L'Adroit class destroyer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| L'Adroit' class Destroyer | |
|---|---|
 L'Adroit class destroyer |
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| Class Overview | |
| Type: | Destroyer |
| Name: | L'Adroit |
| Number of ships: | 14 |
| Preceded by: | Bourrasque class |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 1378 tons |
| Length: | 107m |
| Propulsion: | Geared turbines giving 35000 SHP |
| Speed: | 33 knots |
| Complement: | 100 officers and men |
| Armament: | 4 x 130mm (5.1in) guns 2 x 37 mm /50 DCA - 3.7 cm Mod 1933 AA guns |
The Adroit class was a group of twelve French navy destroyers (contre-torpilleur) laid down in 1925-6 and commissioned from 1928 to 1931. They were the successors to the Bourrasque class, with the same armament, but being slightly heavier overall.
The class saw varied service in the Second World War.
La Railleuse was the first French destroyer casualty of the War, on 24 March 1940, being blown up in Casablanca harbour by a torpedo explosion. L'Adroit was sunk by a bomb from a German He-111 bomber on 21 May 1940 near Dunkirk, but her entire crew were able to escape and served in shore batteries until the French capitulation. Le Foudroyant was sunk in similar circumstances, but with more loss of life, on 1 June 1940.
Basque, Forbin and Fortune were part of the French Alexandria squadron, which were disarmed by the British on 22 June 1940 following French capitulation. They were rearmed under Free French auspices in December 1943.
Boulonnais, Brestois, Le Fougueux and Le Frondeur were all sunk by Allied ships off Casablanca, as part of Operation Torch. L'Alcyon survived the attack and joined the Allies.
Bordelais, Palme and Mars joined many other French warships in scuttling at Toulon to stop their being taken over by the German navy.
