La Gloire was a French light cruiser of the interwar period, World War II and the post-war period. The vessel was launched in September 1935, and in 1937 she was accepted into service with the French Marine Nationale. Its length at the time of launching was 172 meters and a width of 17.5 meters. Full displacement reached about 9,100 tons, and maximum speed - to about 30-31 knots. The armament included: 9 152 mm guns, 8 90 mm AA guns and 4 550 mm torpedo tubes.
La Gloire was one of the La Galissonniere class cruisers. These units were classified in the French fleet as "2nd class cruisers" and their design was largely based on the plans of the mine cruiser Emile Bertin. La Gloire was built in the shipyard of St. Forges et Chantiers de la Gironde in Lromont, France. The unit, in the period 1939-1940, operates mainly in the Atlantic, including transporting gold from France to Canada. In April 1940, the cruiser is moved to the Mediterranean Sea. After the end of the French campaign, it becomes part of the Vichy fleet of France. In November 1942 - as a result of Operation Torch - the ship is taken over by the Free French Navy. In 1944, the cruiser supported the Allied operations at Anzio and the landing in southern France (Operation Dragon). After World War II, it operated mainly in the Indochina region. The unit was withdrawn from the line in 1955.
Surcouf was a French submarine from the interwar period and World War II. The keel for the ship was laid in 1927, the launch took place in November 1929, and entry into service in the Marine Nationale - in May 1934. The ship was 110 meters long, 9 meters wide, and had a displacement of about 4,300 tons. The maximum speed on the surface is approximately 18.5 knots. The ship was armed with 2 203 mm guns, 2 37 mm cannons, 4 13.2 mm machine guns and 12 550 mm and 400 mm torpedo tubes.
At the time of launching, Surcouf was the largest submarine in the world and represented the type of the so-called underwater cruisers. The Marine Nationale assumed that ships of this type would be able to engage in artillery combat with lighter enemy ships, as well as be able to act against its merchant shipping. However, these assumptions turned out to be inaccurate, and the combat usefulness of Surcouf - highly problematic. When Germany attacked France in May 1940, the ships that were being repaired and not fully operational went to Great Britain - specifically to the port of Plymouth. In August of that year, it was handed over by the British government to Free French troops. The vessel was lost in 1942 for reasons not entirely known in the Panama Canal area.