French submarine Ajax

For other ships with the same name, see French ship Ajax.
Ajax
Ajax in 1930
History
France
NameAjax
NamesakeAjax the Great, a hero in Greek mythology
OperatorFrench Navy
BuilderBrest Arsenal
Laid down1 September 1928
Launched28 May 1930
Commissioned1 February 1934
FateScuttled on 24 September 1940
General characteristics
Class and typeRedoutable-class submarine
Displacement
  • 1,572 tonnes (surfaced)
  • 2,092 tonnes (submerged)
Length92.30 m (302 ft 10 in)
Beam8.10 m (26 ft 7 in)[1]
Propulsion
  • 2 × diesels, of 6,000 hp (4,500 kW)
  • 2 × electric engines of 2,250 hp (1,680 kW)
Speed
  • 17.5 knots (32.4 km/h; 20.1 mph) (surfaced)
  • 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) (submerged)
Range14,000 nmi (26,000 km; 16,000 mi) at 7 knots (13 km/h; 8.1 mph)
Test depth80 m (260 ft)
Complement
  • 5 officers (6 in operations)
  • 66 men
Armament
  • 11 torpedo tubes
  • 1 × 100 mm (3.9 in) gun
  • 1 × 13.2 mm (0.52 in) machine gun

Ajax was a Redoutable-class submarine of the French Navy launched in 1930 at Brest, France. It participated in the Second World War, first on the side of the Allies from 1939 to 1940 then on the side of the Axis for the rest of the war. On 23 September 1940, during the Battle of Dakar she was badly damaged by depth charges from HMS Fortune and was then scuttled.

  1. ^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "FR Ajax of the French Navy – French Submarine of the Redoutable class – Allied Warships of WWII". uboat.net. Retrieved 30 March 2018.