French submarine Alose, Historical submarine museum in Toulon Arsenal, France.
Alose is an early twentieth-century submarine now displayed as a museum at Toulon Arsenal. The vessel measures roughly 78 feet (24 meters) in length and shows a single-hull structure made from Roma-bronze, a material uncommon at the time.
The submarine was launched in 1904 at Toulon Arsenal and served the French Navy until 1914. It then became a target ship and later sank near Fréjus.
The name refers to the shad fish and follows a French Navy custom of naming vessels after sea creatures. Visitors today can walk through the narrow spaces where the crew once operated.
The museum sits inside Toulon's military harbor and can be reached through the arsenal grounds. Visitors should bring photo identification since access is controlled.
The vessel used Roma-bronze, a special alloy developed by designer Gaston Romazotti. This metal blend aimed to reduce saltwater corrosion and represented an experiment in French shipbuilding at the time.
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