The French aviso Bougainville, built in the 1930s as part of the Bougainville-class, exemplifies a purpose-designed vessel for colonial and auxiliary duties within the French Navy. Completed in 1933, Bougainville measured 103.7 meters (340 feet 3 inches) in overall length, with a beam of 12.7 meters (41 feet 8 inches) and a draught of 4.15 meters (13 feet 7 inches). The vessel displaced approximately 1,969 tonnes at standard load and 2,600 tonnes at deep load. Its construction featured a durable armor-steel superstructure, decks, and upper hull plating, with thicknesses ranging from 5 to 6 millimeters, providing resistance against small arms and machine gun fire—an essential feature for operations in remote colonial regions. Powered by two license-built six-cylinder diesel engines—Burmeister & Wain two-stroke units rated at a combined 4,200 metric horsepower—the Bougainville achieved a designed speed of 15.5 knots. Its fuel capacity allowed for a remarkable range of 9,000 nautical miles at 14 knots, enabling extended patrols across distant territories. The ship's armament comprised three single-mounted Canon de 138.6 mm (5.46-inch) guns, with one superfiring pair forward and a third aft, protected by thin gun shields. Anti-aircraft defenses included four 37 mm AA guns and eight 8 mm machine guns in twin mounts. Bougainville was equipped with mine rails on each side of the aft superstructure, capable of deploying 50 Breguet B4 or Harlé H4 mines, and was fitted with four minesweeping paravanes. The vessel also carried a reconnaissance seaplane—either a Gourdou-Leseurre GL-832 HY floatplane or a Potez 452 flying boat—stored between the mainmast and the aft funnel, and deployed via a derrick. Service-wise, Bougainville initially operated in the Indian Ocean, reflecting its design purpose for colonial duties. Notably, the ship sided with Vichy France during World War II and was ultimately sunk in November 1940 off Libreville by its sister ship, Savorgnan de Brazza, during the Battle of Gabon. Bougainville’s design and service record underscore its role as a versatile, lightly armored auxiliary vessel capable of long-range patrols, mine-laying, and reconnaissance in challenging colonial environments.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.