French submarine Morse (1925)

The French submarine Morse was a Requin-class submarine built for the French Navy in the mid-1920s. Laid down in February 1923, it was launched in May 1925 and commissioned in February 1928. On 16 June 1940, Morse, under the command of Jean Georges Charles Paris, struck a mine and sank in the same minefield off the Kerkennah Islands that sank her sister ship FRENCH SUBMARINE Narval six months later.

Design
Measuring 78 m long, with a beam of 6.8 m and a draught of 5.1 m, Requin-class submarines could dive up to 80 m. The submarine had a surfaced displacement of 1150 LT and a submerged displacement of 1441 LT.

Propulsion while surfaced was provided by two 2900 hp diesel motors and two 1800 hp electric motors. The submarines' electrical propulsion allowed it to attain speeds of 9 kn while submerged and 15 kn on the surface. Their surfaced range was 7700 nmi at 9 kn, and 4000 nmi at 12 kn, with a submerged range of 70 nmi at 5 kn.

Service
From 1935 to 1937, Morse underwent a thorough overhaul. At the outbreak of World War II, she served in the Mediterranean Sea and was part of the 4th Submarine Flotilla in Bizerte. Morse's commander at the time was Captain J.G.C. Paris. In June 1940, Morse was still based in Bizerte. Morse blew up on a mine in the same minefield off the Kerkennah Islands that sank her sister ship Narval six months later.