One of the more unique warships of the Second World War was the French seaplane carrier Commandant Teste.

One of the more unique warships of the Second World War was the French seaplane carrier Commandant Teste. 


During the 1920s, France began construction/conversion of the aircraft carrier Béarn. Recognizing the growing importance of naval aviation, France was keen to build another carrier. However, funding was not available to produce a carrier from the keel up (Béarn only saw completion as her hull was available after not being completed to her original design as a Normandie class battleship). In an effort to keep costs as low as possible, France chose to build a seaplane tender rather than an aircraft carrier. 

While the new ship would not be quite as capable as a dedicated carrier, French designers sought to make the ship as large as possible to support a sizeable group of aircraft. In addition, by keeping the displacement at just under 10,000 tons, the seaplane carrier would not count as a capital ship by the Washington Naval Treaty,  granting France the ability to build a battleship or a  dedicated carrier at a later date. The seaplane carrier would be named Commandant Teste.

Laid down in 1927,  Commandant Teste was an impressive warship. Befitting her 10,000-ton displacement, she was quite large at 167m (548') in length with a beam of 27m (88' 7"). 

Her large size enabled Commandant Teste to carry a massive aircraft hangar, some 80m (262' 6") long and 26.5m (86' 11") wide. This was large enough to carry twenty single-engine seaplanes or ten larger twin-engine bombers (or any combination of the two). Up to four spare aircraft could be carried in crates. 

This large air group required comprehensive aircraft handling equipment. The larger twin-engine aircraft were moved from the hanger to the quarterback via a system of rails. There a crane would lower them to the water so they could take off. The smaller single-engine aircraft were actually lifted out of hatches in the hangar roof by four other cranes. They were then placed onto four compressed air catapults mounted atop the hangar roof for launching. 

Outside of the aircraft, Commandant Teste had some other notable pieces of equipment. 

She was the first warship to use super-heated boilers in the French Navies.  Four of these boilers fed two turbines that provided enough power to propel Commandant Teste to a top speed of 22 knots. Her powerplant was also powered by both oil and coal, providing greater flexibility if the seaplane carrier had to operate in more primitive environments. 

Twelve 100mm dual-purpose guns provided protection for the carrier. These were further supported by eight 37mm and twelve 13.2mm anti-aircraft guns. 

The extensive aircraft equipment and weaponry, mounted at the top of an already tall hull, made Commandant Teste very top-heavy.   To counter this, French designers equipped the seaplane carrier with an advanced stabilization system. Two tanks, each mounted on one side of the hull, were connected by pump and valve system. As the ship rolled in one direction, water was moved to the opposite tank. This shifting weight offset the roll, reducing the overall rolling motion of Commandant Teste by over 50%. 

  Despite her impressive specifications, Commandant Teste proved to be less than ideal for her role. Her aircraft handling equipment was ineffective, making it hard to launch and recover aircraft at the rates needed. In addition, France struggled to produce effective floatplanes, leaving Commandant Teste equipped with aircraft of older designs (that performed below that of dedicated carrier aircraft and land-based models). 

Still, Commandant Teste had an active career. After serving in the Spanish Civil War, France put Commandant Teste to work as an aircraft transport. Her large hangar proved to be ideal for this work, transporting numerous aircraft to overseas bases prior to the Second World War. Once the war started, she resumed this role, mostly transporting cargo between France and North Africa. She was present at Mers El Kébir during the British Attack. Escaping with minimal damage, Commandant Teste relocated to Toulon. She remained here for the remainder of her career, operating as a gunnery training ship. When the Germans attempted to capture the French Fleet at Toulon on November 27, 1942, Commandant Teste was scuttled along with the other French warships. 

Commandant Teste was raised by Italy in May of 1943 only to be sunk again the following year by Allied bombers. Despite all the damage, Commandant Teste was still in relatively good shape when France once again raised the ship in February of 1945. France at first considered repairing the ship and converting her into a light carrier, but these plans never materialized. Commandant Teste instead spent five years as a hulk, being used to store military equipment until 1950 when she was finally sold for scrap. 

An interesting career for an equally interesting ship!

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