Did you know the Alose submarine rests just outside the COMEX offices in Marseille? This isn’t just any submarine. It’s a piece of history a relic from the early 20th century. The Alose a Naiade-class submarine of the Romazotti type was built in Toulon. Launched on October 12 1904 it served the French Navy until just before World War I.
Imagine the Alose patrolling the coast guarding harbors and ports. It wasn’t always smooth sailing though. The Alose was involved in several accidents. In 1906 it was struck by the steamer Mouette. In 1910 it collided with its sister ship Bonite. Both submarines were damaged in the collisions.
The Alose’s active service ended in May 1914. It was deemed obsolete and decommissioned. But its story didn’t end there. The Alose became a target ship sunk off Fréjus in March 1918. It rested undisturbed on the seabed for nearly sixty years.
Then in 1975 a remarkable event occurred. French divers led by Jean-Pierre Joncheray discovered the wreck. It lay at a depth of 53 meters near Lion rock off Saint-Raphaël. The Alose was raised and restored. It was quite a feat of engineering. It now stands as a museum ship a testament to its fascinating past.
This remarkable vessel is a single-hulled submarine with dual propulsion. It was constructed from Roma-bronze a copper alloy specifically designed by Gaston Romazotti. It measured 23.7 meters long 2.2 meters wide and had a draft of 2.6 meters. The Alose’s armament consisted of two 450 mm torpedoes housed in Drzewiecki drop collars. Its crew consisted of 12 men and 2 officers.
The Alose’s journey from a cutting-edge military vessel to a historical monument is truly extraordinary. Seeing it here in Marseille allows us to connect with a significant part of France’s maritime history. Take a moment to reflect on the Alose’s remarkable story a testament to human ingenuity and the enduring power of the past.