1616, 16 June 1940 - Working towards an escape
1616, 16 June 1940, Pier 21, Halifax, Canada, Aircraft carrier Bearn
Captain Yves Aubert sighed. They were still almost alongside that morning when a sharp eyed crewman had spotted it. discovered that one propeller blade had fallen off. On the 18th of May, the carrier had returned to Toulon and on the following day had offloaded all aircraft and was ordered to prepare for a mission of long duration beginning on 18 May. That day, Béarn's crew loaded 3,880 cases of gold bullion weighing 147 tons for transport to America. The convoy consisted of the light cruisers Jeanne d'Arc and Emile Bertin, two destroyers and two aviosos, as well as the liner Pasteur.
0755, 18 June 1940, Pier 21, Halifax, Canada, Aircraft carrier Bearn
From the bridge of Bearn, her captain watched the other French ships leave Halifax. His own ship was now under repair, both local workers and his own crew working on the the engines, now that it seemed like a new propeller would not be able to be manufactured and fitted for another two weeks. Béarn had loaded aircraft ordered from American manufacturers on the 3rd June, including 15 new Curtis H75-A4 fighters, 25 Stinson utility aircraft, and 6 Brewster Buffalo fighters intended for the Belgians. On 15th June, sold as surplus by the US Navy, 44 Curtiss Helldiver biplane dive bombers arrived were loaded. It was only today that there had been yet another change, the Buffalo fighters were to be unloaded, being of no use to the Belgians, and the Canadians would instead disassemble and crate nine Hawker Hurricanes, a more useful type.
0755, 18 June 1940, Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire Shipyard, St Nazaire
Capitaine de Vaisseau Ronarc’h contemplated tomorrow's desperate operation. Acceptance trials for Jean Bart had been set originally for December 1, 1939, Yet he did not even arrive himself in St Nazaire with his expected command until early January. For that last two years, deliveries of material had been late. Even during the "phony war", government policy precluded any overtime or drastic increases in Jean Bart’s work force. The ship was far from completed, Captain Ronarc’h anticipated sea trials around Late September/early October 1940. In March, Jean Bart was floated up off her building blocks. The events of May changed everything.
Even if she had been completed in May, she could not have put to sea. The channel and approaches to the battleship’s berth were not deep enough at high tide to take her. There was a channel of some 2 km from the dry dock entrance to the main river. Deepening work had started early last year, however, the bucket dredge had been sunk by an underwater obstruction. Raised in February this year, it was not until last month that the dredge was back in operation, the work's planned completion in October. There was a need to provide swinging room for the battleship after she was eased out of her berth. As Jean Bart was 813 feet long, the swinging arc was to be about 885 feet. With good weather and slack water, maneuvering a 37,250 ton ship of such length in a restricted area would be a risky operation. Yet he would be moving the huge ship at night, during a total black-out, with no power available and only three smaller tugs to tow and swing her.
By 18th May, he could see from the rapid pace of the advance that he would have to move fast if he wanted to elude the Germans. On 18th May, the construction schedule was changed and the ship’s work force boosted by 1,000 workers; many going to a twelve-hour shift. Pressure was put on contractors to speed up the delivery of parts. Spares and instruments were removed from some plants that had already been abandoned to the oncoming enemy. People connected with the ship put in an all-out effort, making up for the months of delays when the work had dragged along altogether too slowly. Only equipment necessary for having the ship clear the dock was brought on board for installation; only a minimum amount of fuel and boiler feed water was loaded to keep the draft as light as possible. Designed for 180,000shp, to be furnished by two fire-rooms, each with three boilers, plans were made to concentrate on having only the after-room ready. Originally scheduled for July, the lighting-off had been done on the 16th, when all three boilers were in fired and their safeties set. Of the four propellers, only two were set up on the 6th and 7th. It was only now that the two main shafts were being lined up. The engine room telegraphs and some temporary portable phone extensions were in use for internal communications. For external communications, there were only signal flags, two small signal lights, a 600-watt transmitter, and a one receiver. One of the two 1,500KW auxiliary turbo-generators was operating, as were two 140-KW emergency diesel generators. Although the fire mains were ready, the main drains and bilge pumps were not all working, nor had watertight bulkheads in the central part of the ship been tested. Yet, he was determined to get going at all costs, and now she was being loaded with the small amount of fuel and water to get her clear of the coast. A ship of her size could not go far on only about 125 tons of bunker fuel, or the same amount of feed water, but she had to get away first.
At 1215, whilst having a quick lunch, he was informed that the Germans were near Nantes, less than forty miles away. It was too close for comfort, especially since he did not know how old the report was. Yet he finally received the news he was waiting for - a channel had been dredged that was thought to be sufficient- barely. That afternoon, Captain Ronarc’h set out with the dredging engineer for a familiarization tour of the sparsely buoyed channel; line-handling parties were organized for the nighttime sortie.
When he returned at 1655, on the ship were dirty decks, sections of scattered air hose and lines still leading through doorways or hatches, and an assortment of gear still being worked on . Less than 600 men would be manning the battleship. Fifty were territorial soldiers meant to hold the Germans, if they came. Another 150 were shipyard engineers and workers. Only 400 were professional sailors. One turret was fitted and complete, yet she carried no ammunition beyond some functioning machine guns. For all that, she was ready to go.
His final draft check with the pilot and estimate of the exit channel at full flood showed that there would be no clearance before 0311 and after 0457; 10cm would be available at 0321 and 0445; 20 at 0336 and 0430, and at maximum high water slack, there should be 30cm clearance. It was decided to start moving at 0321.
Captain Yves Aubert sighed. They were still almost alongside that morning when a sharp eyed crewman had spotted it. discovered that one propeller blade had fallen off. On the 18th of May, the carrier had returned to Toulon and on the following day had offloaded all aircraft and was ordered to prepare for a mission of long duration beginning on 18 May. That day, Béarn's crew loaded 3,880 cases of gold bullion weighing 147 tons for transport to America. The convoy consisted of the light cruisers Jeanne d'Arc and Emile Bertin, two destroyers and two aviosos, as well as the liner Pasteur.
0755, 18 June 1940, Pier 21, Halifax, Canada, Aircraft carrier Bearn
From the bridge of Bearn, her captain watched the other French ships leave Halifax. His own ship was now under repair, both local workers and his own crew working on the the engines, now that it seemed like a new propeller would not be able to be manufactured and fitted for another two weeks. Béarn had loaded aircraft ordered from American manufacturers on the 3rd June, including 15 new Curtis H75-A4 fighters, 25 Stinson utility aircraft, and 6 Brewster Buffalo fighters intended for the Belgians. On 15th June, sold as surplus by the US Navy, 44 Curtiss Helldiver biplane dive bombers arrived were loaded. It was only today that there had been yet another change, the Buffalo fighters were to be unloaded, being of no use to the Belgians, and the Canadians would instead disassemble and crate nine Hawker Hurricanes, a more useful type.
0755, 18 June 1940, Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire Shipyard, St Nazaire
Capitaine de Vaisseau Ronarc’h contemplated tomorrow's desperate operation. Acceptance trials for Jean Bart had been set originally for December 1, 1939, Yet he did not even arrive himself in St Nazaire with his expected command until early January. For that last two years, deliveries of material had been late. Even during the "phony war", government policy precluded any overtime or drastic increases in Jean Bart’s work force. The ship was far from completed, Captain Ronarc’h anticipated sea trials around Late September/early October 1940. In March, Jean Bart was floated up off her building blocks. The events of May changed everything.
Even if she had been completed in May, she could not have put to sea. The channel and approaches to the battleship’s berth were not deep enough at high tide to take her. There was a channel of some 2 km from the dry dock entrance to the main river. Deepening work had started early last year, however, the bucket dredge had been sunk by an underwater obstruction. Raised in February this year, it was not until last month that the dredge was back in operation, the work's planned completion in October. There was a need to provide swinging room for the battleship after she was eased out of her berth. As Jean Bart was 813 feet long, the swinging arc was to be about 885 feet. With good weather and slack water, maneuvering a 37,250 ton ship of such length in a restricted area would be a risky operation. Yet he would be moving the huge ship at night, during a total black-out, with no power available and only three smaller tugs to tow and swing her.
By 18th May, he could see from the rapid pace of the advance that he would have to move fast if he wanted to elude the Germans. On 18th May, the construction schedule was changed and the ship’s work force boosted by 1,000 workers; many going to a twelve-hour shift. Pressure was put on contractors to speed up the delivery of parts. Spares and instruments were removed from some plants that had already been abandoned to the oncoming enemy. People connected with the ship put in an all-out effort, making up for the months of delays when the work had dragged along altogether too slowly. Only equipment necessary for having the ship clear the dock was brought on board for installation; only a minimum amount of fuel and boiler feed water was loaded to keep the draft as light as possible. Designed for 180,000shp, to be furnished by two fire-rooms, each with three boilers, plans were made to concentrate on having only the after-room ready. Originally scheduled for July, the lighting-off had been done on the 16th, when all three boilers were in fired and their safeties set. Of the four propellers, only two were set up on the 6th and 7th. It was only now that the two main shafts were being lined up. The engine room telegraphs and some temporary portable phone extensions were in use for internal communications. For external communications, there were only signal flags, two small signal lights, a 600-watt transmitter, and a one receiver. One of the two 1,500KW auxiliary turbo-generators was operating, as were two 140-KW emergency diesel generators. Although the fire mains were ready, the main drains and bilge pumps were not all working, nor had watertight bulkheads in the central part of the ship been tested. Yet, he was determined to get going at all costs, and now she was being loaded with the small amount of fuel and water to get her clear of the coast. A ship of her size could not go far on only about 125 tons of bunker fuel, or the same amount of feed water, but she had to get away first.
At 1215, whilst having a quick lunch, he was informed that the Germans were near Nantes, less than forty miles away. It was too close for comfort, especially since he did not know how old the report was. Yet he finally received the news he was waiting for - a channel had been dredged that was thought to be sufficient- barely. That afternoon, Captain Ronarc’h set out with the dredging engineer for a familiarization tour of the sparsely buoyed channel; line-handling parties were organized for the nighttime sortie.
When he returned at 1655, on the ship were dirty decks, sections of scattered air hose and lines still leading through doorways or hatches, and an assortment of gear still being worked on . Less than 600 men would be manning the battleship. Fifty were territorial soldiers meant to hold the Germans, if they came. Another 150 were shipyard engineers and workers. Only 400 were professional sailors. One turret was fitted and complete, yet she carried no ammunition beyond some functioning machine guns. For all that, she was ready to go.
His final draft check with the pilot and estimate of the exit channel at full flood showed that there would be no clearance before 0311 and after 0457; 10cm would be available at 0321 and 0445; 20 at 0336 and 0430, and at maximum high water slack, there should be 30cm clearance. It was decided to start moving at 0321.
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