Vigilant

The full index of our ship stamp archive
Post Reply
shipstamps
Posts: 0
Joined: Fri Mar 13, 2009 8:12 pm

Vigilant

Post by shipstamps » Sun Sep 28, 2008 10:44 am


A seaward or harbour defence motor launch, with the name Vigilant on her bows, is shown on the current Cameroun Federal Republic 60 franc air stamp. The French had the former United States coastal patrol boat P.0 550, built in 1942, and renamed her Vigilant, but this is not the craft on the stamp of the Cameroun Republic. "Jane's Fighting Ships" shows the republic as having two defence craft, the Patrie du Cameroun and VC 6 (P.756) which was transferred to the Cameroun Navy by France on March 7, 1964. Presumably the latter is the craft now named Vigilant.
Unfortunately the VC 6 is not illustrated by "Jane's Fighting Ships". She was built by the Construction Mecaniques de Normandie at Cherbourg and completed in 1958, her displacement being 75 tons standard (82 tons fully loaded) on dimensions 104'/2 ft. by 151/2 ft. by 51/2 ft. Armament is two 20 m.m. anti-aircraft guns, and her machinery consists of two Mercedes-Benz oil engines driving twin screws and developing 2,700 b.h.p. to give a speed of 28 knots. She has a cruising radius of 1,500 miles at 15 knots and carries a complement of 15 men.
SG434 Sea Breezes 12/66

Post Reply