Le Fantasque class destroyer

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Le Malin' class Destroyer
Le Fantasque
Class Overview
Type:	Destroyer
Name:	Le Malin
Number of ships:	6
Succeeded by:	T 47 class destroyer
General characteristics
Displacement:	2,569 tons (standard) 3200 to 3400 tons (full load)
Length:	132.40 m
Beam:	11.98 m
Draught:	4.30 m
Propulsion:	4 Penhoët boilers 2 Parsons or Rateau engines geared turbines, 2 shafts 74,000 to 81,000 shp
Speed:	45 knots (40 nominal) 37 knots after refit
Range:	1,200 km at 34 knots 6,600 km at 17 knots
Complement:	10 officers 210 sailors
Armament:	5 x 138 mm (5.43 inch) guns (5x1; 2 forward, 3 aft) 4 x 37 mm AA guns (4x1) (original) 4 x 13 mm AA machine guns (original) 8 x 40 mm AA Bofors guns (after refit) 10 x 20 mm Oerlikon guns (after refit) 9 x 550 mm torpedo tubes (3x3) 40 mines (some sources state 50)
Ships of the class
Le Fantasque Le Malin Le Terrible L'Indomptable L'Audacieux Le Triomphant

The Le Fantasque class of six large, very fast destroyers (also referred to as the Le Malin class) was ordered under the French naval programme of 1930. They served in World War II for both Vichy France and the Free French Forces.

The original purpose of these large French destroyers, and the earlier Chacal class, was to operate with battleship and cruiser forces, although they were not restricted to this. The Italian navy, the Regia Marina, reacted by building the Capitani Romani class cruisers. Those ships that sailed with the Allies were classed as light cruisers.

There were six ships in the class:

• Le Fantasque
• Le Malin, launched 17th August 1933, effectively destroyed at Casablanca, scrapped February 1964
• Le Terrible, launched 30th November 1933, scrapped June 1962
• L'Indomptable, launched 7th December 1933, scuttled Toulon 27th November 1942
• L'Audacieux, launched 15th March 1934, severely damaged at the Battle of Dakar, repaired, sunk 7th May 1943 at Bizerte by Allied bombing
• Le Triomphant, launched 16th April 1934, stricken December 1954