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The Free French In Victory At Sea

For my second fleet for Mongooses Publishing's Victory at Sea game I decided on the Free French Naval Forces, which then lead to a problem, the victory at sea lists include ships that formed the French Navy at the start of the war but were later spilt between the Free French, the Vichy forces or ended up scuttled or attacked by the British.  After a bit of research I did manage to work out which ships I was going to allow myself to use.

Richelieu class battleship
Book: Victory at Sea
Ships Allowed: 1
Name(s): Richelieu

Bretagne class battleship
Book: Order of Battle
Ships Allowed: 1
Name(s): Lorraine
Note to use the slightly different stats for Lorraine as apposed to the rest of her class.  Representing her refit replacing her Q turret with increased AA and spotter planes.

Courbet class battleship
Book: Order of Battle
Ships Allowed: 2
Name(s): Courbet, Paris

Bearn class aircraft carrier
Book: Victory at Sea
Ships Allowed: 1
Name(s): Bearn

Duguay Trouin class cruiser
Book: Victory at Sea
Ships Allowed: 1
Name(s): Duguay Trouin

Duquesne class cruiser
Book: Victory at Sea
Ships Allowed: 2
Name(s): Duquesne, Tourville

Emile Bertain class cruiser
Book: Victory at Sea
Ships Allowed: 1
Name(s): Emile Bertain

Jeanne D'Arc class cruiser
Book: Victory at Sea
Ships Allowed: 1
Name(s): Jeanne D'arc

La Galissonniere class cruiser
Book: Victory at Sea
Ships Allowed: 3
Name(s): Montcalm, Gloire, Georges Leygues

Suffren class cruiser
Book: Victory at Sea
Ships Allowed: 1
Name(s): Suffren

Le Fantasque class destroyer
Book: Victory at Sea
Ships Allowed: 4
Name(s): Le Fantasque, Le Triomphant, Le Malin, Le Terrible

Bourrasque class destroyer
Book: Victory at Sea
Ships Allowed: 2
Name(s): Mistral, Ouragan

Chacal class destroyer
Book: Order of Battle
Ships Allowed: 2
Name(s): Leopard, Tigre

Surcouf class submarine
Book: Order of Battle
Ships Allowed: 1
Name(s): Surcouf
Note the Surcouf was sunk in 1942 which is before many of the cruisers above joined the Free French.

Argonaute/Diane/Orion class submarine
Book: Order of Battle
Ships Allowed: ?
Name(s): Minerve, Junon
I've seen several references to the Free French having more than 2 submaines but the only names (apart from the surcouf) I can find are the Minerve and Junon



Classes Not Allowed:
Algerie class cruiser
Dunkerque class battleship
Mogador class destroyer

As it turns out there are very few classes of ships that didn't find their way to the allied cause, although there are limitations on the number avaliable from each class.  The Free French is very much a cruiser force and severly misses  the Dunkerque & Bretange (the one Bretange class you are allowed the 'Lorraine' is the worst of the class gamewise) class battleships that the French started the war with.  Still as long as you take this into account when designing scenarios they can be a fun force to use even if the do lack the power of the bigger navies.

The above ships are from the French lists in victory at sea, but if you can get your opponents permission a few ships built in other countries also found their way into the Free French Fleet.

Avenger Class Escort Carrier
Book: Order of battle
Fleet: Royal Navy
Ships Allowed: 1
Names: Dixmude

Hunt Class Destroyer
Book: Order of battle
Fleet: Royal Navy
Ships Allowed: 1
Names: La Combattante

Flower Class Corvette
Book: Order of battle
Fleet: Royal Navy
Ships Allowed: 9
Names: Aconit, Alysse, Commandant d'Estienne d'Orves, Commandant Detroyat, Commandant Drougou, Lobelia, Mimosa, Renocule, Roselys