High Definition photos of the decommissioned S636 Argonaute Submarine in Paris France
When constructed the S636 Argonaute submarine, or in French is called l‘Argonaute Sous-Marin, was a diesel-electric submarine of Arethuse class, that was launched on 23rd October 1958 and weighed in at over 500 tons with a length of almost 50 metres, she gave 24 years of service and was once the Flagship for the French Navy.
HD photograph showing the S636 Argonaut Submarine that is located in Parc de la Villette
Located in the impressive and large Parc de la Villette in this image you can see the Argonaute submarine, which is positioned in such a way that you are standing almost in line with it for better views rather than having to look up at it, and this picture was taken as we were looking towards the Cite des Sciences museum and the Geode, which is the very large unique globe that holds a cinema.
Panoramic picture showing the Argonaut S636 Submarine upper dry dock area
The Parc de la Villette park is characterised by numerous red buildings, and the one you can see in this panoramic photo holds the information centre and ticket office to the restored Argonaute submarine that you can also see in all its glory with the Geode in the background, and even though it was a beautiful summers day, we still managed to get this picture with ought any people in the way.
Photo of the lower dry dock area and the rear end of the Argonaut Submarine
The full official name of this submarine is the Argonaute Sous-Marin and this was the fourth ship of the French navy to bear the name Argonaute, which was originally a prototype at the time of launch, and it took over 7 years of negotiations in order to save this submarine and make it a tourist attraction in Paris for all to see and gaze in awe at a piece of maritime history.
HD photograph of the Argonauts torpedo tubes
This photo shows the firing tubes on one side of the Argonaute submarine, which was eventually transported from the Cote d'Azur and arrived at its final resting place in the Parc de la Villette in Paris, where in 1991 it became one of the more unusual tourist attractions and museums in Paris for people to discover more about the technical wonders of naval history.
In this photo you can see the Argonauts stern planes and propeller on the back
In this photo you can see the fully restored Argonaute submarine that the public can now visit in Paris, but you will also notice there are lots of steps, which unfortunately means that the submarine itself is not accessible to the disabled, although those that are in wheelchairs can still experience the visitors centre and discover more about the submarine and this part of French maritime history.
Picture showing the S636 Argonauts periscope system
Here you can see the red building by the entrance to the visitors centre which is where you can pay to access the submarine, and just in front you can see the Argonauts periscope system used when submerged and on naval exercises, and did see active duty in the 1950s.
This picture shows the Argonaut Submarines conning tower, or sail section
In this particular picture you can see the top part of the Argonaute submarine, which shows its unique number and this part is normally known as the fairwater or sail, but during World War II it was often referred to as the Conning Tower, as this is the lookout station where things such as the periscopes, radio masts are positioned on a submarine
Photo looking down from the bow section of the Argonaut Submarine
We took this photo while standing by the bow of the Argonaute submarine, so the propeller is actually at the back, or stern as it is called, but for us, it seems hard to imagine that a whole crew would be living and working in such cramped conditions on this submarine, which is not even quite 50 metres in length.
The stairs and entrance doorway to the S636 Argonaut Submarine
Now in this photograph we have tried to give you some kind of perspective of the actual size and length of the S636 Argonaute, which was the flagship of the French naval base at Toulon, and was in service for 24 years, only being decommissioned in the July of 1982.
Photo of the Argonauts stern and belly section
The Argonautes dry dock give you a great opportunity to see this submarine up close and personal, even without walking on board, and as you can see from this photo you have two levels that you can view this unusual attraction from, this of course being the lower section of the dry dock.
Photograph showing the starboard side view of the stern section of the S636 Argonaut Submarine
Not many people know, but the Argonaute submarine spent over 2000 days at sea and more than 32,000 hours submerged, which means that she could have gone around the world approximately 10 times during her 24 years of service in the French navy.
Argonauts information board showing opening times
This photo shows the information board for the Argonaute submarine, giving details on opening times and how you can pay letting you to walk around onboard and experience the inside of this unique attraction.
S636 Argonauts top viewing area
