French minesweeper Vulcain explained

Vulcain (M611) is a Vulcain-class minesweeper of the French Navy. She is classed by the French Navy as a BBPD type vessel (French: bâtiment-base de plongeurs démineurs) and is used as a base ship for clearance divers.

Construction and career

Vulcain was launched on 17 January 1986^[1] and commissioned on 11 October.^[2] She is based in Cherbourg Naval Base, in Cherbourg, France, and is run by the 1st GPD Groupement de Plongeurs démineurs, a group of French Army clearance divers. Since 16 May 1987, she has been symbolically linked with the town of Honfleur. The personnel on board usually comprises 12 divers, 1 medical officer and 1 nurse.

Other BBPDs of the Vulcain type are:

• BBPD Styx - M614
• BBPD Pluton - M622
• BBPD Achéron - A613

See also

• List of active French Navy ships

Bibliography

• Book: Jordan. John. Chumbley. Stephen . Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995 . 1995. Naval Institute Press . Annapolis, Maryland . 1-55750-132-7. amp. France . 95–131.
• Book: Saunders . Stephen . Jane's Fighting Ships 2004–2005 . 2004 . Jane's Information Group . Coulsdon, UK . 0-7106-2623-1.

Notes and References

1. Jordan, p. 132
2. Saunders, p. 242