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Construction of the submarine tender (ravitailleur de sous-marins) Jules Verne was authorized in August 1926, commencing at the Lorient Arsenal, Lorient during June 1929, being christened and launched during February 1931 and commissioned during September 1932 (pennant number A640). At the christening the Navy were represented by Admiral Audouard, also present was Jean-Jules Verne, the grandson of Jule Verne. As built the crew comprised 9 officers and 222 sailors, the complement is reported as varying between 186 & 292 crew. The original armament utilised four anti-aircraft guns, four 37mm cannons and nine heavy machine guns. At some point, after 1935?, the armament was upgraded to four 90mm guns, seven 40mm guns and twelve 20mm guns. Jules Verne was initially based at Brest and supported French submarines operating in the Atlantic Ocean, the English Channel and the North Sea. On January 18th 1934 the Jules Verne assisted the French cargo ship SS Saint Prosper after she had struck a rock in Alderney Race off Cap de la Hague on the Cotentin Peninsula. On July 10th 1935 the Jule Verne became the flagship of the 2nd Submarine Flotilla. At the outset of World War II the Jules Verne was based at Oran, Algeria, moving later to support submarines based at Casablanca, Morocco before returning to Brest. During the spring of 1940 the 16th Submarine Division comprising twelve submarines proceeded to Harwich, with the support of the Jules Verne, arriving on March 22nd 1940. This Division, formed as the 10th Flotilla, was to support the Royal Navy in its blockade of Norway, particular the seagoing movement of iron ore to Germany. They patrolled off the coast of the Netherland for about three weeks without success. On April 9th the invasion of Norway & Denmark by the Germans commenced. By early May with an invasion of the Netherlands imminent, British, French & Polish submarines formed a patrol line in the North Sea off the Netherlands. On May 10th the Germans invaded France & the Low Countries, two weeks later the Jules Verne and the 2nd, 13th & 16th Submarine Divisions arrived in Dundee, Scotland. On June 4th the Jules Verne with her assigned submarines sailed for Brest. The rapid advance of the German troops across France saw the Jules Verne and thirteen submarines depart Brest on the evening of June 18th for Casablanca, arriving there on June 23rd 1940. On June 22nd the French armistice with Germany was signed, with the Jules Verne now under the control of Vichy France. By November 1940 she was at Bizerte out of service but under guard. A refit would take place whilst at Bizerte, then travelling to Dakar, Senegal with the submarine La Psyché, reaching Dakar on March 23rd 1941. Whilst stationed at Dakar, during November 1942 Allied forces invaded North Africa under Operation Torch, resistance from the Vichy French forces quickly ended, leading to the remaining French forces in Africa now fighting on behalf of the Free French. In December 1942 the assignment for Jules Verne ended at Dakar and was transferred to Port Étienne, Mauritania between January & September 1943. By December 1943 she was back at Dakar, then to Algiers, Algeria until September 1944. In August 1945 the Jules Verne was converted into a repair ship for duty in French Indochina. The service in French Indochina spanned from March 1946 to July 1955, supporting French amphibious forces fighting in the First Indochina War, as a repair ship and as a transport. Refits were undertaken during early 1948 at Toulon and during late 1952/early 1953 at Uraga, Japan. With her Far East service ended the Jules Verne reached Toulon on August 23rd 195, by December 1955 the vessel was placed in reserve, though serving at Saint-Mandrier-sur-Mer, France as a barracks ship for the amphibious corps. Active service ended in 1959, being condemned on August 1st 1961 and scrapped in 1962 at La Seyne-sur-Mer, France.
Built: Lorient Arsenal, Lorient Page added April 19th 2025.
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