French destroyer Terrible
French destroyer Le Terrible, post-war
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| History | |
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 France
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| Name: | Le Terrible |
| Laid down: | 1931 |
| Launched: | 30 November 1933 |
| Commissioned: | 1 May 1936 |
| Reclassified: | March 1943 |
| Fate: | scrapped June 1962 |
| 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) |
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Le Terrible ("The terrible one") was a large destroyer (contre-torpilleur, "Torpedo-boat destroyer") of the French Navy in service during World War II.
Le Terrible was launched in 1933 and displaced 2,570 tonnes with 74,000 HP. She became the fastest destroyer ever when she reached 45.1 knots during trials in 1935.
The Le Fantasque-class destroyers were assigned to the Force de Raid when war was declared. On 25 October 1939, along with her sister-ship Le Fantasque, Le Terrible captured the German cargo ship Santa Fe.
She took part in the battle of Mers-el-Kebir on 3 July 1940, exiting the harbour and engaging the British fleet. She attempted to torpedo large British units, but was recalled to escort the French battleship Strasbourg back to Toulon.
Le Terrible took part in the Battle of Dakar in September 1940.
Shortly after Operation Torch, French West Africa and its fleet, including Le Terrible, rejoined the Allies. In March 1943, she entered a major refit and modernization in Boston, where she was fitted with two radars, a new ASDIC, new anti-air weaponry and other improvements. She was then reclassified as a "light cruiser" to match Allied standards, and was sent to the Mediterranean theater of war.
She took part in Allied invasion of Italy, bombarding shore targets and repelling German planes. On 13 December 1943, she landed 250 men in Ajaccio.
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Wikipedia