2024 - As with the Le Mogador this was one of my favourite destroyers and a very early drawing of mine. Badly in need of a revision. Also, thankfully, there are updated drawings that I can use to create my dual purpose Le Fantasque class with.
Built as long range escorts to the Dunkerque and later Alsace classes of battleships, a lot of the size of the ships was taken up in engines and fuel capacity. With the Dunkerque's these ships were also designed to operate the 5.1 DP semi-auto weapons (another factor that required size) and while only six guns were fitted they fired half as fast again as those fitted to the earlier Bourasque class and were streets ahead of the 5.5" singles that were the originally planned armament..
When matched with a Le Mogador as leader to 3 Le Fantasque class, these ships made up some of the fastest ever destroyer flotillas. All of the ships of the Le Fantasque class, exceeded 40 knots during full power trials.
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The refits for the ships in the class depended on when and where the electronics were added. L'Indomptable above, had been turned over to the Free French in 1940 from Operation Catapult, and had received electronic parts from Commonwealth origin while others had received refits in the US with US electronics. The torpedoes, once the French 21.7" had been expended, were replaced with two quintuple sets from UK 21" origins.
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