.gif)
Le Fantasque (1935)
Encyclopedia
The Fantasque ("Capricious one") was a large destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
("contre-torpilleur", "torpedo boat 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...
which served during the Second World War. Her class
Le Fantasque class destroyer
The Fantasque class of six large, very fast destroyers was ordered under the French naval programme of 1930...
is the fastest type of destroyer ever built.
The Fantasque was the second destroyer of the Malin class, out of a total of six units built, but in English, her name is most often associated with this class. 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, the Fantasque is still to this day the fastest type of destroyer ever built.
In the beginning of the Second World War, the Fantasque patrolled the Atlantic, sinking the German cargo ship Halle on 16 October 1939 and capturing its crew. She also took part in the hunt for the Graf Spee. On 25 November, along with her sister ship Terrible
French destroyer Le Terrible
The Terrible was a large destroyer of the French Navy in service during World War II.-History:Terrible was launched in 1933 and displaced 2,570 tonnes with 74,000 HP...
and the heavy cruiser
Heavy cruiser
The heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range, high speed and an armament of naval guns roughly 203mm calibre . The heavy cruiser can be seen as a lineage of ship design from 1915 until 1945, although the term 'heavy cruiser' only came into formal use in 1930...
Dupleix
French cruiser Dupleix
The Dupleix was a French heavy cruiser of the Suffren type, that saw service during World War II. She was named for the 18th century Governor-General of French India Joseph François Dupleix....
, she captured the German merchantman Santa Fé.
After the Fall of France, the Fantasque was assigned to the Vichy French 10th DCT (Division de Contre-Torpilleurs, "destroyer division"), with 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 Audacieux
French destroyer Audacieux
The Audacieux was a large destroyer of the French Navy which served during the Second World War.-History:Audacieux was launched on March 14, 1934 and commissioned on August 8, 1936....
, based at Dakar
Dakar
Dakar is the capital city and largest city of Senegal. It is located on the Cap-Vert Peninsula on the Atlantic coast and is the westernmost city on the African mainland...
. On 23 September 1940, the Allies attacked Dakar
Battle of Dakar
The Battle of Dakar, also known as Operation Menace, was an unsuccessful attempt in September 1940 by the Allies to capture the strategic port of Dakar in French West Africa , which was under Vichy French control, and to install the Free French under General Charles de Gaulle there.-Background:At...
. The 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.
Shortly after Operation Torch
Operation Torch
Operation Torch was the British-American invasion of French North Africa in World War II during the North African Campaign, started on 8 November 1942....
, French West Africa
French West Africa
French West Africa was a federation of eight French colonial territories in Africa: Mauritania, Senegal, French Sudan , French Guinea , Côte d'Ivoire , Upper Volta , Dahomey and Niger...
and its fleet, including Fantasque, turned to the Allies
Allies
In everyday English usage, allies are people, groups, or nations that have joined together in an association for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out between them...
. In March 1943, she underwent refitting in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, repairing damage, adding radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
s and ASDIC, and reinforcing her anti-aircraft armament. After the refit, she was reclassified as a light cruiser
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
.
On 9 September 1943 she took part in the Salerno landings (Operation Avalanche), providing fire support for the landing force.
On the night of 13-14 September, she landed 250 commandos at Ajaccio
Ajaccio
Ajaccio , is a commune on the island of Corsica in France. It is the capital and largest city of the region of Corsica and the prefecture of the department of Corse-du-Sud....
, along with ammunition and weapons for the maquis
Maquis (World War II)
The Maquis were the predominantly rural guerrilla bands of the French Resistance. Initially they were composed of men who had escaped into the mountains to avoid conscription into Vichy France's Service du travail obligatoire to provide forced labour for Germany...
.
On 24 December 1943, she intercepted the German merchant ship Nicoline Maersk, forcing the freighter to run aground near Tortosa
Tortosa
-External links:* *** * * *...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
In 1944, the 10th DCT was reconstituted to raid deep in the Adriatic, with the aim of isolating Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
from Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
. On the night of 18-19 March, along with the Terrible, she encountered a German convoy composed of the large ferry F124, the tugboat Titanic, and three escorts (FS270, FS273 and FS274); all enemy ships were sunk except for Titanic, which managed to escape to Kyparissia
Kyparissia
Kyparissia is a town and a former municipality in Messenia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Trifylia, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit. The town proper has around 5,708 inhabitants. The town is located on Greek National Road 9,...
.
On 17 June, along with Terrible, she sank the tanker Giuliana and damaged the R5 and R14.
On 15 August, the 10th DCT took part in Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon was the Allied invasion of southern France on August 15, 1944, during World War II. The invasion was initiated via a parachute drop by the 1st Airborne Task Force, followed by an amphibious assault by elements of the U.S. Seventh Army, followed a day later by a force made up...
, the Allied landing in Provence
Provence
Provence ; Provençal: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm) is a region of south eastern France on the Mediterranean adjacent to Italy. It is part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
.
Between 1945 and 1946, she served in Indochina
Indochina
The Indochinese peninsula, is a region in Southeast Asia. It lies roughly southwest of China, and east of India. The name has its origins in the French, Indochine, as a combination of the names of "China" and "India", and was adopted when French colonizers in Vietnam began expanding their territory...
. In 1950, she was placed in the reserve, reclassified as a "swift escort" and received the pennant number
Pennant number
In the modern Royal Navy, and other navies of Europe and the Commonwealth, ships are identified by pennant numbers...
D610. In 1953, she was towed by tug to Toulon
Toulon
Toulon is a town in southern France and a large military harbor on the Mediterranean coast, with a major French naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region, Toulon is the capital of the Var department in the former province of Provence....
, where she was used as a floating barracks.
On 2 May 1957, she was struck from the Navy list, renamed Q98, and sold for scrap.
See also
- Abdiel class minelayerAbdiel class minelayerThe Abdiel class were a class of six fast minelayers commissioned into the Royal Navy and active during the Second World War. They were also known as the Manxman class and as "mine-laying cruisers".-Design:...
- another fast class of a similar size