French frigate Somali

History
United States
Name	USS Somali (DE-111)
Builder	Dravo Corporation, Wilmington, Delaware
Laid down	23 October 1943
Launched	12 February 1944
Fate	Transferred to Free France, 9 April 1944
Stricken	14 May 1952
History
Free France
Name	FFL Somali (T-53)
Namesake	Somali
Acquired	9 April 1944
History
France
Name	Somali (T-23)
Acquired	14 October 1946
Renamed	Arago (A-607), for Jacques Arago, 1968
Reclassified	Somali (F03) 1948; Somali (F703) 1951; Somali (A607) 1956;
Fate	31 August 1972 Returned to the United States of America
General characteristics
Class and type	Cannon-class destroyer escort
Displacement	1,240 long tons (1,260 t) standard; 1,620 long tons (1,646 t) full;
Length	306 ft (93 m) o/a; 300 ft (91 m) w/l;
Beam	36 ft 10 in (11.23 m)
Draft	8 ft 9 in (2.67 m)
Propulsion	4 × GM Mod. 16-278A diesel engines with electric drive, 6,000 shp (4,474 kW), 2 screws
Speed	21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph)
Range	10,800 nmi (20,000 km) at 12 kn (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Complement	15 officers and 201 enlisted
Armament	3 × single Mk.22 3"/50 caliber guns; 1 × twin 40 mm Mk.1 AA gun; 8 × 20 mm Mk.4 AA guns; 3 × 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes; 1 × Hedgehog Mk.10 anti-submarine mortar; 8 × Mk.6 depth charge projectors; 2 × Mk.9 depth charge tracks;

Somali, was a frigate in the Free French Naval Forces during World War II and the French Navy post-war. The ship was originally built as USS Somali (DE-111), an American Cannon-class destroyer escort.^[2]

History[]

World War II[]

During World War II, Somali was transferred to the Free French Naval Forces under lend lease on 9 April 1944, and retained the name Somali. Ownership of the vessel was transferred to France on 21 April 1952 under the Mutual Defense Assistance Program.

Somali would join TG 80.6 in Operation Anvil-Dragoon in August 1944.^[3]

First Indochina War[]

In August 1945, Somali arrived in French Indochina to help in the area. Somali was stationed in Saigon and was sent to Nhabe, Soirap, Vaico and Bing Trung. On 25 January 1946, Somali participated in Operation Gaur.^[3]

Post War[]

In 1956 Somali was disarmed and used as an experimental ship with the hull number changed to A607. On 1 January 1968 Somali was renamed Arago.^[3]

References[]

^ "ex-Somali (DE 111)". Navsource.org. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
^ "Destroyer Escorts built for the Free French". Desausa.org. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
^ ^a ^b ^c "SOMALI - destroyer d'escorte - Classe "CANNON"". Alamer.fr. Retrieved 24 April 2015.

External links[]

Photo gallery of 'Arago (A-607)/Somali (F-703)/Somali' (DE-111) at NavSource Naval History

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[navsource-1] "ex-Somali (DE 111)". Navsource.org. Retrieved 23 April 2015.

[2] "Destroyer Escorts built for the Free French". Desausa.org. Retrieved 24 April 2015.

[alamer-3] "SOMALI - destroyer d'escorte - Classe "CANNON"". Alamer.fr. Retrieved 24 April 2015.

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