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gap · 06-20-22, 03:39 PM

Another interesting photo of a Chargeurs Réunis steamer in wartime colours is offered by Marine forum:

The caption says:

Cap Tourane in convoy, she sports the national markings of the Armistice.

The mixed passenger-cargo ship Cap Tourane had quite an interesting wartime career.
Requisitioned by the French Government in September 1939, after the Armistice she kept loyal to the Vichy Government and she continued her pre-war task of connecting metropolitan France with her colonies in Indo-China.
On 13 September, 1940 she was involved in a accident when two ships in her convoy struck a group of mines off the West coast of Sardinia. The nearby Cap Tourane was severely damaged in the explosion, and she had to be towed in Marseille where dry-dock repairs lasted until January 1941.
On November 13th, while sailing again in a French convoy, she was captured by a British taskforce off Durban, and she was subsequently requisitioned in Allied service under the management of Ellerman Lines.
From then onwards she sailed routinely within Allied convoys until, in 1945, she was returned to owners in rather poor conditions. The only notable event of the late wartime service is her participation in Normandy Landings as barracks ship in the British sector of operations.

What would be interesting, is discovering whether the picture above portrays Cap Tourane during her Vichy France service or rather during the early part of her career on the Allied side, when she might have kept her neutrality markings for a while. If someone could identify the ship on the background or the aircraft on the top left, please let me know.

Regarding French neutrality markings, I think having read somewhere that they consisted of a French flag on a solid color squared background. This is also confirmed by one of pictures I shared at post #69 in this thread. I don't remember the background color used but, as shown by the pictures, this might have varied.

Last, the same French forum thread whose link I posted above offers a picture on Cap St. Jacques, a sister ship of Cap Tourane, after her conversion to a hospital ship. I post it here in case someone is interested in seeing it:

EDIT

Just found another old picture which is said to portray Cap Tourane at Sword Beach during Normandy Landings:

Again I cannot confirm this as I don't see any armament, landing nets or extra liferafts aboard the vessel, but if any of you can id the lighter or add any further detail which might shed some light please let me know.

06-20-22, 03:39 PM	#74
gap Navy Seal Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: CJ8937 Posts: 8,214 Downloads: 793 Uploads: 10	Another interesting photo of a Chargeurs Réunis steamer in wartime colours is offered by Marine forum: The caption says: Cap Tourane in convoy, she sports the national markings of the Armistice. The mixed passenger-cargo ship Cap Tourane had quite an interesting wartime career. Requisitioned by the French Government in September 1939, after the Armistice she kept loyal to the Vichy Government and she continued her pre-war task of connecting metropolitan France with her colonies in Indo-China. On 13 September, 1940 she was involved in a accident when two ships in her convoy struck a group of mines off the West coast of Sardinia. The nearby Cap Tourane was severely damaged in the explosion, and she had to be towed in Marseille where dry-dock repairs lasted until January 1941. On November 13th, while sailing again in a French convoy, she was captured by a British taskforce off Durban, and she was subsequently requisitioned in Allied service under the management of Ellerman Lines. From then onwards she sailed routinely within Allied convoys until, in 1945, she was returned to owners in rather poor conditions. The only notable event of the late wartime service is her participation in Normandy Landings as barracks ship in the British sector of operations. What would be interesting, is discovering whether the picture above portrays Cap Tourane during her Vichy France service or rather during the early part of her career on the Allied side, when she might have kept her neutrality markings for a while. If someone could identify the ship on the background or the aircraft on the top left, please let me know. Regarding French neutrality markings, I think having read somewhere that they consisted of a French flag on a solid color squared background. This is also confirmed by one of pictures I shared at post #69 in this thread. I don't remember the background color used but, as shown by the pictures, this might have varied. Last, the same French forum thread whose link I posted above offers a picture on Cap St. Jacques, a sister ship of Cap Tourane, after her conversion to a hospital ship. I post it here in case someone is interested in seeing it: EDIT Just found another old picture which is said to portray Cap Tourane at Sword Beach during Normandy Landings: Again I cannot confirm this as I don't see any armament, landing nets or extra liferafts aboard the vessel, but if any of you can id the lighter or add any further detail which might shed some light please let me know. __________________ _____________________ \|May the Force be with you!\| ...\/ Last edited by gap; 06-20-22 at 04:09 PM.