FS Rubis (1933)

FS Rubis (1933) History

In the second half of the 1920s, the French Navy assigned the task of laying mines to six-man Sapphire-class submarines. These ships appeared between 1925 and 1929 and were primarily designed for service in Mediterranean waters.

The waterways of the Mediterranean would be crucial if France went to war with one of its European neighbors.

The ships in the class were named Diamant, Nautilus, Perle, Rubis, Saphir and Turguoise. As the war progressed, although against France, the Nautilus, Sapphire and Turquoise were all captured at Bizerte, while the Diamond sank at Toulon to avoid capture.

The Pearl ended up fighting under the Free French banner for most of the war, but was ultimately defeated by a British air raid on July 8, 1944, which abruptly (and unexpectedly) ended her career. In the class, only Rubis enjoyed a full military service career in the host country.

She was built by the Arsenal of Toulon, the keel was laid down on 3 April 1929 and launched on 30 September 1931. Their official commissioning took place on April 4, 1933.

As planned, Rubis would displace 760 tons when it surfaced and 925 tons when submerged. She is 216 feet long, has a beam of 23.4 feet, and has a draft of 14 feet. Drive is provided by 2 diesel engines with 1,300 hp on both axles. Diesel engines propel the boat on the water.

Therefore, the underwater drive is taken over by 2 electric motors with 1,100 hp. In keeping with the U-boats of the day, Rubis had to surface to recharge her batteries and get fresh oxygen for the crew. Her crew consisted of 40 to 43 people, including at least 3 officers. The top speed is 12 knots on the surface and 9 knots underwater.

Endurance is limited to 8,060 miles on the surface and about 90 miles underwater. Weapons include about 32 mines she holds. She is also equipped with 3 x 550mm (21.65") torpedo tubes supported by 2 x 400mm (15.75") torpedo tubes, allowing her to attack surface ships in a more traditional and direct manner. Surface warfare is also enhanced by a 75mm deck gun in front of the sail and twin-barreled 13mm anti-aircraft machine guns behind the turret.

Her overall profile includes a boat-like tapered bow and stern, a flat surface deck and a centrally positioned sail. Dive planes are mounted forward and under the sides of the fuselage. The rudder control system has been placed behind the propellers for maximum flexibility.

In April 1940, Rubis served in the British Home Fleet and used her minelaying capabilities off the coast of Norway during the Norwegian campaign (9 April 1940 to 10 June 1940). The ship eventually became the most successful ship in the Saphir class, completing no less than 22 successful minelaying missions during her tenure. In addition, she captured a number of ships with her torpedo armament, bringing the total to 15 in wartime, 5 of which were dedicated enemy warship types.

As a spoiler for enemy shipping, Rubis proved her design a success.

After her useful sailing days, the FS Rubis was hit from the Naval Register on October 4, 1949, and eventually sank on January 31, 1958, and was used as a sonar "target".

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