French ship La Motte-Picquet

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Marine Nationale

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Four ships of the French Navy have been named in honour of the XVIIIth Century admiral count Toussaint-Guillaume Picquet de la Motte.

• a 2nd class propeller aviso (1859); she was launched in Cherbourg and carred out numerous overseas missions (Africa, South Atlantic, Pacific, Indochina), notably evacuating 80 religious from Málaga in 1873. She was decommissioned in 1880. 736 tonnes, length of 54.55 m, width 8.52 m, beam 4.35 m, 4 140 mm guns, 878 m2 of sails; 89 men ; Mazeline Le Havre engine)

• a Hamelin type coast ferry (1919). She was built at the chantiers de la Loire and launched on the 26 September 1919. Used for ferry and escorts near the coast, she was renamed Adour on the 26 June 1922, and Alfred de Courcy in 1924. From 1934, she served for flying ship support. (700 tonnes; length 51.25 m, width 7.90 m, beam 4.25 m; 1 90mm gun; 1200 HP; 12 knots; 2 boilers; 2 off. + 25 men)

• a The French cruiser Lamotte-Piquet, of the Duguay-Trouin class. Built from the 17 January 1923, commissioned 1st September 1926. On the 17 January 1941, she was the flagship of the division of Indochina, and won the Battle of Koh-Chang against the Siamese fleet (now Thaïland). She was sunk in January 1945 by US planes.

• The present La Motte-Picquet is an anti-submarine frigate of the F70 type.