French cruiser Primauguet

The Primauguet was a French "Duguay-Trouin" class light cruiser, built after World War I, and destroyed by US naval gunfire from the US battleship USS "Massachusetts" during Operation Torch. She was named after the XVth Century Breton captain Hervé de Portzmoguer, nicknamed "Primauguet".

She 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 "Suffren" 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 for Fort-de-France in the West Indies, to replace the "Jeanne d'Arc". She operated in Dutch West Indies waters, intercepting merchant ships. On 6 May 1940, "Primauguet" under the command of Vessel Captain Pierre Goybet relieved HMS "Dundee" off Aruba and, at the Dutch surrender, she landed forces to secure the oil installations. "Primauguet" returned to Dakar on 12 June 1940, after the French surrender.

"Primauguet" remained with the Vichy French Navy after the French surrender in 1940. The Primauguet brought a part of the French Gold Reserv of Banque de France in Africa. "Primauguet" was at Dakar on 7th July 1940 during the final attack by the Royal Navy to destroy the French Fleet.

She was sent to escort an oiler in support of three La Galissonniere class cruisers of the 4th Squadron. They were on an operation to Libreville, in French Equatorial Africa, to counter Free French activity. In the Bight of Benin the French force was intercepted by the British cruisers HMS "Cornwall" and HMS "Delhi". After negotiations, "Primauguet" was ordered to turn back to Casablanca by Admiral Bourague, aboard "Georges Leygues".

On 8 November 1942, she was under refit and not fully operational when shelled by the USS "Massachusetts" at Casablanca, but she returned fire, nonetheless. The ship was out-gunned and badly damaged and suffered many casualties with 45 crew dead and more than 200 wounded. She burnt out overnight, and was beached; the wreck was abandoned and became a total loss.