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French destroyer Le Fantasque

Le Fantasque
Le Fantasque in 1943
History
France
Name: Le Fantasque
Namesake: "The capricious one"
Laid down: 15 November 1931
Launched: 15 March 1934
Commissioned: 1 May 1936
Reclassified: March 1943
Notes:
  • Hull numbers:
  • From 1 May 1936: 10
  • From 1 April 1939: X101
  • From 7 June 1944: X103
  • From 1952: D610
General characteristics
Class and type: Le Fantasque-class destroyer
Displacement: 2,570 tonnes
Length: 132.40 m (434.4 ft)
Beam: 11.98 m (39.3 ft)
Draught: 4.30 m (14.1 ft)
Propulsion:
  • 4 Penhoët boilers
  • 2 Parsons or Rateau engines
  • 74,000 to 81,000 hp (55,000 to 60,000 kW)
  • 2 propellers
Speed:
  • 45 knots (83 km/h; 52 mph) (40 nominal)
  • 37 knots after refit
Range:
  • 1,200 km (650 nmi; 750 mi) at 34 knots (63 km/h; 39 mph)
  • 6,600 km at 17 knots
Complement:
  • 10 officers
  • 210 sailors
Armament:

Le Fantasque ("The capricious one") was a large destroyer ("contre-torpilleur", "torpedo boat destroyer") of the French Navy which served during the Second World War. Her class is the fastest type of destroyer ever built.

Le Fantasque was the first destroyer of its class, out of a total of six units built by order of the French naval program in 1930. These ships were designed to outclass the large escorts built by the Italian navy. The design strongly stressed firepower and speed over armour protection, and indeed, Le Fantasque is still to this day the fastest type of destroyer ever built.

In the beginning of the Second World War, Le Fantasque patrolled the Atlantic with the Force de Raid, sinking the German cargo ship Halle on 16 October 1939 and capturing its crew. She also took part in the hunt for the German cruiser Admiral Graf Spee. On 25 November, along with her sister ship Le Terrible and the heavy cruiser Dupleix, she captured the German merchantman Santa Fé.

After the Fall of France, Le Fantasque was assigned to the Vichy French 10th DCT (Division de Contre-Torpilleurs, "destroyer division"), with her sister ships Le Malin and L'Audacieux, based at Dakar. On 23 September 1940, the Allies attacked Dakar. Le Fantasque sailed through the harbour, setting smoke screens and protecting the stronger French units. She took fire from the British ships and aircraft, but was not damaged.


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