German destruction 9-11 août 1944 (≈ 10)
95% sabotage before the Liberation.
1942-1943
Initial construction
Initial construction 1942-1943 (≈ 1943)
Crane built during the occupation.
1944-1946
Post-war reconstruction
Post-war reconstruction 1944-1946 (≈ 1945)
Funded by war damage.
2 avril 1948
Fall due to storm
Fall due to storm 2 avril 1948 (≈ 1948)
Damages a trawler in repair.
années 1950
Reactivation
Reactivation années 1950 (≈ 1950)
After repairs by the shipyard.
1967
End of use
End of use 1967 (≈ 1967)
Transfer of naval activities.
2012
Purchase by the city
Purchase by the city 2012 (≈ 2012)
Conservation of industrial heritage.
17 octobre 2018
First registration
First registration 17 octobre 2018 (≈ 2018)
Registered as a historical object.
1er décembre 2021
Final classification
Final classification 1er décembre 2021 (≈ 2021)
Portico and its protected elements.
septembre 2022
Start of restorations
Start of restorations septembre 2022 (≈ 2022)
Conservation work undertaken.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The reinforced concrete gate with its rail (vestiges of the boiler shop), the roadway on the estacade and the two stops at the east and west ends, shown in the cadastre section IK on Parcel No. 36: inscription by order of 1 December 2022
Key figures
Joseph Paris - Industrial constructor
Company involved in its construction.
Ateliers et chantiers de la Loire - Lifting Equipment Service
Co-builder of the crane in 1942.
Chantiers Dubigeon - Shipyard owner
Historical user of the crane.
Origin and history
The portico of the Black Crane, built in Nantes between 1942 and 1943 during the occupation, was a hammer crane intended for the Dubigion Buildings of Chantenay. It was used to arm ships, including trawlers, cargoers and submarines, replacing a former less efficient lifting gear. Its lifting capacity ranged from 5 to 13 tons depending on the range.
In August 1944, during the Liberation of Nantes, the German army sabotaged the port, destroying the crane at 95%. Rebuilt between 1944 and 1946 thanks to war damage funds, it was restored to service in 1947. A storm in 1948 caused its fall on a trawler, delaying its reuse until the early 1950s. It operated until 1967, when naval activities were transferred.
Purchased by the city of Nantes in 2012, the black crane is today a testimony of local industrial heritage. Enlisted in the Historic Monuments in 2021, it was restored in 2022. Its reinforced concrete porch, rails and stops are protected, as is the nearby yellow crane, another vestige of the Dubigeon Buildings.
With a mass of 110 tons, this unsymmetric crane moved on bearings along the dock. She appeared in the film La Reine blanche (1991), illustrating her attachment to local culture. Its official inscription in 2022 covers the entire portico, its roadway and its stops east and west.
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