| Navy | The French Navy |
| Type | Destroyer |
| Class | L'Adroit |
| Pennant | |
| Built by | F.&Ch de la Gironde (Bordeaux, France) |
| Ordered | |
| Laid down | 19 Nov 1926 |
| Launched | 23 May 1928 |
| Commissioned | 8 Apr 1930 |
| Lost | 27 Nov 1942 |
| History | Scuttled at Toulon on 27 November 1942 to prevent her capture by the Germans. |
We don't have any commands listed for FR Bordelais
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Notable events involving Bordelais include:
20 May 1940
The French battleships Bretagne (Capt. L.R.E. de Pivian) and Provence (Capt. G.T.E. Barois) departed Alexandria for Bizerta. They were escorted by the French destroyers HMS Tigre (Capt. M. De La Forest Divonne), Lynx (Cdr. A.M. De Gouyon Matignon de Pontourade) and the Australian destroyers HMAS Stuart (Cdr. H.M.L. Waller, RAN), HMAS Vampire (Lt.Cdr. J.A. Walsh, RAN, HMAS Vendetta (Lt. R. Rhoades RAN) and HMAS Waterhen (Lt.Cdr. J.H. Swain, RN) departed Alexandria for Bizerta.
On 22 May two two more French destroyers joined company, these were Bordelais (Cdr. D.F.M.V. De Bourgoing) and Trombe (Cdr. A.A.M. Lepotier).
On 23 May the Australian destroyers parted company off Bizerta and proceeded to Malta arriving later the same day. (1)
31 Oct 1940
The destroyer HMS Griffin (Lt.Cdr J. Lee-Barber, DSO, RN), which was on patrol to the east of Gibraltar sighted five Vichy French destroyers at 0610/31 (Bordelais, Brestois, L'Alcyon, Simoun and Tempête) proceeding westwards to pass the Strait of Gibraltar possibly bound for Casablanca.
The battlecruiser HMS Renown (Capt C.E.B. Simeon, RN, flying the flag of Vice-Admiral J.F. Somerville, KCB, DSO, RN), battleship HMS Barham (Capt G.C. Cooke, RN) and the destroyers HMS Firedrake (Lt.Cdr. S.H. Norris, DSC, RN), HMS Fortune (Cdr. E.A. Gibbs, DSO, RN), HMS Fury (Lt.Cdr. T.C. Robinson, RN) and HMS Greyhound (Cdr. W.R. Marshall A'Deane, DSO, DSC, RN) departed Gibraltar at 0830/31 to the westward to intercept. Destroyers which were on patrol to the eastward of Gibraltar were ordered to join HMS Renown to the west of Gibraltar. These were HMS Wishart (Cdr. E.T. Cooper, RN), HMS Encounter (Lt.Cdr. E.V.St J. Morgan, RN), HMS Forester (Lt.Cdr. E.B. Tancock, RN) and HMS Gallant (Lt.Cdr. C.P.F. Brown, RN).
HMS Griffin was ordered to shadow the Vichy French ships.
HMS Renown, HMS Barham, HMS Wishart, HMS Encounter, HMS Firedrake, HMS Forester, HMS Fortune, HMS Fury, HMS Gallant and HMS Greyhound returned to Gibraltar at 1000/1. (2)
Media links
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Sources
- Report of proceedings of HMAS Voyager for April and May 1940 + Report of proceedings of the 10th Destroyer Flotilla
- ADM 199/392
ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.
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