 2) 8 × 37 mm (1.5 in) light AA guns (4 × 2) 12 × 13.2 mm (0.52 in) AA machine guns (4 × 3) 6 × 550 mm (22 in) torpedo tubes (2 × 3) 1941 refit[2] 8 × 203 mm (8.0 in)/50 guns (4 × 2) 8 × 90 mm (3.5 in)/50 AA guns (4 × 2) 16 × 37 mm (1.5 in) light AA guns (4 × 2, 8 × 1) 32 × 13.2 mm (0.52 in) AA machine guns (4 × 4, 4 × 3, 2 × 2) 3 × 8 mm (0.31 in) AA machine guns (3 × 1) 6 × 550 mm (22 in) torpedo tubes (2 × 3)
Armour	Caisson: 60 mm (2.4 in) sides and 30 mm (1.2 in) deck over machinery spaces Deck: 25 mm (0.98 in) Turrets and conning tower: 30 mm (1.2 in) Magazine box 60 mm (2.4 in) sides with 30 mm (1.2 in) crowns Steering gear: 26 mm (1.0 in) sides and 18 mm (0.71 in) roof
Aircraft carried	3 GL-810 then Loire-Nieuport 130
Aviation facilities	2 catapults

Dupleix was the fourth unit of the Suffren class. She entered service in 1933 and spent the interwar period in the Mediterranean. She participated in the International Patrol during the Spanish Civil War. September 1939 found her still in Toulon. She participated in the search for the Graf Spee in the Atlantic before returning to Toulon. The only time she fired her guns in conflict was during the bombardment of Vado, Italy in mid-June 1940. She was at Toulon at the time of the Franco-German Armistice in June 1940. She remained at Toulon until the French fleet there was scuttled in late November 1942. She was subsequently raised by the Italians in 1943.

She was named in honour of Joseph François, Marquis Dupleix (1697 - 1763) a French trader in the service of La Compagnie des Indes. He travelled between North America and India. In 1742, He was appointed Governor-General of French India, a post he held until his death in 1763.^[3]