ex-Russian auxiliary minelayers

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FIGHTING SHIPS OF THE WORLD

FRANCE

CONVERTED MERCHANT VESSELS

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Castor

Ships

Name	Launched // Comm.	Builder	Tonnage, BRT	Dimensions, m (length pp)	Speed, kts	Engine, Power hp	Armament	Fate
Castor (ex-Козьма Минин [Koz`ma Minin]	1916 // 1929	Swan Hunter, Wallsend, UK	3150 / 4576 t	75.2x17.3x6.4	14	3 VTE, 6 cylindrical boilers, 6400 coal 686	4 x 1 - 100/45, 2 x 1 - 37, 268 mines	paid off 1940
Pollux (ex-Илья Муромец [Ilya Muromets]	1917 // 1929	Swan Hunter, Wallsend, UK	2463 t	64.2x15.5x6.0	14	2 VTE, 6 cylindrical boilers, 4000 coal 367	4 x 1 - 100/45, 2 x 1 - 37, 236 mines	captured by UK 3.7.1940, returned 7.1946, hulk 1950

Name

Launched // Comm.

Builder

Tonnage, BRT

Dimensions, m

(length pp)

Speed, kts

Engine, Power hp

Armament

Fate

Castor (ex-Козьма Минин [Koz`ma Minin]

1916 // 1929

Swan Hunter, Wallsend, UK

3150 / 4576 t

75.2x17.3x6.4

3 VTE, 6 cylindrical boilers, 6400 coal 686

4 x 1 - 100/45, 2 x 1 - 37, 268 mines

paid off 1940

Pollux (ex-Илья Муромец [Ilya Muromets]

1917 // 1929

Swan Hunter, Wallsend, UK

2463 t

64.2x15.5x6.0

2 VTE, 6 cylindrical boilers, 4000 coal 367

4 x 1 - 100/45, 2 x 1 - 37, 236 mines

captured by UK 3.7.1940, returned 7.1946, hulk 1950

Standard scale images

Pollux 1939

Castor 1940

Graphics

Castor

Pollux

Project history

Ex-Russian icebreakers, escaped from Russia to Bizerte under Wrangel command in 1922 and transferred to French Navy as payment of basing of White Russian squadron. Both were converted to minelayers in 1928-1929.

Modernizations

None.

Naval service

Castor was paid off at Bizerte after armistice, captured by Germans 8.12.1942 and scuttled there 6.5.1943. Pollux was captured by British 3.7.1940, served as TS and returned after war.