📍 Narval (Q118) Submarine Memorial
Location Map Coordinates 35.902231, 14.519625
Requin-class submarine of the Free French Naval Forces (FNFL)
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Overview
Narval (Q118) was a Requin-class submarine originally built for the French Navy during the 1920s. Following the French Armistice in June 1940, her commanding officer, Capitaine de Corvette François Drogou, refused to accept the surrender and sailed from Sousse in Tunisia to Malta, where the submarine became the first vessel of its type to join the Forces Navales Françaises Libres (Free French Naval Forces).
Narval's arrival in Malta was an important symbolic victory for General Charles de Gaulle's newly formed Free French movement. From the island she undertook patrols in the central Mediterranean alongside Royal Navy submarines, attacking Axis shipping and carrying out reconnaissance missions in support of Allied operations.
The submarine disappeared during her fourth wartime patrol in December 1940 and was later found to have struck a mine off the Kerkennah Islands, Tunisia. She is commemorated on the Submarine Roll of Honour at Fort St Elmo, Valletta, recognising the contribution of the Free French Navy to the defence of Malta and the Mediterranean campaign.
Technical Specifications
| Nation | Free French Naval Forces (FNFL) |
|---|---|
| Original Navy | French Navy (Marine Nationale) |
| Class | Requin-class submarine |
| Pennant | Q118 |
| Builder | Arsenal de Cherbourg, France |
| Launched | 9 May 1925 |
| Commissioned | 1926 |
| Length | 78 metres (256 ft) |
| Displacement | 1,150 tons surfaced 1,441 tons submerged |
| Speed | 15 knots surfaced 9 knots submerged |
| Complement | Approximately 54 officers and men |
| Armament |
Ten 550 mm torpedo tubes 100 mm deck gun 13.2 mm anti-aircraft machine gun |
| Commanding Officer | Capitaine de Corvette François Drogou |
Service History
At the outbreak of the Second World War, Narval served with the French Mediterranean Fleet. Following France's surrender in June 1940, Captain François Drogou rejected the armistice and, on the night of 24–25 June, sailed from Sousse to Malta with volunteers from his crew. During the voyage he transmitted the now famous signal: "Trahison sur toute la ligne – Je rallie un port anglais" ("Betrayal all along the line – I am making for a British port").
Narval reached Malta on 26 June 1940, becoming the first submarine to join the Free French Naval Forces. From Malta she carried out patrols in the central Mediterranean, operating alongside Royal Navy submarines against Italian shipping and naval forces. Her service demonstrated the determination of Free French sailors to continue the fight despite the fall of their homeland.
Loss of Narval
On 2 December 1940, Narval departed Malta on her fourth operational patrol under the command of Capitaine de Corvette François Drogou. Her orders were to patrol west of the Kerkennah Islands, off the Tunisian coast, where Italian convoys were supplying Axis forces in North Africa.
The submarine failed to return to Malta on the expected date and no further wireless messages were received. After several days of uncertainty she was officially declared overdue and presumed lost with all hands. For many years the cause of her disappearance remained unknown.
In November 1957 the wreck of Narval was discovered resting in approximately 40 metres of water off the Kerkennah Islands. Examination of the wreck confirmed that the submarine had struck a mine, almost certainly one laid in a French defensive minefield protecting the approaches to Sfax. The discovery finally resolved one of the earliest mysteries of the Free French Navy.
Roll of Honour – Crew Lost
Narval (Q118) was lost with all hands on 15 December 1940 after striking a mine off the Kerkennah Islands, Tunisia, while on patrol from Malta.
The submarine's complement consisted of 50 officers and sailors:
- 6 Officers
- 6 Senior Ratings (Officiers Mariniers)
- 38 Petty Officers, Leading Seamen and Seamen
The following Roll of Honour has been compiled from the official crew list published by the Amicale Rubis, the French submariners' association, together with official French naval records.
| Name | Rank / Rating |
|---|---|
| DROGOU, François | Capitaine de Corvette (Commanding Officer) |
| SEVESTRE, Jacques | Capitaine de Corvette |
| RIMBAUD, Paul | Ingénieur Mécanicien de 1re Classe |
| BLOCH-LAROCHE, Jean | Enseigne de Vaisseau de 1re Classe |
| LE LANDAIS, Jean | Enseigne de Vaisseau de 1re Classe |
| BOUET, Victor | Enseigne de Vaisseau de 1re Classe |
| ILTIS, Marcel | Premier-Maître |
| CLAUDE, Roger | Maître |
| DOBÉ, Émile | Maître |
| LE LANN, Alain | Maître |
| VERGOS, Joseph | Maître |
| MARTIN, André | Second-Maître |
| JESSON, André | Second-Maître |
| GANCEL, Louis | Second-Maître |
| HOURCAU, Charles | Second-Maître |
| HYDAS, Jacques | Second-Maître |
| MOREL, Ernest | Second-Maître |
| PARMENTIER, Georges | Second-Maître |
| SIMON, Louis | Second-Maître |
| TACHE, Maxime | Second-Maître |
| CHAUVEAU, Louis | Second-Maître |
| CHAUVIN, Michel | Second-Maître |
| COLLETER, Jean | Second-Maître |
| FÈVE, Rolland | Second-Maître |
| FOUCHARD, René | Second-Maître |
| LE FOULON, Léon | Second-Maître |
| HERVIEU, René | Second-Maître |
| LUBIN, René | Second-Maître |
| MARIE, André | Second-Maître |
| MORIN, Louis | Second-Maître |
| PÉROTIN, Guy | Second-Maître |
| RAFFAELLI, Paul | Second-Maître |
| SÉGALOU, Joseph | Second-Maître |
| COLLIOU, Jean | Second-Maître |
| PRASS, Joseph | Second-Maître |
| RIGAULT, Pierre | Second-Maître |
| CARLE, René | Second-Maître |
| SURCQ, Maximilien | Second-Maître |
| GARET, Georges | Second-Maître |
| ROLLET, Jean | Quartier-Maître |
| BLOT, Albert | Quartier-Maître |
| SALLES, Roger | Quartier-Maître |
| GODEC, Jean | Quartier-Maître |
| JOUAN, Prosper | Quartier-Maître |
| DARUTY, Maurice | Quartier-Maître |
| DETOLLENAERE, André | Quartier-Maître |
| MONTADOR, Jean | Quartier-Maître |
| PIERRE, Louis | Quartier-Maître |
| VAN AUDENAERDE, Camille | Quartier-Maître |
| FOURNIÉ, Jacques | Quartier-Maître |