Interesting Photo: What is it?

[Q-Ball]

I thought this photo was interesting; any guesses out there what it is?

[minnowguy]

I'm guessing a CM of some sort based on the long, flat afterdeck.  OTOH, no mine hatches.

Here's a pic of CM Terror ...

[Capt]

Wild Guess. Mine Sweepers.

[pompack]

French destroyers scuttled and raised at Toulon

[Q-Ball]

pompack is warm......

[RevRick]

La Galissonniere class cruisers...

[seydlitz_slith]

RevRick has it I believe.
This should be La Galissonniere and Jean De Vienne or Marseillaise. All three were scuttled by the French at Toulon on November 27, 1942.
The Italians refloated them in 1943. Two of them were sunk before they could be refitted. So this would be a picture taken sometime prior to November, 1943 of two out of the three cruisers while in service with the Italian Navy.

[Skyland]

It should be Jean de Vienne and La Galissonniere, refloated and renamed FR11 and FR12 by Italian. Never put again in service. 

[Feinder]

I was gonna say, they're definately capital(ish) sized ships - you can tell by the "range clocks" on their masts. They're a convention of the 20s (maybe WW1). They used those things in fleet engagements to signal the range to the target (and everyone behind the ship in colum to adjust their fire to that range).

-F-

[Knavey]

Wow bro, you pull some stuff out of your behonkus. Where in the world did you read that? I just thought those were clocks so every one could keep their watches synchronized!

[LoBaron]

LOL and I thought these are some kinds of warning devices in case the ships start listing again...

[Feinder]

Because a long time ago it was a slow day at the office (seems like forever since I had one of those). I saw a picture of the Arizona in a battle line. I noticed it had a a big clock on the back of one it's towers, and thought, "Now, why would the US Navy be so interested in telling everyone what time it is? And now to look closer at it, it only counts to 10. Hm, a mystery..."

Some amount of wasted productivity later, I discovered yet another bit of interesting but useless knowledge now known as the "range clock".

Here's a pic of the forward clock on the USS Utah. Now that you know the big clock is tells the range, you can see there are 6-foot numerals painted around the base of the turret. If you're another ship in the battle line and don't feel like computing range and bearing to target, all you have to do is turn around and copy the settings from the ship next to you.

-F-

[Q-Ball]

Correct, La Galissoniers. I think you can see a couple guys in German uniform on the stern of the one on the left, but it's a bit hard to make out.

[wdolson]

With the squared off stern they must have been slow.

Bill

[LoBaron]

At least you came as far as noting something weird on the "watches" before drawing conclusions that are not even remotely close to hit the mark... [:D]

[Q-Ball]

ORIGINAL: wdolson

With the squared off stern they must have been slow.

Bill

They could make 32 kts, which is slow for a pre-WW2 French ship. Seems like the French sacrificed protection for speed, much like the Italians did (and maybe because the Italians did).

Link to a good line drawing:

http://www.warshipsww2.eu/lode.php?lang ... dtrida=155

[Le Ricain]

ORIGINAL: Feinder

Because a long time ago it was a slow day at the office (seems like forever since I had one of those). I saw a picture of the Arizona in a battle line. I noticed it had a a big clock on the back of one it's towers, and thought, "Now, why would the US Navy be so interested in telling everyone what time it is? And now to look closer at it, it only counts to 10. Hm, a mystery..."

Some amount of wasted productivity later, I discovered yet another bit of interesting but useless knowledge now known as the "range clock".

Here's a pic of the forward clock on the USS Utah. Now that you know the big clock is tells the range, you can see there are 6-foot numerals painted around the base of the turret. If you're another ship in the battle line and don't feel like computing range and bearing to target, all you have to do is turn around and copy the settings from the ship next to you.

-F-

Thanks for that as it was really interesting.

[Rankorian]

Do I have interpret the image correctly:

1. The ships were scuttled in shallow water, and the dark line on their hull indicates how deep the water was?

2. They were either scuttled with little aboard, or it was removed, because in the picture they are now riding high in the water?

[Skyland]

ORIGINAL: Rankorian

Do I have interpret the image correctly:

1. The ships were scuttled in shallow water, and the dark line on their hull indicates how deep the water was?

2. They were either scuttled with little aboard, or it was removed, because in the picture they are now riding high in the water?

Answer is 1. The dark line is oil trace.

Many (sad) pictures can be found here :
http://sudwall.superforum.fr/l-occupati ... 2-t169.htm