 Primauguet | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 France | |
| Name | Primauguet |
| Namesake | Hervé de Portzmoguer |
| Builder | Arsenal de Brest |
| Laid down | 16 August 1923 |
| Launched | 21 May 1924 |
| Commissioned | 1 April 1927 |
| Fate | Destroyed in harbour, 8 November 1942 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Duguay-Trouin-classcruiser |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 181.30 m (594 ft 10 in) overall |
| Beam | 17.50 m (57 ft 5 in) |
| Draught | 6.14 m (20 ft 2 in), 6.30 m (20 ft 8 in) full load |
| Propulsion | 4-shaftParsons single-reduction gearedturbines; 8Guyot boilers; 102,000 shp (76,000 kW) |
| Speed | 33knots (61 km/h; 38 mph) |
| Range | 3,000nautical miles (5,600 km; 3,500 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) |
| Complement | 27 officers, 551 sailors |
| Armament |
|
| Armour |
|
| Aircraft carried |
|
Primauguet was a FrenchDuguay-Trouin-classlight cruiser built after World War I. During theAnglo-American invasion of French North Africa in 1942, she was burnt out and abandoned, having been subject to gunfire from a fleet led by thebattleshipMassachusetts, and repeated aerial attacks bySBD Dauntless dive bombers. She was named after the 15th centuryBreton captainHervé de Portzmoguer, nicknamed "Primauguet".
The design of theDuguay-Trouin class was based on an improved version of a 1915 design, but was reworked with more speed and a more powerful armament to match the BritishE-class and the AmericanOmaha-class light cruisers. The ships had anoverall length of 175.3 meters (575 ft 2 in), abeam of 17.2 meters (56 ft 5 in), and adraft of 5.3 meters (17 ft 5 in). They displaced 8,128metric tons (8,000long tons) atstandard load and 9,655 t (9,503 long tons) atdeep load. Their crew consisted of 591 men when serving as flagships.[2]
Primauguet was commissioned in April 1927 and immediately commenced a seven-month world cruise, returning in mid-December. The pattern of extended cruises was maintained until April 1932, when she was stationed in the Far East until a refit in January 1936. The Far East posting was resumed in November 1937 until she was relieved by the cruiserSuffren and returned to France.
The first months of World War II were spent on Atlantic patrols, convoy escort and surveillance of Axis shipping. On 1 April 1940, she sailed forFort-de-France in the West Indies, to replace the cruiserJeanne d'Arc. She operated inDutch West Indies waters, intercepting merchant ships. On 6 May 1940,Primauguet, under the command of Vessel Captain Pierre Goybet, relieved the BritishsloopDundee offAruba and, at the Dutch surrender, she landed forces to secure the oil installations.Primauguet returned toDakar on 12 June 1940, after theFrench surrender .[3]
Primauguet remained with theVichy French Navy. She brought a part of the French Gold Reserve ofBanque de France in Africa.Primauguet was atDakar in July 1940 during the Royal Navy'sattack on the French fleet at Mers-el-Kebir.[4]
She was sent to escort anoiler in support of threeLa Galissonnière-class cruisers of the 4th Squadron. They were on an operation toLibreville, inFrench Equatorial Africa, to counterFree French activity. In theBight of Benin, the French force was intercepted by the British cruisersCornwall andDelhi. After negotiations,Primauguet was ordered to turn back toCasablanca by Admiral Bourague, aboardGeorges Leygues.[3]
On 8 November 1941, she began a refit in Casablanca and was not fully operational when theNaval Battle of Casablanca began exactly one year later. During this unequal engagement, she was shelled by the largest ships of the opposing American forces, the US battleshipMassachusetts and the 8-inch cruisersWichita,Tuscaloosa andAugusta, as well as the 6-inch cruiserBrooklyn. She was also subject to four waves of aerial attack byDouglas Dauntlessdive-bombers from theaircraft carrierUSS Ranger, which claimed six direct hits.[5][6]Massively outmatched by the opposing firepower, she was badly damaged and suffered many casualties. The ship dropped anchor in shallow water and later went aground where she burnt through the night. Her wreck was sold in 1951, and scrapped in place.[5]
