Diving in! The adventure of the first submersibles

As part of “Depths” cycle, the musée national de la Marine in Rochefort sheds light on the origins of the first military submarines, closely linked to the history of the local naval arsenal.

A major center of shipbuilding in the 17th and 18th centuries, the Rochefort arsenal continued its activity into the 19th and 20th centuries, specializing in smaller naval units such as submarines and torpedo boats. One hundred years after its official closure, the exhibition revisits this fascinating chapter of French maritime history and pays tribute to its engineers and crews.

From Le Plongeur, the first experimental submarine that marked the beginnings of France’s submarine force in 1863, to the tragic sinkings of the Farfadet-class submarines at the turn of the 20th century, visitors discover a story shaped by trial and error. 

Presented in a chronological route from the mid-19th century to the present day, nearly 60 items — including archival documents, technical objects, artworks and scale models — illustrate the enduring fascination with these “machines of the deep” from their earliest forms to contemporary developments.

Charlotte Drahé, administrator of the musée national de la Marine in Rochefort