French sloop La Moqueuse
La Moqueuse was a French Élan-class minesweeping sloop built for the Navy in the late 1930s. She served in World War II and the Cold War.
Construction and fate
La Moqueuse was ordered on 26 January 1937 from Arsenal de Lorient. She was laid down on 26 September 1939, launched on 25 January 1940, and commissioned on 24 February 1940. She entered service on 18 June 1940 and was stricken on 30 October 1965, then scrapped.
Design and capabilities
The Élan-class ships weighed about 895 tonnes when fully loaded, were about 77.5 meters long, 8.92 meters wide, and drew about 3.13 meters. They were powered by two Sulzer diesel engines for a top speed of 20 knots and could travel up to 10,000 nautical miles at 9 knots. The crew was around 88 in peacetime and 106 during war.
Armament
La Moqueuse carried one 100 mm gun and several 13.2 mm machine guns for anti-aircraft defense. For antisubmarine work she had depth-charge gear, including a rack and two throwers, with up to about 40 depth charges carried. The ships were designed for minesweeping, but La Moqueuse did not serve in that role.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 10:09 (CET).