2nd Class Submarines and Minelayers of the French Navy 1922–1945

This work is primarily devoted to the 34 2nd class submarines and the six minelayers (Saphir type) produced under the naval construction programmes of 1922 to 1936. The post-1945 period of the 2nd class Aurore-type submarines — the first of which was only just completed in June 1940 — is briefly mentioned. The contemporary 1st class submarines (Requin and Redoutable types) are covered in a separate work.

These 2nd class submarines were designated medium-patrol or coastal-defence submarines before the final designation of 2nd class submarines in 1924, though the term coastal submarines continued to be widely used. The first twelve, which formed the Sirène class, were also known as the "600-tonne" boats; the following sixteen were the 630-tonne type, and the final six the "Admiralty" type.

The history and technical description of the 2nd class submarines built in the interwar period have received little scholarly attention. These vessels did not particularly distinguish themselves during the Second World War, with the exception of the units that were laboriously re-armed in Great Britain by the FNFL. The others formed part of the submarine forces of the French State Navy, and many were decommissioned before the end of 1940. The rare survivors of the painful events of November 1942, after a few missions in the Mediterranean, served almost exclusively for training purposes. The same was true of the six minelaying submarines, with the exception of the Rubis, which became a symbol for the FNFL.

The historical section aims only to report what took place, setting aside any interpretation that has no place in an essentially technical work.

This book is illustrated with more than 470 images across 312 pages.