Aigle class destroyer (1931)

French Navy – Contre-Torpilleurs de 2400 tonnes. 6 built 1927-1930, in service until 1942: .

Milan in 1936-37

The Aigle-class destroyers (“contre-torpilleurs”) were built for the French navy in 1931-34. Very similar to the previous Guepard class, they still had an improved machinery with higher pressure boilers for an extra 0.5 knots (0.93 km/h; 0.58 mph) in top speed plus the new 138 mm gun type using a sliding breech block for a higher rate of fire. The class, unlike the previous one, adopted marine and birds of prey names. There is a parallel by the way with the German 1923 and 1924 torpedo boats, at the time built as destroyers, the “raubtier” and “raubvogel” which did exactly the same. Their fate was as absurd as the rest of French destroyers, four were scuttled in Toulon in November 1942 while the others were sunk during Operation Torch in Oran and Casablanca by allied ships. Two were raised and repaired postwar, seeing more service in the 1950s.

Career of the Aigle class

Albatros in Casablanca, post battle

“Eagle” was laid down at Ateliers et Chantiers de France, Dunkirk, Launched 19 February 1931, Completed on 10 October 1932. She was scuttled on 27 November 1942, Refloated 10 July 1943 by the Italians but never repaired, bombed and sunk by the allies on 24 November 1943, broken up in situ 1952.

“Vulture” was Built by Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée, La Seyne, launched on 26 August 1930, Completed 2 May 1932. She was also scuttled in Toulon on 27 November 1942, refloated on 17 January 1943 by the Italians, never repaired, bombed and sunk by the allies on 4 February 1944, broken up in situ 1951.

Albatros was built by Ateliers et Chantiers de la Loire, Nantes, launched on 27 June 1930, completed 25 December 1931. On 14 June 1940 she took part in Operation Vado, on Genoa and Savona and damaged by the coastal battery “Mameli” with a 152 mm (6 in) round. With Vichy France, she was present at the battle of Casablanca in November 1942, badly damaged by the heavy cruisers USS Augusta, USS Wichita, and USS Tuscaloosa, bombed by aircraft from USS Suwanee, beached in a sinking condition. After the war she was repaired and returned to service until decommissioned on 9 September 1959.

“Gyrfalcon” was built by Ateliers et Chantiers de Bretagne, Nantes, launched on 14 June 1930, completed on 30 January 1932, Scuttled on 27 November 1942 in Toulon. Refloated by the Italians on 1 June 194, partly scrapped in June–September 1943 and her hulk bombed and sunk on 7 March 1944, broken up in situ 1948.

“Kite” was built by Arsenal de Lorient, Launched on 13 October 1931, Completed 20 April 1934. On 8 November 1942, off Casablanca, she was hit by 16-inch (400 mm) shells from the US fleet and had to be beached (battle of Casablanca). She was never repaired and scrapped in situ.

“Sparrowhawk” was built by Arsenal de Lorient, launched on 14 August 1931, completed on 1 April 1934. On 9 November 1942 she was sunk by HMS Aurora off Oran (Battle of Oran, North Africa, Operation Torch, British sector). She was raised and eventually broken up in 1946.

Read More/Src

Books

Cernuschi, Enrico & O’Hara, Vincent P. (2013). “Toulon: The Self-Destruction and Salvage of the French Fleet”. In Jordan, John (ed.). Warship 2013.
Chesneau, Roger, ed. (1980). Conway’s All the World’s Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Greenwich, UK: Conway Maritime Press.
Jordan, John & Moulin, Jean (2015). French Destroyers: Torpilleurs d’Escadre & Contre-Torpilleurs 1922–1956. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing.
Rohwer, Jürgen (2005). Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two (Third Revised ed.). NIP
Whitley, M. J. (1988). Destroyers of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia. NIP

Links

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gu%C3%A9pard-class_destroyer

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