French destroyer Le Triomphant
Encyclopedia
The Triomphant was a Fantasque class destroyer of the French Navy
French Navy
The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
Phony war
At the outbreak of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, in September 1939, Triomphant under capitaine de frégate
Frigate Captain
Frigate captain is a naval rank in the naval forces of several countries.It is, usually, equivalent to the Commonwealth/US Navy rank of commander.Countries using this rank include Argentina and Spain , France , Belgium , Italy ,...
Pothau, was part of the 2nd Light Squadron, in the 8th Large Destroyer Division, which also included her sister-ships Malin
French destroyer Malin
The Malin was a large destroyer of the French Navy which served during the Second World War.-History:Malin was launched in august 1933 and commissioned in june 1936....
and Indomptable
French destroyer Indomptable
Indomptable was the name of a French large destroyer that served in World War 2.-History:After being launched in December 7, 1933, Indomptable entered in service in the spring of 1936....
. The Squadron was headed by contre-amiral Lacroix.
On 2 September, at 20h00, she sailed with the Force de Raid to Casablanca
Casablanca
Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
, along with Dunkerque and Strasbourg, Georges Leygues, Gloire and Montcalm, Audacieux, Fantasque, Malin, Terrible, Indomptable,
Mogador and Volta .
From 4 October, she escorted convoy BC.8S, from Bristol Channel
Bristol Channel
The Bristol Channel is a major inlet in the island of Great Britain, separating South Wales from Devon and Somerset in South West England. It extends from the lower estuary of the River Severn to the North Atlantic Ocean...
to the Loire River. From 17 October, she escorted convoy HG.3, from Gibraltar, before returning to Brest on 20. On 22, she departed with Dunkerque and several other destroyers to escort convoy KJ.3, from Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
..
On 20 November 1939, she was sent out in search for German submarines who had attacked convoy KS.27. On 25, along with Malin, she joined up with Strasbourg and escorted her to Brest, where they arrived on 29.
On 11 December 1939, battleship Dunkerque departed with a cargo of 100 tonnes of gold for Canada, escorted by Gloire and Mogador, Volta, Triomphant, Terrible and Valmy.
On 23 April 1940, the 8th Large Destroyer Division conducted a sweep to fend off German anti-submarine ships in the Skagerrak
Skagerrak
The Skagerrak is a strait running between Norway and the southwest coast of Sweden and the Jutland peninsula of Denmark, connecting the North Sea and the Kattegat sea area, which leads to the Baltic Sea.-Name:...
strait. In the early morning of the next day, they encountered the German trawlers Memel and Guido Mohring, which served as auxiliary patrol boats Vp.702 and Vp.709, who managed to break off. The Destroyer Division also located and attacked U-26, who escaped. Triomphant was damaged at her port propeller by a near miss.. On 28, she sailed to Lorient for repairs.
Atlantic
On 10 June 1940, at the Italian declaration of warItalian invasion of France
The Italian invasion of France in June 1940 was a small-scale invasion that started near the end of the Battle of France during World War II. The goal of the Italian offensive was to take control of the Alps mountain range and the region around Nice, and to win the colonies in North Africa...
, Triomphant was under repairs at Lorient
Lorient
Lorient, or L'Orient, is a commune and a seaport in the Morbihan department in Brittany in north-western France.-History:At the beginning of the 17th century, merchants who were trading with India had established warehouses in Port-Louis...
, under capitaine de frégate
Frigate Captain
Frigate captain is a naval rank in the naval forces of several countries.It is, usually, equivalent to the Commonwealth/US Navy rank of commander.Countries using this rank include Argentina and Spain , France , Belgium , Italy ,...
Archambeaud. As the German advanced in France and threatened the harbours in Britanny, Triomphant departed for Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
.
On 3 July 1940, she was captured by the British at Plymouth, as part of Operation Catapult. Because of the complexity of her handling and of the need to support the Free France, Triomphant was handed to the FNFL, on 28 August 1940, and put under the command of captain Pierre Gilly.
. Her aft gun was replaced by a British model
.
On 16 December 1940, she escorted convoy TC-8A . From 18, she served in the escort of convoy WS-5A .
Pacific
Triomphant, under Philippe Auboyneau, was transferred to the Pacific theater in the summer of 1941, to become the flagship of the Free French Pacific squadron. She arrived at St. John'sSt. John's, Antigua and Barbuda
St John's is the capital and largest city of Antigua and Barbuda, a country located in the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea. St John's is located at...
on 6 August, crossed the Panama canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
on 16, and departed Balboa
Balboa, Panama
Balboa is a district of Panama City, located at the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal.- History :The town of Balboa, founded by the United States during the construction of the Panama Canal, was named after Vasco Núñez de Balboa, the Spanish conquistador credited with discovering the Pacific Ocean...
on 17 August. In the process, she was recognised and reported by a Japanese observer, whose transmission was intercepted by Magic
Magic (cryptography)
Magic was an Allied cryptanalysis project during World War II. It involved the United States Army's Signals Intelligence Section and the United States Navy's Communication Special Unit. -Codebreaking:...
.. Triomphant reached San Diego on 25. She departed on 5 September bound for Honolulu, which she reached on 15 September, and Papeete
Papeete
-Sights:* Interactive Google map of Papeete, to discover the 30 major tourist attractions in Papeete downtown.*The waterfront esplanade*Bougainville Park -Sights:* Interactive Google map of Papeete, to discover the 30 major tourist attractions in Papeete downtown.*The waterfront...
on 23.
In December 1941, she escorted the troopship SS Ormiston from Sydney to Nouméa
In late February 1942, as a Japanese invasion of Nauru
Nauru
Nauru , officially the Republic of Nauru and formerly known as Pleasant Island, is an island country in Micronesia in the South Pacific. Its nearest neighbour is Banaba Island in Kiribati, to the east. Nauru is the world's smallest republic, covering just...
and Ocean Island was feared, Triomphant departed the New Hebrides
New Hebrides
New Hebrides was the colonial name for an island group in the South Pacific that now forms the nation of Vanuatu. The New Hebrides were colonized by both the British and French in the 18th century shortly after Captain James Cook visited the islands...
to evacuate the part of their population that would be at risk under Japanese invasion. She arrived on 23 February on Nauru, taking aboard 61 Europeans, 391 Chinese and 49 military personnel Then she headed to Ocean Island, 300 km away and took onboard 823 Chinese and 232 European. She subsequently undertook refit in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, which took most of 1942 .
On 8 February 1943, at 2:30 am, the BHP
BHP Billiton
BHP Billiton is a global mining, oil and gas company headquartered in Melbourne, Australia and with a major management office in London, United Kingdom...
iron ore carrier SS Iron Knight
SS Iron Knight
SS Iron Knight was a 4,812 GRT Australian iron ore carrier which was sunk during World War II by a Japanese submarine.-History:Iron Knight was built by Lithgows Ltd, Port Glasgow for Broken Hill Proprietary Company, Broken Hill...
was hit by a torpedo fired by I-21
Japanese submarine I-21
was a Japanese Type B1 submarine which saw service during World War II in the Imperial Japanese Navy. She displaced 1,950 tons and had a speed of . I-21 was the most successful Japanese submarine to operate in Australian waters, participating in the attack on Sydney Harbour in 1942 and sinking...
. She went to the bottom, bow first, in only two minutes, claiming 36 lives. Triomphant picked up the 14 survivors on a raft 10 hours later.
She attempted to locate I-21 for a day, before returning to Sydney the next day.
On 26 November 1943, Triomphant departed Fremantle
Fremantle, Western Australia
Fremantle is a city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle was the first area settled by the Swan River colonists in 1829...
to escort a convoy comprising the American oil tanker Cedar Mills and the Dutch cargo ship Java. The convoy was struck by a cyclone, nearly sinking Triomphant; with a 45° list, she was taken in tow by Cedar Mills. On 10 December, HMS Frobisher
HMS Frobisher (D81)
HMS Frobisher was a Hawkins-class heavy cruiser of the Royal Navy. She was built at Devonport Dockyard and launched on 20 March 1920.-Interwar career:...
took the tow, and the tugboat HMRT Prudent took over on 15, arriving at Diego Suarez
Antsiranana
Antsiranana , named Diego-Suarez prior to 1975, is a city at the northern tip of Madagascar.Antsiranana is the capital of Diana Region.-Transports:...
on 19.
She was subsequently sent for refit to the United States, where she remained until March 1945. From May, she served with the Eastern Fleet in the Indian Ocean.
Late career
In October 1945, along with battleship Richelieu, Triomphant escorted troopships bound for French IndochinaFrench Indochina
French Indochina was part of the French colonial empire in southeast Asia. A federation of the three Vietnamese regions, Tonkin , Annam , and Cochinchina , as well as Cambodia, was formed in 1887....
.
On 6 March 1946, under captain Jubelin, she took part in landing operations near Haiphong. She sustained 20mm fire from Chinese troops, killing 8 sailors and wounding 20. Triomphant retaliated by firing her 138 mm guns, which ignited ammunition stores and entailed the surrender of the 28,000 strong Chinese forces.
Triomphant was decommissioned on 19 December 1954 and was scrapped in Bizerte in 1960.
Sources and references
- Les bâtiments ayant porté le nom de Triomphant, netmarine.net
- AWM Collection Record: P05103.006: "A massive wave washes over the deck of the Free French Force destroyer, Le Triomphant, during a cyclone"