Le Fantasque-class Contre-Torpilleur
Description
Model depicted: -
Scale: -
Ships in class: Le Fantasque, Le Malin, Le Terrible, L'Indomptable, L'Audacieux, Le Triomphant
Six large, very fast destroyer-hunters (also referred to as the Malin class) were ordered under the French naval programme of 1930. They served in World War II for both Vichy France and the Free French Forces.
The original purpose of these large French destroyers, and the earlier Chacal class, was to operate with battleship and cruiser forces, although they were not restricted to this. The Italian Navy, the Regia Marina, reacted by building the Capitani Romani-class cruisers. The class was assigned to the Force de Raid when war was declared. Those ships that later sailed with the Allies were classed as light cruisers.