La Melpomène-class torpedo boat

The La Melpomène class was a group of 12 French torpedo boats built from 1933 to 1935.[1][2]

Class overview
NameLa Melpomène class
Operators French Navy
Preceded byMistral class
Succeeded byLe Fier class
Completed12
Lost6
General characteristics
TypeDestroyer
Displacement610 tons standard, 834 tons full load
Length80.7 m (264 ft 9 in) o.a.
Beam7.96 m (26 ft 1 in)
Draught3.07 m (10 ft 1 in)
Installed power
  • 2 boilers
  • 22,000 shp (16,000 kW)
PropulsionGeared turbines, 2 shafts
Speed34.5 knots (63.9 km/h; 39.7 mph)
Complement5/8 officers, 94 men
Armament

Ships in class

After serving with Marine Nationale, the ships of the La Melpomène class saw service in World War II with the Kriegsmarine, Marine Nationale de l´Armistice (Vichy French Navy), Regia Marina, Free French Navy, Royal Navy and Royal Netherlands Navy.

Ship Builder Commissioned Fate
La Melpomène AC de Bretagne, Nantes 12 November 1936 Sold and scrapped 15.5.1950
La Pomone AC de la Loire, Nantes 6 December 1936 see below
La Flore AC de Bretagne, Nantes 17 November 1936 Sold and scrapped 31.8.1950
L'Iphigénie AC de la Loire, Nantes 21 November 1936 see below
La Bayonnaise C Maritimes du Sud Ouest, Bordeaux 7 April 1938 see below
Bombarde AC de la Loire, Nantes 1 August 1938 see below
L'Incomprise AC Seine Maritime, Le Trait 12 March 1938 see below
La Poursuivante AC de France, Dunkirk 10 November 1937 see below
La Cordelière AC Augustin-Normand, Le Havre 11 November 1937 see below
Branlebas AC Augustin-Normand, Le Havre 10 March 1938 Foundered off Eddystone on 14 December 1940
Baliste AC de France, Dunkirk 14 May 1938 see below
Bouclier AC Seine Maritime, Le Trait 6 August 1938 see below

Service histories
  • La Melpomène was in a British port in June 1940. After brief service with the Royal Navy, she was transferred into FNFL (Free French) service. In 1950 was sold for scrap.
  • La Pomone was in Vichy service after June 1940. Seized by the Germans at Bizerte, in December 1942, she became the Italian FR.42, and the German TA.10 in May 1943. In action against HMS Eclipse near Rhodes, she was badly damaged, and scuttled on 27 September 1943.
  • La Flore on the night of 21 May 1940 at the invitation of Admiral Abrial, carried General Weygand, the recently-installed supreme commander of French Forces, from Dunkirk via Dover to Cherbourg in order to reach Paris, having failed to meet up with Lord Gort, commander of the British Expeditionary Force. Flore had left Dunkirk harbour at full speed during a German air raid.[3] She was in a British port in June 1940. She was transferred into FNFL (Free French) service. In 1950 was sold for scrap.
  • L'Iphigénie was in Vichy service after June 1940. Seized by the Germans at Bizerte, in December 1942, she became the Italian FR.43, and the German TA.11 in May 43. She was sunk by Italian MAS motor torpedo boats at Piombino, 10 September 1943.
  • La Bayonnaise was scuttled in Toulon on November 27, 1942, to avoid her capture. The ship was raised by the Italians and renamed FR.44. She was repaired, but was taken over by the Germans after the Italian armistice and were renamed TA.13. As TA.13 she was scuttled on 23 August 1944.
  • Bombarde was in Vichy service after June 1940. She was seized by the Germans at Bizerte in December 1942, entering into Italian service as FR.41. However, she was once again captured by the Germans during the Italian armistice of September 1943, and were renamed TA.9. As TA.9 she was sunk by US aircraft off Toulon, 23 August 1944.
  • L'Incomprise was seized by the British at Portsmouth after the Fall of France. She served with the Free French Forces. At the war's end she was decommissioned and sold for scrap in 1950.
  • La Poursuivante was in Vichy service after June 1940. She was scuttled in Toulon on November 27, 1942, to avoid her capture, leaving her a total constructive loss.
  • La Cordelière was seized by the British at Portsmouth on 3 July 1940; she was returned to serve with Free French Forces. At the war's end she was decommissioned and sold for scrap in 1950.
  • Branlebas was seized by the British at Portsmouth on 3 July 1940; The Branlebas was retained by the Royal Navy but foundered 25 miles off Eddystone on 14 December 1940.
  • Baliste was in Vichy service after June 1940. She was scuttled in Toulon on November 27, 1942, to avoid her capture. The ship was raised by the Italians and were renamed FR45. She was taken over by the Germans after the Italian armistice and was renamed TA.12. As TA.12 she was sunk by Allied aircraft on 22 August 1943.[4]
  • Bouclier was seized by the British at Portsmouth on 3 July 1940; She was first transferred to Royal Dutch Navy and renamed as HNLMS Bouclier, but was returned to Free French forces in January 1941. At the war's end she was decommissioned and sold for scrap in 1950.

References
  1. "La Melpoméne class Torpedo boats – Allied Warships of WWII". uboat.net. 1940-12-14. Retrieved 2012-08-21.
  2. "France – Torpedo boats – class LA MELPOMÈNE – Warships 1900-1950". warshipsww2.eu. Archived from the original on 2012-09-18. Retrieved 2012-08-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  3. Thorne, Alistair (1969). To Lose a Battle: France 1940. London: Macmillan. p. 572.
  4. Other sources give Baliste's loss date as 24.11.43

Bibliography
  • Campbell, John (1985). Naval Weapons of World War II. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-459-4.
  • Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben & Bush, Steve (2020). Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy from the 15th Century to the Present (5th revised and updated ed.). Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-5267-9327-0.
  • Roberts, John (1980). "France". In Chesneau, Roger (ed.). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. New York: Mayflower Books. pp. 255–279. ISBN 0-8317-0303-2.
  • Saibène, Marc (2004). Les torpilleurs légers français 1937-1945: les torpilleurs de 610 tonnes du type la Melpomène et les torpilleurs de 1010 tonnes du type le Fier [The French Light Torpedo Boats 1937-1945: The Torpedo Boats of the 610-tonne La Melpomène Class and the 1010-tonne Le Fier Class] (in French). Rennes, France: Marines. ISBN 2-9153-7913-0.
  • Salou, Charles (2004). Les torpilleurs de 600 tW du type "la Melpomène": construits d'après les lois des finances 1931-1932 [The 600-tonne Torpedo Boats of the La Melpomene Class: Built According to the 1931-1932 Finance Laws]. Collection Navires et Histoire des marines du mond; 4 (in French). Outreau, France: Lela Presse. ISBN 2-914017-22-7.
  • Whitley, M. J. (2000). Destroyers of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia. London: Cassell & Co. ISBN 1-85409-521-8.
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