- Surcouf D621
The "Surcouf" was a
T 47 class destroyer of theFrench Navy . She was the fourth French ship named in honour ofRobert Surcouf .On 26 March 1960, "Surcouf" was accidentally rammed by the cargo ship "Léognan" off
Groix .In March 1962, during the
Algerian War , the "Surcouf" was ordered to shellBab el-Oued quarter otAlgiers . The ship captain, "capitaine de frégate" Picard-Destelan, refused to obey the order.On 6 June 1971, in the Mediterranean 60 miles south of
Cartagena , as she sailed with the group of the "Foch", "Surcouf" was again rammed accidentally when she cut across the Soviet tanker "General Busharov" before sunset. The tanker, 30 times heavier than the destroyer, could not avoid the collision and rammed "Surcouf" at 16 knots. Nine men of the "Surcouf" were lost at sea and one was severely burned (he later died of his wounds). When French escort "Tartu" attempted a towing, "Surcouf" snapped in two, the bowpart sinking quickly. The aft part was taken in tow to Toulon via Cartagena. She was used for training ship security, and eventually sunk by aexocet missile as target.A
court martial found the officers guilty of negligence. "Capitaine de frégate" Accary was early retired, and the "lieutenant de vaisseau" who was on watch at the time of the accident was sentenced to 6 months of prison on parole and laid down from the Navy without retirement.External links
* [http://www.netmarine.net/bat/ee/surcouf/photo02.htm "Surcouf" shortly after the collision with "General Busharov"]
* [http://www.netmarine.net/bat/ee/surcouf/photo07.htm The aft part of "Surcouf" moored in Toulon]
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