Destroyers: L'Adroit Class

[Brian James]

L'Adroit Class Destroyer FS Boulonnais pictured at Toulon.
They were a group of fourteen French Destroyers (Torpilleur) laid down in 1925–26 and commissioned from 1928 to 1931.
The Class saw varied service in the Second World War.
La Railleuse was the first French Destroyer casualty of the war, being blown up in Casablanca harbour by an accidental torpedo explosion on March 24th 1940. L'Adroit was sunk by a bomb from a German He 111 bomber on May 21st 1940 near Dunkirk, but her entire crew were able to escape and served in shore batteries until the French capitulation. Foudroyant was sunk in similar circumstances, but with more loss of life, on June 1st 1940.
Basque, Forbin and Le Fortuné were part of the French Alexandria squadron, which were disarmed by the British on June 22nd 1940 following French capitulation. They were rearmed under Free French auspices in December 1943.
Boulonnais, Brestois, Fougueux and Frondeur were all sunk by Allied ships off Casablanca, as part of Operation Torch. L'Alcyon survived the attack and later joined the Allies.
Bordelais, La Palme and Le Mars joined many other French warships in scuttling at Toulon to stop their being taken over by the German navy.Destroyer FS Boulonnais pictured at Toulon.
They were a group of fourteen French Destroyers (Torpilleur) laid down in 1925–26 and commissioned from 1928 to 1931.
The Class saw varied service in the Second World War.
La Railleuse was the first French Destroyer casualty of the war, being blown up in Casablanca harbour by an accidental torpedo explosion on March 24th 1940. L'Adroit was sunk by a bomb from a German He 111 bomber on May 21st 1940 near Dunkirk, but her entire crew were able to escape and served in shore batteries until the French capitulation. Foudroyant was sunk in similar circumstances, but with more loss of life, on June 1st 1940.
Basque, Forbin and Le Fortuné were part of the French Alexandria squadron, which were disarmed by the British on June 22nd 1940 following French capitulation. They were rearmed under Free French auspices in December 1943.
Boulonnais, Brestois, Fougueux and Frondeur were all sunk by Allied ships off Casablanca, as part of Operation Torch. L'Alcyon survived the attack and later joined the Allies.
Bordelais, La Palme and Le Mars joined many other French warships in scuttling at Toulon to stop their being taken over by the German navy.