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| French Navy Free France Le Fantasque-class destroyer 2,570 Tons 132.40m x 11.98m x 4.3m 5 x 138mm guns (2 forward, 3 aft) (original) 4 x 37mm AA guns 4 x 13mm AA guns (After Refit) 8 x 40mm AA 10 x 20mm AA guns 9 x 550 mm torpedo tubes in three triple mounts 40 mines  RAN February 1942  RAN c1943 |
Ship History Built by Dunkerque shipyard in Dunkerque, France. Laid down August 28, 1931 as Le Fantasque-class destroyer. Launched April 16, 1934 as Le Triomphant, French for "The Triumphant". Commissioned May 25, 1936 in the French Navy. Wartime History During September 1939, Triomphant under the command of capitaine de frégate Pothau, part of the 2nd Light Squadron, in the 8th Large Destroyer Division, which also included her sister-ships Malin and Indomptable. The Squadron was headed by contre-amiral Lacroix. On September 2, 1939 at 8:00pm joined the Force de Raid to Casablanca, along with Dunkerque and Strasbourg, Georges Leygues, Gloire and Montcalm, Audacieux, Fantasque, Malin, Terrible, Indomptable, Mogador and Volta. On October 4, 1939 escorted convoy BC.8S, from Bristol Channel 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. On November 20, 1939 sortied to 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 December 11, 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 April 23, 1940 the 8th Large Destroyer Division conducted a sweep to fend off German anti-submarine ships in the Skagerrak 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. On June 10, 1940 when Italy declared war, Triomphant was under repairs at Lorient, France with capitaine de frégate Archambeaud. As the German advanced into France and threatened harbors in Britanny, Triomphant departed for Plymouth, United Kingdom. On July 3, 1940 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 August 28, 1940, and put under the command of captain Pierre Gilly. Her aft gun was replaced by a British model. On December 16, 1940 escorted convoy TC-8A. and two days later escorted convoy WS-5A. During the summer of 1941, Triomphant, under the command of Philippe Auboyneau departed for the Pacific and became the flagship of the Free French Pacific squadron. She arrived at St. John's on August 6, 1941 and ten days later transits the Panama Canal. While in the Panama Canal Zone (CZ), the destroyer was recognized and reported by a Japanese observer who reported her movement. This report was intercepted by Magic. On August 17, 1941 departs Balboa. On August 25, 1941 arrives San Diego. On September 5, 1941 departs for Honolulu arriving ten days later then steams for the South Pacific and eighteen days later arrives Papeete. Pacific War During December 1941, escorted the troopship SS Ormiston from Sydney to Nouméa. In late February 1942, Triomphant departed Nouméa to help with the evacuation of Nauru Island On February 23, 1942 embarks 61 Europeans, 391 Chinese and 49 military personnel. Next, to Ocean Island evacuating 823 Chinese and 232 Europeans. For the remainder of the year underwent a refit in Sydney. On December 24, 1942 arrives Melbourne and embarks five Royal Australian Navy (RAN) personnel Lieutenant Derek Percival Scales, Liaison Officer (RANVR, appointed to RN); D/SR615 Signalman George Horace Myall (RN); 25903 (C/JX223207) Signalman William Cutt Rendall (RN, on loan to RAN); PA1104 Telegraphist Ashmead Bartlett Croft (RAN) and 26092 (D/JX222003) Coder Harry Underwood. On February 8, 1943, at 2:30 am, the BHP iron ore carrier SS Iron Knight was hit by a torpedo fired by I-21. 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. he attempted to locate I-21 for a day, before returning to Sydney the next day. On September 8, 1943 at Sydney began another overhaul. On September 28, 1943 reclassified as a light cruiser On November 7, 1943 the overhaul was completed and departed for Melbourne then Fremantle. On November 26, 1943 Triomphant departed Fremantle 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 December 10, 1943 HMS Frobisher took over the tow, and tugboat HMRT Prudent took over on December 15, 1943 and four days later arrives Diego Suarez on Madagascar. On April 10, 1944 arrives Boston for an extensive refit that was completed by March 1945 then proceeds to the Indian Ocean. During May 1945, served with the Eastern Fleet in the Indian Ocean. Postwar During October 1945, Triomphant with battleship Richelieu escorted troopships bound for French Indochina (Vietnam). On March 6, 1946 under captain Jubelin, she took part in landing operations near Hai Phong (Haiphong). She sustained 20mm fire from Chinese troops that killed 8 sailors and wounded 20. Triomphant retaliated by firing her 138mm guns that ignited ammunition stores ashore and resulted in the surrender of the 28,000 Chinese soldiers. On December 19, 1945 decommissioned from the French Navy. Fate During 1960 broken up for scrap in Bizerte, Tunisia. References Note, Australian War Memorial (AWM) photograph captions list the ship as La Triomphant [sic, Le Triomphant]. Contribute
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