France issued in 1993 a single stamp to commemorate the liberation of Corsica from the German forces, the stamp depict a map of the island Corsica and the French submarine CASABIANCA who played an important part in the liberation of Corsica.
Built as a submarine by Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire, Nantes, France for the French Navy.
01 June 1925 ordered.
28 July 1931 laid down.
07 February 1935 launched as the CASABIANCA (Q183), she was named after the French naval hero Luc-Julien-Joseph Casabianca. She was one of the Pascal class.
Displacement, 1,570 tons surfaced, 2,084 submerged, dim. 92.30 x 8.20 x 4.70m. (draught).
Powered by two Sulzer diesel engines each 3,000 hp., two electric motors each 1,000 hp., speed surfaced 17 knots, submerged 10 knots.
Range 14,000 mile by a speed of 7 knots on the surface, 90 mile by a speed 7 knots submerged.
Armament 9 – 550 mm., 2 – 400mm torpedo tubes. 1 – 100mm., 1 – 37mm guns, 2 – 12.2mm MG.
Crew 67.
01 January 1937 commissioned.
October 1939 while at a patrol off Vigo, Spain and despite have made the signals of recognition she was coming under attack at the surface by the French cruiser GEORGES LEYGUES. She escaped undamaged.
From 18 April 1940 stationed at Harwich and Dundee for patrols in the North Sea and Skagerrak with the British Royal Navy.
13 May 1940 when on patrol in the Skagerrak was she attacked by one enemy motor torpedo boat which launched four ASM 35kg dept-charges, the CASABIANCA escaped the attack by staying submerged for 45 hours.
04 June 1940 sailed from Dundee bound for Brest where she arrived 09 June 1940 at 08.45 pm.
18 June 1940 sailed from Brest to avoid capture by the German forces, she sailed to join the French Fleet units in Toulon.
When the German forces stormed the navy base in Toulon the CASABIANCA escaped on 28 November 1942 at 02.00 am from basin Mourillon under command of Capt. Jean L’Herminer and headed south to Algiers.
30 November 1942 she arrived off Algiers. Before she entered the zone off Algiers which was screened by British patrol boats she surfaced and commenced signalling her status and intentions.
She joined thereafter the Free France Forces and was mainly involved in numerous missions to Corsica, where she landed commando’s in December 1942 and February, March and June 1943.
Between July 27 and 07 August she landed 20 tons of weapons and ammunition for the resistance on the beach in Corsica.
13 September 1943 she transported 109 commandos which landed at Ajaccio who participate in the liberation of the island from the German forces.
22 December 1943 she sank UJ-2203 the former French patrol boat AUSTRAL off Cape Sicié.
(Miramar gives that she was scuttled at Bastia on 09 September 1943.)
02 August 1944 she sailed from Casablanca for an overhaul in Philadelphia, returned Toulon 30 March 1945.
01 December 1947 in reserve.
12 February 1952 decommissioned.
1956 Scrapped.
Her conning tower has survived it is now on display in Bastia near the harbour http://jlvlino.free.fr/agaasm/casa060606.htm.
Comoro Islands 1991 1000fr. MSsg?, scott766. (in border of MS.)
France 1993 2f80 sg3149, scott2372.
Source: http://pagesperso-orange.fr/sous-marin.france/Q183.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_sub ... nca_(Q183)