French destroyer Léopard
Encyclopedia
The Léopard was a Chacal class destroyer
Chacal class destroyer
The Chacal-class, sometimes known as the Jaguar class, were a group of six French navy large destroyers built commencing 1923. Designed as larger, more capable counterparts to the Bourasque class, they set a standard for French destroyer design until the mid-1930s...
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...
. As one of the large destroyers of her time, she was designed to escort convoys, large naval units, or serve as a light cruiser in remote sectors of the French Empire. She served during the Second World War, notably taking part in the Dunkirk evacuation, in convoy escorts from Great Britain, and was instrumental in the Liberation of La Réunion
Liberation of La Réunion
The Liberation of La Réunion was an amphibious landing and uprising which brought the island of La Réunion onto the Allied side during the Second World War...
. She was lost in 1943 near Tobruk
Tobruk
Tobruk or Tubruq is a city, seaport, and peninsula on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near the border with Egypt. It is the capital of the Butnan District and has a population of 120,000 ....
.
Early stages of the war
In May 1940, Léopard, under captaine de frégateFrigate 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 ,...
Loisel, constituted the 2nd Large Destroyer Division, along with Épervier, Fougueux and Frondeur. They served in a flotilla led by captain Urvoy de Portzamparc, who had his mark on Cyclone, and which also comprised the Chacal, Bourrasque, Orage, Mistral and Sirocco . On 28 May, a special flotilla was constituted under the command of Admiral Marcel Landriau, with this mark on Savorgnan de Brazza, comprising these ships and a number of smaller units.
On 31 May, Léopard supported operations of the Dunkirk evacuation and sustained damage from German bombing. She came under attack from German planes again on 2 June at 10:35, along with Épervier. On 5 June, she was still supporting the ground forces of Dunkirk with Épervier and Savorgnan de Brazza.
On 17 June, she patrolled Cherbourg with the squadron of Courbet, under Admiral Gaudin de Vilaine. On 19 June, the squadron sailed to Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
. The ships were under repair there when Operation Catapult was triggered, on 3 July. Léopard was handed over to the Free French Naval Forces
Free French Naval Forces
Les Forces Navales Françaises Libres were the naval arm of the Free French Forces during the Second World War. They were commanded by Admiral Emile Muselier.- History :...
on 31 August. Her command was given to lieutenant de vaisseau Jules Evenou, who went by the nom de guerre of "Jacques Richard".
Local escort at Clyde
In early 1941, Léopard served as a local escort, based at ClydeRiver Clyde
The River Clyde is a major river in Scotland. It is the ninth longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third longest in Scotland. Flowing through the major city of Glasgow, it was an important river for shipbuilding and trade in the British Empire....
. In this function, she would sail for a day or two with a departing convoy and provide protection in the Northern-Western Approaches before returning to Clyde.
As such, she escorted convoy WS5B from 12 January 1941, leaving the convoy on 14 January and returning to Clyde with HMS Witherington.. On 25 January, she similarly escorted convoy WS7, returning the next day.
On 24 February 1941, Léopard rescued 39 survivors of a British cargo ship and hunted down a German submarine.
On 25 March 1941, she escorted convoy WS7 .
In May 1942, Léopard was under repairs at Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
.
On 11 July 1942, at position 33.30N, 22.52W, as Léopard was part of the escort of Convoy OS33 bound for Freetown, HMS Spey spotted U-136 sailing surfaced. Spey gave chase and U-136 dived, attacked by Spey 's depth charges and Hedgehog
Hedgehog (weapon)
The Hedgehog was an anti-submarine weapon developed by the Royal Navy during World War II, that was deployed on convoy escort warships such as destroyers to supplement the depth charge. The weapon worked by firing a number of small spigot mortar bombs from spiked fittings...
and sustaining damage which reduced her speed to 3 knots. Léopard and HMS Pelican then joined in; Léopard made two 10-charge runs which sank U-136 with all hands at 33.28N 23.28W .
The next day, on 12 July, Léopard collided with HMS Lowestoft. She undertook a refit which lasted until March 1942.
Liberation of La Réunion
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
to La Réunion
La Reunion
La Reunion may refer to:* La Reunion , a communal settlement near present-day Dallas, Texas*La Réunion, Lot-et-Garonne, a town in the Lot-et-Garonne department of France*Réunion, an island in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar...
to claim the island for Free France. La Réunion was under authority of Governor Aubert, loyal to Vichy France
Vichy France
Vichy France, Vichy Regime, or Vichy Government, are common terms used to describe the government of France that collaborated with the Axis powers from July 1940 to August 1944. This government succeeded the Third Republic and preceded the Provisional Government of the French Republic...
. She arrived off Saint-Denis
Saint-Denis, Réunion
Saint-Denis is the préfecture of the French overseas region and department of Réunion, in the Indian Ocean. It is located at the island's northernmost point, close to the mouth of the Rivière Saint-Denis....
on 27 November at 23:00.
Two launches were sent to search for a favourable landing spot, before the entire 60-man party landed. At 2:30, Léopard was sighted by lookouts, but the landing party was quickly in control of Saint-Denis, meeting little resistance from local troops. A new governor, André Capagorry, landed. Some confusion arose as both governors, Aubert and Capagorry, made conflicting statements. A 95mm coastal battery defending Saint-Denis harbour, under Lieutenant Hugot, opened fire on Léopard, while communist cells activated, taking control of the city hall, arresting the mayor and electing Léon de Lépervanche leader of a "Committee of Public Safety".
As the coastal battery proved impossible to storm for the communist and Gaullist rebels, Léopard retreated under fire. She then began pounding Pointe des Galets
Pointe des Galets
The Pointe des Galets is a cape in the north-west of the island of Réunion, heading on the Indian Ocean. It is now entirely occupied by the town centre of Le Port, Réunion....
, while a sortie by Vichy loyalists was thwarted by small arms fire, severely wounding Hugot. The Vichists then retreated to Hell-Bourg
Hell-Bourg
Hell-Bourg is a small village in the Salazie commune of the French overseas department of Réunion. It is the main community in the island's Cirque de Salazie, and is named for the respected former admiral and island governor Anne Chrétien Louis de Hell. Previously the village had been named Bémaho...
, abandoning the battery, which allowed Léopard to enter the harbour. When the flag of the ship was known, Vichy forces refused to fight against fellow countrymen and engaged in negotiations, eventually surrendering on 30 November.
Léopard evacuated officials of the former regime to Mauritius to protect them against popular anger.
Patrols in the Indian Ocean
On 4 January 1943, Léopard departed from Kilindini, bound for Tamatave where she arrived on 7 January. From there, she sailed to Diego SuarezAntsiranana
Antsiranana , named Diego-Suarez prior to 1975, is a city at the northern tip of Madagascar.Antsiranana is the capital of Diana Region.-Transports:...
, arriving the next day. On 9 January, she left again for Réunion
Réunion
Réunion is a French island with a population of about 800,000 located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about south west of Mauritius, the nearest island.Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas departments of France...
, where she arrived on 11 January, making the passage to Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
the same day.
On 9 February, she departed Mauritius, bound for Réunion and Tamatave, but had to return on the next day with an engine failure. Having repaired, she sailed again on 11 February and arrived at Tamatave the next day. She returned to Mauritius again on 18 February, arriving on 21 February, and the next day sailed for Diego Suarez. On 25 February, she was at Mauritius again, leaving on 27 February and arriving at Réunion the same day.
On 24 April 1943, Léopard left Diego Suarez, bound for Djibouti and Suez. She arrived at Djibouti on 30 April. .
Loss
On 27 May 1943, Léopard accidentally ran aground near TobrukTobruk
Tobruk or Tubruq is a city, seaport, and peninsula on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near the border with Egypt. It is the capital of the Butnan District and has a population of 120,000 ....
.
She was destroyed by the tides a few days later and became a total loss.